Contemporary Landscape - Lake Forest, IL

Our client's contemporary home in Lake Forest, Illinois had a tired landscape. For the front of the home we worked around the existing bluestone walk and raised stone planters. New shrubs and perennials were added and the planting beds were re-shaped. A linear group of columnar, purple beech anchor the right side of the front yard.

The existing deck at our client's home was failing and too small for real entertaining. We designed an expanded new bluestone patio with an edge that mimics the cut outs of the front walk. The columnar, purple beech are repeated, screening the main patio from the new hot tub area. A gas fire bowl area was designed and is visually separated from the rest of the patio by 'Skyracer' molinia grasses. Bluestone stepping stones connect the main patio to an existing gazebo and the hot tub patio. Slate chip mulch borders the home in conjunction with the large roof overhangs.

The existing pond on the property was too rustic and out of control for our client's tastes. To make it feel more like it was part of the house and surrounding landscape, we went in a slightly Asian direction creating a cantilevered deck over the water and a slate chip Zen garden around it. Skyracer grasses with beach pebble mulch are repeated from the patio plantings along with the bluestone steppers. We proposed an arc-shaped Corten steel water feature to replace the existing rubble rock waterfall.

Our client wanted more privacy along the south lot line in conjunction with their new patio so we designed in shade tolerant shrubs and trees to fill in the existing treeline including hemlocks for year round screening. We also designed new plantings along the driveway to improve the visual approach to the home.