The complexity yet calming beauty of the outdoor space shines with the custom lighting features as well as fire features and glowing waters. The path into the pool surrounded circular fire patio provides the perfect vantage point for taking in all the well-appointed areas and outdoor rooms. Natural plantings are utilized to soften the hardscapes and add overhead colorful interest. Photography by Joe Traina

Neil Michael - Axiom Photography

This garden house was designed by owner and architect, Shirat Mavligit. The wooden section of outer wall is actually the outer section of a central volume that creates an enlarged open space bisecting the home interior. The windows create a view corridor within the home that allows visitors to see all the way through to the back yard. Occupants of the home looking out through these windows feel as if they are sitting in the middle of a garden. This architectural theme of volume and line of site is so powerful that it became the inspiration for the modern landscape design we developed in the front, back, and side yards of the property. We began by addressing the issue of too much open space in the front yard. It has no surrounding fence, and it faces a very busy street in Houston’s Rice Village Area. After careful study of the home façade, our team determined that the best way to set aside a large portion of private space in front of the home was to construct a landscape berm. This land art form adds a sense of dimension and psychological boundary to the scene. It is built of core 10 steel and stands 16 inches tall. This is just high enough for guests to sit on, and it provides an ideal sunbathing area for summer days. The sweeping contour of the berm offsets the rigid linearity of the home with a softer architectural detail. Its linear progression gives the modern landscape design a dynamic sense of movement. Moving to the back yard, we reinforced the home’s central volume and view corridor by laying a rectilinear line of gravel parallel to an equivalent section of grass. Near the corner of the house, we created a series of gravel stepping pads that lead guests from the gravel run, through the grass, and into a vegetable garden. The heavy use of gravel does several things. It communicates a sense of control by containing the vitality of the lawn within an inorganic, mathematically precise space. This feeling of contained life force is common in modern landscape design. This also adds the functional advantage of a low-maintenance space where only minimal lawn care is needed. Gravel also has its own unique aesthetic appeal. Its dark color compliments both the grass and the house, providing an ideal lead-in to the space of the vegetable garden. This same rectilinear geometry was applied to the side yard, but the materials were reversed to add dramatic effect. Here, the field is gravel, and the stepping pads are made from grass. Heavy gauge steel planters were set into the gravel to house separate plantings of Zoysia. The pads run from the library to the kitchen, allowing visitors to travel between the two as if they are walking on a floor decorated with grass. The lawn in all three yards is planted with Zoysia grass. This species of grass is frequently used in modern landscape design because it requires only moderate amounts of water to retain its exceptionally fine texture. When mowed, it presents a clean, well-manicured lawn that compliments the conservatism of the home.

POTS & HORIZONTAL BOARD FENCE, BRADANINI

Pergola and kitchen are focal items.

Pergola, Outdoor Kitchen Ivory Travertine

An intimate park-like setting with low-maintenance materials replaced an aging wooden rooftop deck at this Bucktown home. Three distinct spaces create a full outdoor experience, starting with a landscaped dining area surrounded by large trees and greenery. The illusion is that of a secret garden rather than an urban rooftop deck. A sprawling green area is the perfect spot to soak in the summer sun or play an outdoor game. In the front is the main entertainment area, fully outfitted with a louvered roof, fire table, and built-in seating. The space maintains the atmosphere of a garden with shrubbery and flowers. It’s the ideal place to host friends and family with a custom kitchen that is complete with a Big Green Egg and an outdoor television.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

This stunning pool has an Antigua Pebble finish, tanning ledge and 5 bar seats. The L-shaped, open-air cabana houses an outdoor living room with a custom fire table, a large kitchen with stainless steel appliances including a sink, refrigerator, wine cooler and grill, a spacious dining and bar area with leathered granite counter tops and a spa like bathroom with an outdoor shower making it perfect for entertaining both small family cookouts and large parties.

Sara Bendrick

landscape design by merge studio © ramsay photography

Paver driveway, drought tolerant planting, black mulch. Paver color and style selected to compliment paint and roof color.

Succulents, grasses and low-water shrubs with vivid foliage give this coastal garden a rich, textured look with minimal maintenance. Exterior colors and furniture selection by Julie McMahon. Photos by Daniel Bosler Photos by Daniel Bosler

David Winger