Contemporary Craftsman Landscape + Patio - Brookfield, WI

2019 Silver Award – Residential Design

Association of Professional Landscape Designers

2015 Gold Award - Best Specialty Wall Project in Residential Design and Excellence in Hardscape Project of the Year

Wisconsin Masonry Alliance

2012 Gold Award for Excellence in Residential Landscape Design and Construction

Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association

Located in Brookfield, Wisconsin, this modern interpretation of a craftsman-style home designed by Vetter/Denk Architects inspired the eclectic and contemporary landscape design. Low garden walls matching the house veneer create a sense of enclosure and add bold architectural definition between public and semi-private spaces.

Entering the backyard through the home’s breezeway, the centerpiece of the design is revealed: a 5-foot diameter theatrical fire pit with a split fieldstone radial bench. The 100-year-old cast iron fire pit originally served as a syrup kettle for melting sugar cane and still bears its foundry mark from Georgia.

To bridge the upper and lower terraces, a set of convex and concave limestone steps integrates with patterned bluestone to form a dramatic landing, providing both function and visual impact.

A restrained planting palette of perennials and ornamental grasses, combined with native shrubs and trees, brings refinement and privacy to the property. Additional details include bluestone medallions set in concrete, extensive landscape lighting, and a carefully engineered irrigation system.