Contemporary Split-Level
By Premier Landscape Contractors
Landscaping this striking modern split-level involved taking cues from the natural space as well as careful consultation with architects, engineers, and the homeowner. This project challenged us to combine a natural plant palette with a modernist house for a cohesive design. The planting design blended low-maintenance approaches with a contemporary design feel to reinforce the architectural sensibilities of the house. The lighter tones of the concrete retaining walls and limestone coping in the front of the home provide a strong contrast with the dark grey and saturated cedar tones of the home while also providing an excellent counterpoint for the greens of the native plantings. The backyard utilizes all components of the design for a graceful and gradual transition down the slope of the yard, with the addition of safety lighting on each stairway. A gas fire pit sits center on the main patio, bordered by columnar yews and arborvitae for a privacy screen that will enclose the area nicely in the next few years. Simplicity and practicality inform the overall landscape concept, from the bluestone steppers and walkways that offset the geometries of the home, to the large natural stone features native to riverbeds of the area. Bluestone chip joints provide drainage as well as contributing simple, clean lines to the overall landscape composition. Given the multi-level nature of the house, a terraced approach was a natural extension of the concept that provided multiple areas for varying the minimalist components of the design.
