As a younger couple planning a family, this client wanted to create a space with increased privacy and separation from the street on their corner lot in an urban environment. A sloped yard and alley behind the property compounded the challenge.

The family accesses the house via the back door from a parking area, and our design created gardens between the living and parking areas, replacing a simple path up the slope. We leveled a portion of the lot and used a wall to provide some separation between areas, providing a terrace for seating and a flat area for children to play.

Strategic plantings and garden features provide increased privacy, creating a “room” feel in the yard, despite the corner lot in a city.

The design esthetic in Europe is quite different from the United States, and when this client relocated to the States, she was keenly interested in traditional American plants, with a wilder, garden feel. The home was fairly typical, with a driveway to the garage, and a small path close to the house to the front door.

Our approach was to separate the parking area for guests and visitors from the practical garage access, and create a blend between the walkway and the wild garden feel. A parking court was designed for the front of the house, with a stone walkway approach that reveals the house and a secluded seating area as you approach. The gardens and new walkway create a more dramatic, yet friendly approach to the house, and the seating area is a private nook in the front of the house.