Bruce Damonte

Bliss Garden Design

Courtyard Garden: Central London a tiny oasis of quiet. Framed by walling to the sides & a tall building to the rear. Design concept minimal, simple & clean cut, yet providing a space for children to enjoy. Materials: Cedar wood slatted trellis to the walling, cedar wood smooth decking to the rear with built-in seating framed by bamboo planters. Portland limestone, sawn, all units at the same size. Childrens play sand pit built into the decking.

An additional challenge for the design team was to ensure that the kitchen would withstand the harsh Chicago elements; the countertop was done in honed granite and the cabinetry is marine-grade teak. To bring the modern design into harmony with the natural surroundings, a neutral palette was selected to complement the aesthetic inside the home without detracting from the lush green of the outdoor space.

Photo by: Jeff Garland

Design By LaPatra Architects, Seattle

Custom Home of the Year 2012 Electronic House magazine Sarasota, FL Longboat Key, FL Casey Key, FL Siesta Key, FL Venice, FL Lakewood Ranch, FL

Jeffrey Edward Tryon

This property has a wonderful juxtaposition of modern and traditional elements, which are unified by a natural planting scheme. Although the house is traditional, the client desired some contemporary elements, enabling us to introduce rusted steel fences and arbors, black granite for the barbeque counter, and black African slate for the main terrace. An existing brick retaining wall was saved and forms the backdrop for a long fountain with two stone water sources. Almost an acre in size, the property has several destinations. A winding set of steps takes the visitor up the hill to a redwood hot tub, set in a deck amongst walls and stone pillars, overlooking the property. Another winding path takes the visitor to the arbor at the end of the property, furnished with Emu chaises, with relaxing views back to the house, and easy access to the adjacent vegetable garden. Photos: Simmonds & Associates, Inc.

photo - Mitchel Naquin

Screened in backyard pool & hot tub with travertine pavers deck. FireOrb next to tub and outdoor kitchen/grill. Main house to the left with Garage and 2nd floor Guest Suite to the left. Photo by Aaron Bailey Photography - awbailey.com

Complete renovation of historic Cow Hollow home. Existing front facade remained for historical purposes. Scope included framing the entire 3 story structure, constructing large concrete retaining walls, and installing a storefront folding door system at family room that opens onto rear stone patio. Rear yard features terraced concrete planters and living wall. Photos: Bruce DaMonte Interior Design: Martha Angus Architect: David Gast

These photographs were taken of the roof deck (May 2012) by our client and show the wonderful planting and how truly green it is up on a roof in the midst of industrial/commercial Chelsea. There are also a few photos of the clients' adorable cat Jenny within the space.

Custom IPE deck design, ages beautifully

Pool & Pool House Stowe, Vermont This mountain top residential site offers spectacular 180 degree views towards adjacent hillsides. The client desired to replace an existing pond with a pool and pool house to be used for both entertaining and family use. The open site is adjacent to the driveway to the north but offered spectacular mountain views to the south. The challenge was to provide privacy at the pool without obstructing the beautiful vista from the entry drive. Working closely with the architect we designed the pool and pool house as one modern element closely linked by proximity, detailing & geometry. In so doing, we used precise placement, careful choice of building & site materials, and minimalist planting. Existing trees were edited to open up selected views to the south. Rows of ornamental grasses provide architectural delineation of outdoor space. Understated stone steps in the lawn loosely connect the pool to the main house. Architect: Michael Minadeo + Partners Image Credit: Westphalen Photography

Complete interior renovation of a 1980s split level house in the Virginia suburbs. Main level includes reading room, dining, kitchen, living and master bedroom suite. New front elevation at entry, new rear deck and complete re-cladding of the house. Interior: The prototypical layout of the split level home tends to separate the entrance, and any other associated space, from the rest of the living spaces one half level up. In this home the lower level "living" room off the entry was physically isolated from the dining, kitchen and family rooms above, and was only connected visually by a railing at dining room level. The owner desired a stronger integration of the lower and upper levels, in addition to an open flow between the major spaces on the upper level where they spend most of their time. ExteriorThe exterior entry of the house was a fragmented composition of disparate elements. The rear of the home was blocked off from views due to small windows, and had a difficult to use multi leveled deck. The owners requested an updated treatment of the entry, a more uniform exterior cladding, and an integration between the interior and exterior spaces. SOLUTIONS The overriding strategy was to create a spatial sequence allowing a seamless flow from the front of the house through the living spaces and to the exterior, in addition to unifying the upper and lower spaces. This was accomplished by creating a "reading room" at the entry level that responds to the front garden with a series of interior contours that are both steps as well as seating zones, while the orthogonal layout of the main level and deck reflects the pragmatic daily activities of cooking, eating and relaxing. The stairs between levels were moved so that the visitor could enter the new reading room, experiencing it as a place, before moving up to the main level. The upper level dining room floor was "pushed" out into the reading room space, thus creating a balcony over and into the space below. At the entry, the second floor landing was opened up to create a double height space, with enlarged windows. The rear wall of the house was opened up with continuous glass windows and doors to maximize the views and light. A new simplified single level deck replaced the old one.