La Jolla is one of San Diego’s most visually stunning communities, and not just because of its location on one of the most beautiful sections of the California coast. Its wide variety in architectural styles and lot sizes guarantees that almost no two houses you come across will look the same.
The community is nestled between a rise of coastal hills and the ocean, with properties ranging from larger estates on the hillside to denser urban plots as you approach the coast. These smaller lots often have to get creative with their outdoor spaces, with many opting to use rooftops as an extension of their yards.
This was the case for one property owner in La Jolla, whose landscape had some gaps and details missing to elevate this property to the next level. The property’s modern architectural aesthetic and focus on private spaces for entertaining were the drivers for this landscape design. They brought our Design Team in to give the limited space a more refined look and unify the indoor/outdoor spaces.
The Challenge
The property’s outdoor space was divided into several sections: a front entryway, a front seating area, a central courtyard, rear landscape connecting the alley and the rooftop patio. Each would utilize a thoughtful design incorporating some existing hardscapes and upgrading finishes and all landscape plantings to create the modern, unified design. We needed to find a way to connect the courtyard to the rooftop patio in continuity with the design style.
Entryway: Modernizing The Privacy Screen
The front entryway consisted of a flight of concrete stairs leading up from the street to an existing gate. Bordered by a thick hedge acting as a privacy screen. The existing hedge did not provide enough security beyond the gate, therefore a more secure landscape was a priority for the owner and a more permanent barrier was necessary for the space. The existing hedge needed to be removed, however the mature oak trees bracketing each end of the property were kept in the landscape design and their health was preserved during construction.
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- Before
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- After
The first step in modernizing the privacy screen was to add a new Ipe fence along the property’s perimeter. The fence’s slats are stacked horizontally with no intervening space, creating a solid wall to block prying eyes. The wood has been varnished to match the existing gate and home’s existing wooden facade, helping to create a visual continuity between the architecture and landscape.
The old, thick, evergreen hedges were removed and replaced with Ficus columns. Ficus remain thick year-round, but the looser, flowing leaf structure and variety in coloration give it a more contemporary look and feel. Planted with root barrier panels to contain the fast growing roots and protect the adjacent hardscapes.
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- Exterior
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- Interior
The two mature oak trees framing the entrance remain in place, but their planters would feature new additions to the planting compositing. Agave, carex and chondropetalum were added to provide low-water visual interest, and new LED lighting fixtures were installed to provide ample light for nighttime pedestrian traffic. The plantings and lighting fixtures were selected for a modern design style to complement the architecture of the home.
As the stairway approaches the home’s primary entry, it widens to include a small concrete patio with a dining area. This hardscape was done by the home builder and just needed to be styled and replanted. New minimalist grey slate pots were included to accent the surrounding greenery, with a selection of dwarf citrus and a fig tree.
Courtyard – Creating Continuity – Stairway & Redesigned Planters
The inner courtyard snakes between the property’s two buildings, with two primary sections: the pool area and stairs up to the alley on the garage level. The main courtyard area is centered around the pool with an existing raised planter and pocket planted against the back building. While a concrete walkway connects to the existing shower, pool equipment area and back stairs.
The pool is positioned against the side edge of the property to avoid overcrowding the diminutive space. Our design team planted the existing raised bed between the pool and the property’s border wall to help bring life into the space and create privacy for the adjacent neighbors. The planter features a selection of towering bamboo plants to provide a shock of verdant coloring and provide a backdrop to the pool.
The back section features three planters at various levels of the property with a selection of low water succulents, grasses and architectural specimen plants that are both low-maintenance and visually striking. Smooth river rocks form a continuous bed for each planter, reinforcing the landscape’s stark modernist design.
The first smaller planter is centered on a Dracaena specimen tree, complemented by a bromeliad, carex and acacia. The larger bed up the new stairway contains a strategically collection of low water succulents, grasses, and philodendron.
The new stairway is constructed of concrete steps to match the central courtyard’s concrete. These stairs were originally non-permanent, timber steps that lacked a finished look. Building the concrete steps, landings, minimal hand rails and modern lighting fixtures polished up this area nicely.
Pockets for ground cover were designed into the steps to soften the area and bring greenery to the concrete. The stylistic flash comes with the mini planters nestled into the interior of each step, featuring the property’s signature bed of river rocks and mondo grass. Meticulous planning and work into this type of decorative stairway, as each step needs to have proper drainage and irrigation channels.
Rooftop – Updating Patio Space – New Flooring, Fixtures, Pots
The rooftop patio would undergo the most transformative changes. Originally consisting of a standard rooftop floor material with little in the way of decoration, our design team would create a fully realized outdoor entertainment area for the property owner and guests to enjoy the long summer sunsets.
To create visual and stylistic continuity with the rest of the property, the tile flooring is set on a pedestal system. A tile pedestal system is a floating support method for installing exterior paving on sloped surfaces, such as the property’s rooftop patio. Adjustable pedestals raise the tiles to create a perfectly level, dry surface while allowing irrigation piping and water drainage underneath.
With the new patio flooring in place, our team installed the area’s new permanent fixtures: a new bar and a modern-style fire feature. The bar is an Urban Bonfire piece, featuring charcoal-grey slate surfaces and a stainless-steel mini fridge for storing snacks and drinks. The fire feature is a Paloform fire pit that utilizes stark white river rocks in the bed.
Irrigation conduits beneath the pedestal tiles feed into the new decorative pots, which provide accent work for the space. The pots are minimalist, charcoal-grey slate, and feature a mix of Lomandra, Olive trees and cascading Dichondra.
With the completion of the rooftop patio, all three sections of the property’s outdoor space are now in direct continuity with the property’s modernist design. If your property’s unique design needs a landscape to match, give the team at Torrey Pines Landscape Company a call. We can walk you through the options and help you land on something that fits.
