Burr Ridge Retreat
By Sunset Falls Ltd
We had a tight budget and, although we used first-rate materials, we might have liked to take our design a step further than we were actually able to. Even so, this is one of our favorite design projects ever, making maximal use of that small space and small budget. The Burr Ridge home is visually rather plain, though this accentuated the visual interest of the areas we added: an ornamental pool, separate seating areas, a grill. The tiered elements lend visual interest to a property that had no natural relief, and all the views from any given position in the yard center on elements within that yard and not beyond it. Though compact, there's plenty of room in the space and plenty of privacy, thanks to the screen of hedges. Coniferous trees, ferns, and built features including a burbling waterfall and stone retaining walls lend depth and dimensionality to our design, and all of it joins to the house with an addition of a staggered stone wall behind the grill area. The lighting scheme highlights each of these elements subtly.