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Mid century Front Landscape - Racine

Masterful McDonald
2019 Gold Award for Excellence in Residential Landscape Design and Construction - Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association

Historically significant, this home was designed by architect John Randal McDonald as the second home for his family. After many years of neglect, it was in need of a major restoration which was undertaken by our clients. After completing the interior they realized they needed to turn their attention to the rest of the property.

We designed a new linear concrete walk with shifting wedge shaped panels (separated by beach pebble runnels) that mimic the roofline of the home. Some of the existing stone steps were re-used and a low, retaining wall defines the edge of the new driveway in Tennessee sandstone to match the stone on the home. The long lines of the house are mimicked by a group of autumn moor grass while mixed perennials and shrubs occupy the remaining wedge-shaped plant beds. 

To connect front yard to back, a walk-through garden of grasses and long blooming perennials was created in what was an overgrown, under-utilized space. An existing grade change allowed for this garden to be elevated above the new patio below but also required a new masonry retaining wall and steps. This wall replaced a rubble “wall” and was constructed with matching Tennessee stone and ties into an existing wing wall.

The existing patio was not pitched properly, and also had roof runoff collecting in one spot. To get proper pitch on the new concrete patio, yards of soil had to be removed from the backyard and the entire lawn re-graded. The overall shape of the patio continues the wedge shapes of the front walk. A semi-circle cut out in the new patio to pays homage to a shallow pond formed into the original patio surface. 

Wedge-shaped beds surround the patio with a focal point magnolia, and a linear group of moor flame molinia extends beyond the stone retaining wall. Beach pebbles were also used to highlight the ornamental grass groups while slate chip not only provided a contrast in some plant beds but was also used functionally under the large roof over hangs all around the house and under the cantilevered lower level. New border plantings surround the perimeter of the backyard and subtle landscape lighting completes the makeover. Happily we came in just under our client’s targeted budget of $50,000. The landscape now feels like it was designed when the home was built and reflects sensitivity to the historical importance of the home.


Mid century John Randal McDonald Landscape - Racine, WI

Mid century Landscape Makeover - Wauwatosa

There is an interesting Mid century neighborhood in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and we have been lucky enough to now design 5 landscape renovations in the area. This conceptual design is for a long, Mid century ranch home in that neighborhood. Our clients wanted a more interesting front walk than the existing which went from the front porch straight out to the street. All new plantings update the landscape. For the bakcyard, our clients needed more entertaining space and we were tasked with incorporating a new hot tub and endless pool. All new plantings surround the new patio space. 

Installation scheduled for spring of 2021. Check back for photos after it is installed!

Designed by James Drzewiecki, APLD and hand rendered by Hannah Paulson.



Mid century Landscape - Wauwatosa, WI

Mid century Mollica Front Landscape - Wauwatosa

The owners of this mid century ranch built by Joseph Mollica in a great Wauwatosa neighborhood wanted to update the landscape in a way that would harmonize with the 50's vibe of their home. With the strong lines on the house, we settled on a wedge-shaped theme. The original curved front walk was replaced by a multi-paneled walk in colored, exposed aggregate concrete with beach pebble runnels. A "Zen" rock garden sits in front of the porch, while a simplified flower color palette avoids competing with the home. Linear groupings of shrubs and grasses help to emphasize the lines of the architecture. 

Designed by James Drzewiecki, APLD and hand rendered by Hannah Paulson. 

Mid century Mollica Front Landscape - Wauwatosa, WI

Traditional New Home Landscape - Elm Grove

For their recently constructed new home in Elm Grove, Wisconsin our clients needed a full landscape design for their property. Here we present our hand drawn and ink rendered conceptual landscape plans for the project. Our client wanted natural stone for the paving so the front walk and patio are full range bluestone with a lannon cobble edge. The client also requested that there be no red or yellow flowers so the plant palette is pinks, lavender and purple. Bluestone stepping stones connect the front yard to the back. The backyard design includes a circular patio that wraps around the corner of the house to take advantage of the two sets of patio doors. A group of crabapple trees gives the patio a sense of enclosure and privacy from the neighbor while a cedar pergola provides cover over the dining area. 

Scheduled for installation in spring of 2021. Check back for photos of the completed project!

Designed by James Drzewiecki, APLD and hand-rendered by Hannah Paulson

Traditional New Home Landscape - Elm Grove, WI

Farmhouse Front Landscape - Hawthorn Woods, IL

Out client's home is in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois but he felt that there weren't any local landscape designers that were creative enough to design what he was looking for. Thanks to Houzz he found our portfolio and asked us if we'd be willing to work in Illinois. Their farmhouse style home was conducive to the cottage style gardens they were looking for and their goal was lots of color. The curving front walk was in great shape so we kept it intact and designed new plant beds around it. The biggest changes being the removal of some declining trees on the corner as well as the many evergreens that surrounded the foundation of the home. Even though the home was over 20 years old, we had a blank slate in the backyard as our clients had never installed a patio in all the years they had lived there. We chose patterned bluestone and brick for the paving to give the new patio an elegant touch. Our client already had a pergola kit waiting to be installed so we designed the space for it as well as a conversation set and fountain. Plant beds with long blooming perennials, ornamental grasses and flowering shrubs surround the patio space along with boxwood for evergreen color.

Farmhouse Landscape - Hawthorn Woods, IL

Rustic Front Landscape Makeover - Cedarburg

This classic home started out as a stone storage barn for an apple orchard. The balance of the home was added later and more recently updated with a new remodel. Our clients loved the cottage landscape look and hired us to work on many areas within the property.

First and foremost was the need for a new front walk. The existing front walk was dangerous to walk on due to the uneven pavers. We designed a new front walk with more stone steps to eliminate the odd pitch of the existing front walk. Lannon stone medallions mimic the tri-window detail above on the home.

Nearly all of the plantings around the front and sides of the home were redone in the cottage garden style that our clients liked. A new shade garden with flagstone path was created under the huge Norway spruce that dominates the front of the home. New native perennial plantings on the side of the house take advantage of the full sun along the edge of the driveway.

The existing patio on the side of the house had no character and lacked separation from the existing asphalt driveway. A new dry-stacked stone wall gives a sense of enclosure to the reworked patio while a plant bed inside the wall allows for some privacy from the street.

Our last task was to do something with the backyard behind the garage, which was an empty space of lawn and underutilized. The new stone patio gives our clients room for outdoor dining and entertaining. The paving is a combination of lannon stone and a clay brick border. A new arbor and fence creates an entry point into the backyard and main patio.

Designed by James Drzewieck, APLD



Rustic Landscape - Cedarburg, WI

Modern Landscape Makeover - Fox Point

Hand drawn and ink rendered conceptual design for the front yard of this Fox Point, WI home. Our goal was to downplay the driveway across the front of the house. The new front walk directs visitors to the front door and creates an area for passengers to exit their vehicles easily.

The design also included the backyard where the existing patio space was too small for entertaining, so we designed a new expanded patio with room for grilling, dining and lounging. The dining area will have a pergola overhead with a separate fire pit area beyond. 

Designed by James Drzewiecki, APLD and hand rendered by Hannah Paulson

Modern Landscape - Fox Point, WI

Best of Houzz 2021

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Modern Concrete and Bluestone Walk - New Berlin

Mid century Vibe Backyard - Bayside

Contemporary Patio and Fire Bowl - Brookfield

Brookfield - Stately Elegance

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I’ve always dreamed of having a clean, modernist home, and I’m happy to say that Alice and her team at Atelier Cohen led the way to making that dream a reality! I couldn’t be more happy with the project, my house looks like it could be featured in a Kinfolk magazine. I expressed my wishes of having a clean, natural interior aesthetic and they truly delivered – the natural light in my newly designed home is to die for. They also helped me turn my dated, drab living room into a spacious and cozy space in which I can’t wait to host a party. I couldn’t recommend Alice more, if you’re looking for easy collaboration and top-notch design, you have to reach out to them!

I’ve worked with Alice on a few renovation projects and am still floored by her dedication to design and space planning. Never have I experienced a hiccup or missed communication with Atelier Cohen, and home projects tend to create those sorts of problems! They are professional, approachable, and innovative in a way that anyone with any level of home renovating or staging experience will feel like they are in good hands.

Alice’s eye, advice, and service is extremely rare in this business. If you get the chance to work with them, don’t think twice about it!

I had the pleasure of working with Alice on redecorating my childhood home that hadn’t been touched up since I was a teen in the 80’s. I knew it needed a huge refresh aesthetically, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I had a consultation with Alice about my hazy ideas and she was able to understand my tastes and needs after just one chat! The whole design process was so streamlined and thorough that my fears of things going awry totally vanished after the first few meetings. She walked me through every step of the process, from sharing sketches and moodboards to purchasing the final pieces of furniture and decoration. Working with Alice at Atelier Cohen has got to be my greatest investment, I highly recommend their services.

I’ve always dreamed of having a clean, modern farmhouse kitchen, and I’m happy to say that Maison Kitchen and Bath led the way to making that dream a reality! I couldn’t be more happy with the project, our kitchen looks like it could be the envy of Pinterest. I expressed my wishes of having a light, airy feel with natural but polished finishes, and they truly delivered – the kitchen in my home is to die for. They also helped me turn my claustrophobic galley kitchen into a beautiful open-space plan that makes me actually want to cook and entertain in the kitchen. I couldn’t recommend Maison K&B more, if you’re looking for easy collaboration and top-notch design, you have to reach out to them!

I’ve worked with Maison Kitchen and Bath on a few renovation projects and am still floored by their dedication to design and construction. Never have I experienced a hiccup or missed communication with them, and home projects tend to create those sorts of problems! They are professional, approachable, and innovative in a way that anyone with any level of home renovating experience will feel like they are in good hands.

Their advice and service through all stages of any project large or small is extremely rare in this business. If you get the chance to work with them, don’t think twice about it!

I had the pleasure of working with Maison Kitchen and Bath on renovating my childhood home that hadn’t been touched up since it was built in the 50’s. I’m quite environmentally minded, so I knew the appliances and electrical elements needed an update. I also knew it needed a bit of a refresh aesthetically, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I had a consultation with them about my hazy ideas and they were able to understand my tastes and needs after just one chat! The whole renovation process was so streamlined and thorough that my fears of things going awry totally vanished after the first few weeks. Working with Maison Kitchen and Bath has got to be my greatest investment, I highly recommend their services.

I’ve always dreamed of having a clean, modernist home, and I’m happy to say that Haus Design + Build led the way to making that dream a reality! I couldn’t be more happy with the project, my house looks like it could be featured on Architecture Digest. I expressed my wishes of having high ceilings and large windows, and they truly delivered – the natural light in my new home is to die for. They also helped me turn my claustrophobic galley kitchen into a beautiful open-space plan that makes me actually want to cook and entertain in the kitchen. I couldn’t recommend Haus DB more, if you’re looking for easy collaboration and top-notch design, you have to reach out to them!

I’ve worked with Haus Design and Build on a few renovation projects and am still floored by their dedication to design and construction. Never have I experienced a hiccup or missed communication with them, and home projects tend to create those sorts of problems! They are professional, approachable, and innovative in a way that anyone with any level of home renovating experience will feel like they are in good hands.

Their advice and service through all stages of any project large or small is extremely rare in this business. If you get the chance to work with them, don’t think twice about it!

I had the pleasure of working with Haus Design + Build on renovating my childhood home that hadn’t been touched up since it was built in the 50’s. I’m quite environmentally minded, so I knew the appliances and electrical elements needed an update. I also knew it needed a bit of a refresh aesthetically, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I had a consultation with them about my hazy ideas and they were able to understand my tastes and needs after just one chat! The whole construction process was so streamlined and thorough that my fears of things going awry totally vanished after the first few weeks. Working with Haus DB has got to be my greatest investment, I highly recommend their services.

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