Innovation Meets Elegance

Bethesda, MD

Turning a landscaping challenge into an ingenious getaway

Our clients had a clear wish list for their home’s landscape: enviable curb appeal in the front and a private space out back for entertaining, dining, and relaxing. The home’s entrance is welcoming, with lovely plantings for color and variety. The stepping-stones leading behind the house create an irresistible invitation to explore. The limited footprint in the side and rear yards called for a clever solution in the form of a steel retaining wall. This low-profile wall expanded the level outdoor living space without claiming valuable inches of the garden, as traditional walls would have. Additional privacy comes from custom cedar screens planted with English ivy, creating a cozy living wall. The client’s wish for a fire pit inspired another innovative solution: a seat wall and sunken fire pit with a flagstone cover. It’s an ideal spot for enjoying the fire or dining al fresco. We took a small and seemingly limited footprint and were able to build an intimate, tranquil outdoor space.