Botanical Decorators | Rehoboth Beach Residence

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Award-Winning LCA Residential Project Design-Build

Project Description

This was a very special project for us. We were involved with the project from its initial inspection. The home was designed around our concept of an inner courtyard with a pool that all rooms in the house would look upon. Our design of the front porch, arbors and glass wall is what pulled all the pieces together.

The fence connected the garage to the pool house and was constructed of the same materials as the house making for a seamless completion of the enclosed garden.

The architecture is clean and so is the landscape. Note the eight cherries that are in a perfect cubed layout. The skip laurel hedge provides privacy from the road and creates an enclosed courtyard feel to the front of the house. The parking court with its circular cobblestone inlay softens the space while providing an illusion of more space in what is a very tight alcove that the garage is touched into.

Large sweeps of ornamental grasses accentuate the circle and elongate the space. The arbor and reed glass wall lets light infused the inner court yard while creating privacy and scale to both parking court and inner center courtyard. The Entry to the center courtyard acts as the main entrance to the house as well, very Mediterranean. Once in the inner courtyard you are delighted to find truly a private sanctuary. The dappelled shade from the shade master locust sets the mood instantly. Pocket gardens filled with color also are a place for the owners sculpture and artifacts.

The pool, with its dramatic 8’ waterfall, fills the space with the sound of water and creates a visual that is unparalleled. there is an area for everything dining, gather in a group for a conversation, relax in the hot tub, shower after a swim, grill a quick meal, grab a private moment for two, lounge in the sun or have cocktails for seventy five of your closest friends. It’s all here for you. The owner feels there is no reason to leave the property. He probably is right.

We worked with the architects to get everything we could out of the property. The house and the guest house were designed using the entire building envelope so we could have as large as possible central courtyard. It was barely large enough to incorporate everything the client wanted.

The list included a pool with a waterfall, screened in porch with retractable screens, hot tub, outdoor shower, conversation area with a couch coffee table and chairs, a dining area, and room for oversized chases that he had seen in Miami. A special exception was required to build the waterfall wall at the end of the pool that was two feet close to the property line then allowed, this extra distance was critical in creating the proper flow around to the spa on one side and the outdoor shower on the other both of these items sit in what is technically the side yard and also needed special approval prior to being constructed.

The turning radius into the garage was so tight that we would have to come within 2.5 feet of the chimney of the left side. Please note how the circle inlay disguises this and allows for more planting at the front entrance. Having the front entrance as part of the driveway meant that cars could not be parked in front of the door so a two car turn off was created so one could park close to the house without blocking the entrance.

We maximized out the impervious space on the property and had to use decking for the front porch, around the hot tub, and in the shower area. The need for the inner courtyard to be close to the first floor grade meant that prior to siding a rubber membrane installed all along the house to protect the sill plates and framing of the house. The garage foundation was raised 2' on the pool side to accommodate the change in grade. This project would have never been built if we were not included from the beginning. Thanks to the teamwork of so many we have an exceptional end product.

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