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Our client at this Old Chester home originally contacted us for a screened porch design. After reviewing the zoning ordinances, however, we determined that a screen porch could not be constructed. Feeling as if their dreams were dashed, our clients put the project on hold and considered selling their home.
When they realized that the challenges they had were limiting the sale, they contacted us again and asked us for a residential landscape design to help raise the value of their home. We accepted the challenge to transform the odd shaped 40 x 40 ft. space into an elegant and refined outdoor living area.
Are you facing challenges creating the landscape of your dreams? Botanical Decorators takes on residential landscape design challenges from Maryland to Virginia to Washington, DC. Call us today!
Our clients had a wish list of landscape design elements that included:
They also asked that we come up with a creative solution for the courtyard area so that they could sit and watch their children ride their bikes. We began the courtyard design with a circular patio feature that became the hub for a garden entrance and sitting area.
A bubbling urn introduces the sound of water and makes a nice accent piece to the courtyard design. From here you can walk the path to a dining patio large enough to accommodate a table and an outdoor grill station. When you turn the corner into the backyard, you face a stone fireplace- our main focal point of the courtyard design. A pergola defines the living area and reflects the custom architectural details of the main residence, specifically the column details, picket hand rails, and stone masonry.
The clients also requested a landscape that was as maintenance-free as possible. We complied with a natural gas landscape fireplace and an outdoor rated log set so they could snuggle up and roast marshmallows with the kids.
Looking to update your courtyard design in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC? Contact us to transform your courtyard area with landscape design elements ranging from a landscape fireplace to an outdoor grill station and much more.
In the garden design, the stone pier serves as a pedestal for a beautifully crafted urn overflowing with colorful annuals. The custom curved railings soften the ‘boxiness’ of the tight courtyard design. Fine details like the flame-torched edges of the curved PA Flagstone steps and the fireplace mantle also help make this project unique.
Where do we begin? The first major challenge with this residential landscape design was that the 40 X 40 ft. backyard was split by a drainage swale; we had to do better than our predecessors whose solution was to push the patio up against the rear of the house. We shot all of our grades and rerouted the majority of the storm water runoff as well as the gutters and pump water to the rear of the property through underground drains and into an elaborate distribution area behind the garage.
As a safe guard for heavy storms, we re-engineered the flow of the runoff water by raising the center of the yard 14 inches where we installed the pergola and patio. The sitting wall and fireplace now serve as a retaining structure to support the back of the swale and divert the water into a dry river bed.
The courtyard area between the driveway/detached garage, the mudroom, and the family room was unusable. In order to better define the relationship between the family room and the backyard, we removed a rectangular wood deck with an awkward set of steps.
Our new design features a raised stone terrace large enough for a café table that blends into the architecture of the home and seamlessly transitions from the family room down to the gardens. The remaining space is now a defined and functional patio.
This project is a perfect example of what can be accomplished within a small urban lot, like many landscapes in Washington D.C., with a bit of creative thought and an expert production team.
Are you looking to transform your backyard into the landscape of your dreams? At Botanical Decorators, we transform properties through the DC Metropolitan Area with residential landscape designs that are custom-built for each client. Whether you want a complete courtyard design, landscape fireplace, or outdoor grill station like the structures we built for this Old Chester home, or have an entirely different design idea of your own, we’ll work with you to create an outdoor space you’ll love.
Contact us today for a residential landscape design in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C.