Mid-Century Russell Barr Williamson Landscape - Bayside, WI

This 1958 Mid-Century Modern home designed by Russell Barr Williamson had an existing flagstone patio that was failing. The original stones were cracked and fragmenting and there wasn't enough room for practical modern-day entertaining. Our clients contacted us because of our love of MCM homes and our background in architecture and art, knowing that we would do this home justice with a design for a new patio.

Concrete was chosen as it is period correct but also budget friendly. Our clients wanted more room for entertaining as well as dedicated spots for their hot tub and grill. They also requested an area for a fire pit. With the angles of the home as our inspiration, we designed a patio space defined by two overlapping trapezoids. Separating the two main spaces is a cut out bed for tall ornamental grasses. This line of grasses points to the centerline of the circular dining room on the home, which then creates a visual axis out to the fire pit patio. Bluestone steppers create a path from the patio to the fire pit area. A line of boxwoods forms a border around the curved outer edge of the patio, intersecting with the line of ornamental grasses. Flowering shrubs and perennials round out the plantings with low voltage landscape lighting placed strategically around the patio.