Seed Studio Landscape Design

We worked with Steve at Seed Studio on a full redesign of our property, including front, back, and side yard landscaping, a new driveway, fencing and gates, multiple decks, a patio, an outdoor kitchen, and a built-in hot tub. We do like the final layout and appreciate how efficiently he used the space on our narrow lot. However, there were several significant issues with the process that would keep us from working with him again or recommending him to others. Design Process & Deliverables Steve visited our property twice and we had several phone calls and email exchanges throughout the design process. The final plans were clear and professionally drafted from a contractor’s perspective, but they were essentially blueprint-style drawings. To be fair, we understood going into the project that we would not be receiving full 3-D renderings. However, Seed Studio’s website features conceptual sketches and visual representations of designs, which led us to expect that we would receive something similar to help visualize the finished project. Instead, we received only technical plans. For the fees charged, we expected more client-friendly presentation materials that would have made it easier to understand how the space would ultimately look and feel. We also found Steve somewhat unreceptive to feedback once he had settled on a design direction. While he listened to our input, it often felt as though he already had a vision for the project and was not particularly interested in incorporating significant client preferences that differed from that vision. As a result, the process felt more designer-driven than collaborative. One big surprise was the budget. The materials and design choices ultimately specified in the plans ended up costing nearly double the budget range we had initially discussed. We understand that pricing can evolve during a project, but the final design moved so far beyond our stated budget that we would have appreciated more proactive guidance and discussion along the way. Additionally, many of the materials Steve specified were expensive specialty products with long lead times. While they may have been attractive design choices, they added significant cost and complexity to the project. Both contractors we worked with struggled to install certain materials without damage, which created additional delays, expense, and frustration. Contractor Recommendations: Steve strongly encouraged us to use a particular contractor, explaining that he wanted to use them more frequently on his South Bay projects. Based in part on his recommendation, we moved forward with them despite some reservations. Unfortunately, that relationship did not work out and we ultimately had to terminate them from the project. While the contractor’s performance was certainly their responsibility not Steve’s, we were disappointed that Steve was largely unwilling to become involved when serious issues arose, despite having advocated for them so strongly. Afterward, Steve recommended another contractor whom he regularly works with. They were more familiar with his designs and initially things progressed more smoothly but then we also experienced damage to materials and significant delays with them. Construction Oversight & Client Support What ultimately disappointed us most was not just the contractors themselves, but Steve’s lack of involvement once construction began. The project that was initially expected to take roughly a few months stretched into over 1 year. During that time there were significant delays, damaged materials, scheduling issues, and long stretches where progress slowed dramatically. We were not expecting Steve to manage construction or solve every problem. That was clearly not his responsibility or part of his scope. However, given the size of the project, the substantial design fees, and the fact that both contractors had come through his recommendations, we expected at least occasional check-ins or some level of interest in how the project was progressing. Instead, it felt as though once the design work was completed and final payment was received, his involvement effectively ended. He never checked in, asked how construction was going, or showed interest in seeing how his design was being executed. While ongoing support may not have been formally included in his scope of work, we found the lack of engagement surprising. Most homeowners would reasonably expect their designer to have some interest in the success of a project that represents their work and reputation. Overall We are happy with the overall design concept and how our narrow lot was ultimately utilized. However, the experience getting there was far more stressful, expensive, and time-consuming than we expected. If you decide to work with Seed Studio, our advice would be: • Be very clear and firm about your budget and monitor design decisions closely. • Do not assume that examples shown on the website reflect the visual materials you will receive during the design process. • Carefully vet contractors independently, regardless of recommendations. • Understand that you may receive only blueprint-style plans without additional visualization materials. • Do not expect ongoing involvement or support once construction begins. While we like the final design itself, we would not work with Seed Studio again and cannot recommend the experience. If we were starting over, we would choose a firm that offers stronger visualization tools, is more accountable to budget throughout the design process, and remains engaged in the overall client experience from concept through completion.

Steve did a tremendous job with our project. Watching the plants grow in and experiencing the end result made me fall in love with our house. His commitment to native plants, sustainable materials, and his sense of placement makes me so thankful that we had the opportunity to work with him.

We are thrilled with our new backyard space, and it was a pleasure to work with Steve from beginning to end. We were initially drawn to Seed Studio by Steve's design aesthetic and skill in incorporating native plants to attract and support birds and pollinators in urban settings. The design process began with Steve working to understand how we wanted to use our space. He then guided us through a discussion of layouts, forms, materials, and plants (including how each plant species contributes to the ecosystem by season) to arrive at a final design. Our backyard has now come to life as a place for our gatherings (from family meals to small dance parties with friends) as well as a home to hummingbirds, bees and an occasional visiting hawk.

After interviewing multiple architects I hired Seed Studio and am extremely happy I did so. From the start Steve was clear about the process, realistic about timing, and very quick to respond to my questions. Steve listened to my general plan for the outdoor space and came up with an original design that incorporated both my rough plan and his excellent vision. The end product is the roof deck I always dreamed of, it really couldn’t have turned out better. I would recommend Seed Studio without hesitation.

We love our new yard! Steve delivered a very creative design for our challenging backyard. The deck and outdoor kitchen have greatly expanded the entertaining space, and the fire pit area is just what we wanted. We are ecstatic with the transformation!!

We really enjoyed working with Steve last fall on a design for our small San Francisco backyard. We love his esthetic but were also concerned about maximizing the limited space we had. He took the time to understand our needs/vision and came up with a design that was both beautiful and functional. He was available as well during the construction phase to answer questions as issues came up. It was a pleasure working with Steve. (And we love our new backyard!)

We've collaborated with Steve and SEED on two projects recently. After 30 years in the Industry I can honestly say he's one of the most talented landscape architects we've had the good fortune to work with. He tailors his designs to his clients needs and creates spaces that are functional, practical, and aesthetically pleasing. Everything on his projects have been extremely detailed and clear. He's very up front about his demands for quality. He's also extremely communicative, so that both client and contractor are clear on what's expected.

I used Seed Studio to redesign my outdoor space. Steve did an amazing job of taking what I generally knew I wanted and coming up with a design that far exceeded my expectations. The design turned out far better and more integrated than I had hoped. He really listened to what I wanted, delivered a design that reflected who I am and what my space is like. He was terrific. I highly recommend Seed Studio.

Steve at Seed Studio is a knowledgable, experienced, professional who listens to your requests and makes things happen in a timely, positive way. He answered all our questions and concerns in face-to-face meetings, over the phone, and email. He is very responsive and we felt well taken care of. He provided great advice and guidance as we made our decisions about the garden renovation. I'm excited to see his vision come to life this summer. when we break ground. We felt his price point for his landscape drawings was competitive. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone interested in renovating their garden.

Steve, the owner was professional, on time, responsive and most important creative and knowledgeable. He spent time understanding what my needs were and what appealed to me and incorporated into the design. Nearly Two years later, I love my back yard and it made it through the drought!

Steve has great ideas which he translates beautifully to his landscape design plans. Always on time ( a rarity in the Bay Area). My wife and I love working with Steve!

It was a true privilege working with Steve. I cannot say enough good things about his meticulous nature, out of the box thinking, and adherence to timelines and commitments. By way of background, we purchased a foreclosure and set about restoring the house and yard. Steve provided a compelling vision for the design – and we signed on immediately. The house is an English tudor, and we wanted to yard to have an English garden feel, while not being too stuffy. Steve fine-tuned the design and sought out feedback multiple times as we got near the design plan. It was quite an eye opener to learn the extent of the planning and detail required to execute a landscape plan. In short, if you want to do this right, you need a professional. And Steve is that professional. As an important part of the relationship, Steve helped us find several landscape companies to execute the design… after interviewing several teams (including two that were not on Steve’s list), it was one of Steve’s contractors that came through with the lowest price in the most realistic timeframe. The unique relationship Steve had with the landscaper made it such that we were able to achieve 95% of the intended original design plan on an aggressive budget. Finally, Steve didn’t disappear after he presented landscape plans – he was kind enough to check in and thoughtfully answer every question that came up in the implementation process. This back and forth revealed the depth of thought and planning that went into the design, which I did not initially appreciate. (think: matching curves and lines to sight lines on the house, foundation, etc. – a ton of details to consider and the whole design can be compromised if something is off!) It was a true pleasure watching the design come to life, and now to see it come to completion. We could not be happier with the outcome and would put Seed Studio and Steve Ritchey at the very top of a list of SF bay area landscape architects.