outdoor fireplace

In the long-awaited conclusion to our coverage of a grand, comprehensive exterior-design project in Texas, landscape architect Michael Percy guides us through a property where his firm dealt with every conceivable detail, from the entry drive and graciously secluded courtyard to the beautiful swimming pool with its unusual spiraling backdrop, the lavish dining and recreation areas and the wonderfully hidden rock-lined spa.

The Finishing Twist

Among the most gratifying of all projects are those in which designers are able to forge links between different areas of a property, creating an unfolding, choreographed experience that generates notes of anticipation along with reassuring sensations of comfort and familiarity. In our work at Root Design Company (Austin, Texas), we’ve found that water is a powerful tool in defining those sorts of connections within a property, whether it is used in bold ways, as with fountains or swimming pools, or as subtler secondary or tertiary elements, including runnels or small waterspouts. In the project depicted here, we used multiple watershapes within architectural spaces that organize those settings and bring motion and continuity to the overall space. It all ties together visually, with each path leading to intriguing destinations that serve as rewarding visual experiences for anyone who visits. As we see it, the key ingredient in this project was our client, who understood

Many watershape and landscape designers will attest to the fact that their best projects are those where no one element stands out among the rest; instead, the entire exterior composition is a balanced integration of beautiful materials and well-chosen features. Take the property shown here as a case in point, suggests Colleen Holmes, who transformed the grounds of a stately home in a historic Los Angeles neighborhood into a space of remarkably subtle beauty.

Graceful Transformation

Everything about this project was classic and beautiful. For one thing, the home has the soft look of a French country chateau. For another, it’s located in Hancock Park, one of the oldest of Los Angeles’ upscale downtown neighborhoods. And when you add in the fact that it sits on a half-acre-plus lot on a quiet street, we had the pleasing sense that we’d landed on a refreshing oasis at the heart of a bustling metropolis. We also enjoyed the privilege of working here with Andres Cardenes, a wonderful architect who had collaborated with these clients on and off for several years. In their latest endeavor, he had come in to refurbish the home along historic and formal lines – something that often happens in this neighborhood, which boasts numerous restored and beautifully maintained homes across a range of architectural styles. Our firm, New Leaf Landscape of Agoura Hills, Calif., had worked with Cardenes on previous projects. When he called, he talked a bit about the situation and let us know that he thought we’d be a great fit because of the way we