Before & After: The Eco Modern Residence Landscaping Journey
The Eco Modern residence featured in the projects section of this site was our home for 10 years. It was the home our kids lived in from the time they were born, until middle school - we loved that home! Built in 1948, it has an architectural look and has a rich history as the original owner was one of the first women judges in Los Angeles and held secret meetings regarding Roe vs Wade in the living room during the early 1970’s.
Once we finished interior renovation, which included a small addition and a comprehensive interior update, our first phase for the exterior was the front yard. Like many of our clients – we needed to break this project apart into phases. Sometimes the cost can be overwhelming to do an entire property at one time, and we are always happy to work with our clients to figure out how to best create phases for the work they want to do.
Most of the existing front yard was an old patchy lawn that sloped down to the street. Although we wanted to include some lawn for our young kids to play on, saving water is always priority so the lawn size was reduced. In its place, we introduced several areas of drought tolerant landscaping that added year round beautiful views out the many windows. A stucco retaining wall was built around the perimeter that allowed us to backfill the space and create a flat play area. The wall provide delineation from the street and our neighbors, and it included an Ipe wood slat design detail that gave it style and was a nod to the midcentury modern architecture of the house. By setting the wall back 4’ from the street, a garden “parkway” space was created to soften the wall and give style color to the landscape. Many of our favorite drought tolerant plants are in this garden – low fruiting Olive trees, Blue Flame and Blue Glow Agaves, Agave Parryi, Euphorbia Rigida, and Convolvulus ground cover to soften the look and meander naturally throughout the mix of Del Rio and Mixed Mexican pebble.
The driveway is another key hardscape element that was updated. The driveway is often overlooked or skipped on projects due to budgetary restraints. But it is such an important element in updating the overall look of the property and makes the landscape feel finished. It also adds to the curb appeal of every home and is an asset should you decide to sell. A new sand finish concrete driveway with pebble gaps for permeability was installed that led all the way down the side of the house and into the back yard, connecting the two spaces. A new larger front porch created a sitting area that was used daily to watch our kids play while spending time with friends and other families in our friendly neighborhood. A raised planter was created to run along the long span of modern windows in the front of the house and gives dimension to the space as well as a creating a nice pop of nature to the interior. A driveway gate using the same Ipe wood slat design detail from the front perimeter wall was also added to give more warmth to the design, and to give security to the backyard.
Next came the back yard phase. Once the demo work had been done our kids really started having fun! We always say this field of dirt was their favorite back yard ever. Out came the shovels, toy trucks and scraps of building materials. Their imaginations ran wild…they were busy! Our friends often joked that they were heading to Home Depot to purchase bags of dirt to pour all over their finished landscapes to get their kids to go outside and play! It did take us several months (ok, maybe more than a several months) after demo to start the building phase of the back yard – but the kids were having so much fun we used the extra time to make sure our landscape design was well thought out and every detail was considered. Sometimes it isn’t until the old is gone and the space is empty that new ideas come to life. That is the beauty of being design build – our designs evolve during the building phase as we evaluate and fine tune every element of the landscape design and how it connects to other elements.
Creating a beautiful California indoor/outdoor living space for both adults and kids to enjoy was our goal of our back yard space. The raised sitting area was designed to feel like an extension of the family room that is just on the other side of the large modern sliders. It also connected the house to the yard and added dimension to the landscape with it’s beautiful wrap around cantilevered staircase. Just below, was an oversized sand finish concrete firepit with built in seating, that served as the center of the space for nightly time spent together. Adults enjoyed a glass of wine while the kids were busy roasting hot dogs on skewers or making nightly smore’s for dessert. Also included in the backyard space was a pergola covered dining area, a small lawn (our games of “running bases” with the kids will always be a cherish memory), an “A frame” tree house that transitioned as they got older into a ninja warrior training area and a multi-purpose sport court that provided hours of fun. The 8’ grey washed redwood fence along the back of the property created a visually relaxing backdrop and plenty of privacy from neighbors.
As in the front yard, drought tolerant gardens and plenty of planted pots were added throughout to soften the hardscapes and add color, texture and warmth. Southern California appropriate plants and trees were used in this space – low fruiting Olive trees, Blue Flame Agave, Blue Glow Agave, Agave Attenuata, Fan Aloe, Dianella Cassa Blue, Purple Aeonium as well as Dwarf Lemon, Lime and Satsuma Mandarin trees.
Renovation is challenging, but finishing the landscape was so worth it! We have created so many beautiful memories in our outdoor spaces.
If you’re looking reimagine your own outdoor spaces with a landscape design and installation company, please call or email us today for a free consultation.