At the Intersection of Art, Architecture & Design

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Folks often stop and remark on my garden. It’s fairly young – going on 3 years – with lots and lots left to do. But by thinking through the 4 rules, below, the garden feels much more mature than its years.

Rules for how to create a garden retreat behind, beside or in front of your home.

A few ideas to keep mosquitos at bay.

A New Front Porch and Remodeled Entry Garden Welcomes Family and Visitors.

For this modest home in Silver Spring, Maryland, we created an idyllic outdoor retreat with strong indoor-outdoor connections. Shown above is the al fresco dining room — with walls of foliage and cedar — in the fence and pergola.

I’m sitting in another home just a few blocks away. It was built in 1917 and I’ve been here just about a year. And I’m frustrated beyond belief that I don’t yet have the money to build the addition in the back that will connect me to the out of doors! My response is to spend most of my spare time working on the landscape

Remodeling within the existing footprint allowed this family to live their dream.

I’ve moved to a neighborhood built at the turn of the 20th Century where many of these homes, including mine, have windows that look into a neighbor’s house. The quickest and cheapest solution is often drapery and curtains which help ensure privacy but also often block light and a sense of space. Below are some strategies I’ve used to block a view. I would love to hear about ways you’ve successfully blocked a view while retaining daylight and airiness.

This 1930’s home off Sligo Creek in Silver Spring, MD didn’t have an easy way to take advantage of it’s sylvan setting. The nicest views were from the front but zoning set-back requirements prohibited adding on in that direction.

Whether you call it a Garden Room or Indoor/Outdoor living, opening your Home to your garden is probably the single most expansive change you can make in the feeling of your house.