Modern Front + Back Landscape Renovation - Milwaukee, WI

Our clients built this mid‑century–inspired home, designed by Racinowski Design Studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After living with the original post‑construction landscaping for a few years, they felt the overall aesthetic fell short of the home’s architectural character. Knowing our expertise in mid‑century landscape design, they hired us to renovate the entire landscape and create a more cohesive, intentional look.

Our goal was to unify the property and ensure the landscape better reflected the home’s clean lines and modern sensibility. In the front yard, we created new planting beds around existing trees and reused plants whenever possible. Linear groupings of allium and prairie dropseed echo the rhythm of the home’s vertical windows, reinforcing the architectural geometry. A long, narrow planting bed north of the driveway aligns with the architectural screen at the corner of the house, strengthening the visual connection between landscape and structure.

For the front entry courtyard, we designed all‑new plantings suited to the hot, dry conditions of this south‑facing space. To link the front entry to the backyard, we added a row of full‑range bluestone stepping stones across the lawn, creating a simple but striking transition.

Along the south elevation and patio, we enhanced the existing slate‑chip beds with junipers and specimen boulders for added texture and structure. In the remainder of the backyard, we reworked the perimeter planting beds, preserving existing plants where appropriate and recommending strategic transplanting to improve balance and flow.