Not every landscaping project needs to be transformative or dramatic. Sometimes, you just want a simple yard where you can comfortably sit and observe the breathtaking scenery that surrounds it.
That was the case with this Pt. Loma homeowner, who already had their taste for drama quenched by living in a beautiful modern seaside villa that sits astride the busy San Diego Bay. The property and the view were quite enough – what they needed was a landscape that could complement or accent the features that already existed.
Simple, comfortable, and functional – those were the stipulations given to Torrey Pines Landscape Company upon signing the contract. With these in mind, the crew got to work planning out how to create a stylish, minimalist yard space.
The existing house was made using three primary materials – a darkly stained wooden siding, green metallic detailing, and a red brick lower exterior. The brick siding would be used as a foundation for almost all the hardscaping in the new yard to create a consistent aesthetic throughout the exterior.
Simple concrete slabs were installed as a primary path from the back doors of the property leading to the yard, interrupted intermittently by red brick accent walls, staircases, and planters filled with shade-loving shrubbery and loquat trees. Large planting pots lay atop corner columns of brickwork, filled with the stark crimson grass palm plants.
The path leads to the centerpiece of the yard – a brick-and-concrete patio with a large, rectangular fire feature made of stark grey concrete. The fire feature is surrounded on two sides by a plain wooden bench mounted to yet another stark concrete retaining wall.
Directly behind the patio is a small lawn in which a bronze sculpture is featured prominently, terminating in another planter that contains yet more crimson grass palm plants and a path around the house.
The front yard, meanwhile, required a more verdant solution due to its sunnier location. The brick-and-concrete path is bordered on all sides by planters filled to the brim with banana leaf palms, grass palms, rose bushes, and carefully laid boulders to add depth and verticality.
The centerpiece of the front yard is a simple stone and cement water feature, quietly trickling away into a bed of smooth river stones. The sound of flowing water adds a note of tranquility to a vibrant and dramatic seaside property.
The patio, with its simple bench and fire feature, allowed residents and guests to enjoy watching the yachts and ships go by on the bay, or just watch the setting sun hit the downtown skyline. Simple, yet consistent with the aesthetics of the home and elegant in its own right.
This project wasn’t as transformative or dramatic as others, but that created challenges in its own right. Creating a minimalistic landscape using nothing but modern materials required a creative mind and the use of stark, blunt lines thatcut into the natural landscape in a very specific way.
From palatial gardens to modernist mazes of brick and stone, Torrey Pines Landscape Company can turn nearly any vision into reality. If you are looking to turn your fixer-upper into a dream home, give us a call.
