Santa Monica

The backyard of this charming craftsman-style house was a large rectangle of struggling grass surrounded by shrubs long past their prime. The homeowners wanted a new space for dining and entertaining that would need far less irrigation. Working around spectacular, mature Paperbark Melaleuca trees, we created a flagstone patio crowned by an elegant, concrete “picnic” table. The adjacent decomposed granite courtyard provides a sunny spot to lay out lounge chairs and relax. A curvy, stacked stone wall defines the edge of a planting bed as well as offering additional impromptu seating and a place to line up a few dishes and wine bottles during dinner. The new plantings include tall meadow grasses, ferns and flowering shrubs that have loose, natural forms. New accent lighting, in addition to a small fountain, complete the  relaxing mood of the new outdoor room