“This project was done with a family focus,” explains landscape architect Joseph Richardson, who crafted a blueprint for the three-quarter-acre property. “There’s a certain informality to it, but what they have created is resort-like.” In the backyard, he plotted a 22-by-50-foot swimming pool; a board-formed concrete seat wall alongside it is lighted by a 50-foot-long LED strip. 

At one end of the pool, Michael Winn of Winn Design + Build conceived and constructed a 500-square-foot, post-and-beam pool house featuring a wet bar, lounging space with a gas fireplace, a changing room and an outdoor shower. “We felt the post-and-beam design gave the structure an airier feel,” says Winn. 

The clients placed RH furnishings around a Hart Concrete Design fire pit, which is sited near an outdoor kitchen and dining terrace. The pool deck of Techo-Bloc pavers edges a 7,500-square-foot lawn. Lavish perimeter plantings of Green Giant arborvitae, oakleaf hydrangea, sweetspire, holly, witch hazel, rhododendron and bottlebrush buckeye flourish amid more than 900 perennials, grasses,
ferns and bulbs.

“I love pretty pictures,” Richardson notes. “But at the end of the day, I am most gratified when someone tells me how their project has improved their lives."

“This was a unique project,” says landscape architect J.R. Peter, whose assignment included reimagining a pool, walls, steps, walkways and the entrance drive as well as creating a walled garden and adding appropriate plantings throughout the property. 

Set on 11 acres, the historic cabin is joined to a white stucco ranch house updated by architect-owner Richard Gessner. A new portico on the rear façade provides a bird’s eye view of the expanse. Stone-walled terraces descend to a rebuilt pool where topiary guards an Asian-accented, white stucco pool house. “Its form is different from the main house, but the materials tie together,” Gessner explains. A glazed overhead door suggestive of a shoji screen opens to the pool. 

Completed in 2020, the project displays what Peter calls “rustic meets industrial” style. A board-formed concrete wall at one end of the pool and matching fire pit show the imprint of wood. Traditional ledgestone has been clean-cut by hand to give a modern appearance. Rustic pool pavers were laid in a linear grid. “We wanted to contrast textures,” Peter says, “and were tying all these things together with our choice of materials.”

New lighting enhances an existing saucer magnolia tree beside a neat row of red twig dogwood. Grasses flourish amid boxwood. On a newly cleared slope, Peter planted a bosque of gingko trees that will one day shade the old log cabin. 

“As we dive into this indoor/outdoor lifestyle, pulling the outdoors and the indoors together at an early stage is extremely helpful,” observes Pristine Acres’ Steve Waldron. 

Fence to fence, the site measures a fifth of an acre. Landscape architect Kevin Kurdziolek centered a 20-by-40-foot pool with two infinity edges in the backyard; on one side, water cascades over a 24-inch-high basalt wall. The pool meets grade with a sandblasted marble terrace topped by an engineered-wood deck, which extends into a pavilion; a shower of faux rain falls into the pool from its roof. Horizontal wooden slats define one pavilion wall; they crop up again on a pergola shading the black-granite grilling station off the kitchen. Minimal plantings and artificial turf over a stormwater retention system ensure low maintenance.  

“What we like about these compact backyards is that you can design the whole space, edge to edge,” says Kurdziolek. “Everything fits together like pieces of a puzzle.” 

Landscape Architecture & Contractor: Steve Waldron, president; Kevin Kurdziolek, PLA, ASLA, Pristine Acres, Great Falls, Virginia. Architecture: WCRA, Chantilly, Virginia. Builder: TriCrest Homes, McLean, Virginia. Photography: Pristine Acres.

LUXE LOUNGE  The late Danish architect and designer Alfred Homann collaborated with Carl Hansen & Søn on the AH Outdoor Series shortly before his death in 2022. Made of FSC-certified teak, the collection’s dining and lounge furniture reflect Homann’s aesthetic with soft lines and a minimalist hand. carlhansen.com   

SITTING PRETTY  The Gehry Left Twist Cube was originally conceived for Heller in 2004 by modernist architect Frank Gehry, whose design played off the undulating forms of his buildings. Made of weatherproof polyethelene, the colorful pieces can serve as stools, tables or ottomans. hellerinc.com

PURE GEOMETRY  JANUS et Cie has reimagined its powder-coated aluminum Matisse collection with furnishings in premium, sustainably sourced teak. Matisse Teak includes chairs, sofas, a chaise and occasional tables, all defined by clean, geometric lines. A new Bethesda location is expected to open in fall 2023, replacing the brand’s recently closed Georgetown showroom. janusetcie.com

PAVING THE WAY  Ann Sacks’ first outdoor-surface collection is tailored to seasonal environments. In addition to ceramics, porcelain and stone, the line also introduces pavers and pool-coping tiles in three colorways; limestone tiles are pictured in Pistache. Available in the DC showroom; annsacks.com

WOVEN WONDER  NIBA Designs, which handcrafts custom carpets in Nepal and India, has debuted the PET outdoor rug collection—woven out of fiber made from recycled water bottles and other plastics. Customizable in a wide range of colors. nibadesigns.com

BELOW DECK  Fiberon’s Promenade PVC decking is geared toward use in watery environments—think docks and pool stairs—where it can be temporarily submerged. Lightweight and easy to install, it comes in six hues; Shaded Cay is pictured. fiberondecking.com

Living Wild: How to Plant Style Your Home & Cultivate Happiness
Baltimore-based designer and plant guru Hilton Carter illuminates the creative process of styling your interiors with plants. His book revisits eight of his residential and commercial projects, delving into color schemes, textures and materials that best showcase greenery. He also presents his top picks for most impactful plants. CICO Books, March 2023.

Private Gardens of the Potomac & Chesapeake
Author Claudia Kousoulas tours 15 Mid-Atlantic landscapes completed by well-known designers. From tiny urban plots to sprawling estates, each includes a plan, a plant list and a description of goals and principles based on demands of site, climate and client needs. Full-color images enliven the text. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., July 2023.

Conceived by ABS Architects and constructed by Pyramid Builders, the residence sits on high ground along Childs Point peninsula. Though large—6,000 square feet on the first floor and 4,000 square feet on the second, plus two garages and a 600-square-foot attached pool house—it meets the ground graciously, thanks to careful massing and garden vignettes that extend the indoors outside.

The couple’s preference for English Tudor-style architecture was a good fit for the site. “The Tudor gable ends helped us make a graceful house that cascades down to land and water,” says project architect Sarah Favrao. Clad in stucco with durable slate-composite and metal roofs, the house reads as two stories on the front, but the second floor is tucked under the rear roofline so the structure looks less imposing from the water. 

Views are everything on the spectacular property. From the  foyer, sightlines extend straight through the house to the South River. Both floors are organized around a long spine that pivots where the footprint bends to track the water’s edge. “The core circulation space is on the street side,” explains Favrao, “while family living areas wrap around the back of the house with the water view.” 

Canted due south, the family wing on the left is entered through the mudroom or the three-bay garage—one of two that bookend the house. This wing holds a family room that opens to a screened porch and the pool terrace, as well as the kitchen, breakfast nook and jewel-like butler’s pantry. Behind the central foyer are formal dining and living rooms and a sitting room. The latter is attached to a primary suite that enjoys its own realm on the southwest corner, at the opposite end of the house from the family zone. “The owners’ suite has a private outdoor space and the sunset view,” explains Favrao. “And a loggia connects it all the way around to the pool. It’s a very indoor-outdoor kind of house.” 

Upstairs are three ensuite bedrooms, two offices—the larger of which opens to a curved deck overlooking the river—and a gym, laundry and in-law quarters. A back stairway leads down to the family wing and a lower-level rec room.

If the footprint perfectly suits this serene setting, flawless interior craftsmanship anchors it in place. “An extensive millwork package with diverse finishes made this residence both exhilarating and complex to complete,” says Bret Anderson of Pyramid Builders. Wooden ceiling beams create a rhythm along the corridor that connects the public spaces and family wing, where painted ceiling beams align with exterior doors to draw the eye outside. Pops of brass punctuate the muted palette of marble countertops, European white oak floors and gray kitchen cabinets. 

“My favorite view is looking across the kitchen island to the big dining table,” says the project’s interior designer, Bryan Huffman. “With the water beyond and sun reflecting on the marble counters, it feels like the kitchen is floating.” 

Given the size of the house, it was important that the interiors feel “fun and youthful, fresh and modern, yet have some warmth,” he notes. In the living room and owners’ suite, Oushak rugs and pillows reinforce the restful color scheme of taupe, mauve, gray and sand.

The residence strikes a balance between enclosure and exposure. “I spend a lot of time at the pool house in the summer,” says Jessica. “It provides shelter from the sun but you’re still able to be outside and enjoy the beautiful views.” 

The loggia extends that quality. “The way the property is situated, we get both the sunrise and sunset, and sun throughout the day in the family areas,” says Alan. “Covered terraces cut down on glare, so we don’t need window shades.”

Directly outside those windows, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects created a series of garden rooms connected by stone and lawn paths. They also replenished and improved the larger landscape by planting swaths of coastal grasses and perennials. To prevent stormwater runoff into the Chesapeake, they built rain gardens filled with Muhlenberg grasses and Cape Breeze and Shenandoah switchgrasses, dotted with coneflower, hibiscus and black-eyed Susans for bright summer color.  

After spending months during covid working remotely from their new waterfront escape, the Whitehursts decided to make it their permanent home. “When we first set out to build, we kind of joked that it was going to be part-time to permanent,” says Jessica. “But covid sped up the process and we fell in love with this place. It was hard to leave.”

“It’s a tremendous property carved out of the woods, so the connection to the environment was very important,” Plusen notes.  

A wild spirit flourishes in the backyard. Stacked fieldstones support a pool sidewall. Irises and grasses sprout among irregular flagstones, a fire circle and pathways to an expansive lawn. For contrast, orderly travertine pavers surround the pool and gazebo.

Garden installation was undertaken by Planted Earth Landscaping. Starting in 2015, spaces for play equipment and a kitchen garden were established, and serviceberry trees, oakleaf hydrangeas and summer meadow bloomers planted. Close to 100 additional trees replenished the forest edge. “We went with nothing smaller than two-inch calipers,” says then-project manager Justin Spittal.

An unusual cattle-crossing grate at the front entrance keeps deer out, while welcoming guests with an unobstructed and lush view. “This project was awesome,” says Spittal. “Other than the native forest, there wasn’t a single plant on site when we got started.”

Award: Distinction, Total Residential Contracting (Planted Earth). Landscape Architecture: Jeff Plusen, ASLA, RLA, Plusen Landscape Architects, Catonsville, Maryland. Landscape Contractor: Planted Earth Landscaping Inc., Sykesville, Maryland. 

“The new owners wanted a higher level of finish, beauty and serviceability,” says senior landscape designer Hans Bleinberger, who led the latest iteration. “A lot of the challenge was in reimagining and reinventing.” 

Obstacles included an outdated concrete pool deck; awkward access to a potential patio off the lower level; and a restriction against new paved surfaces since the property is located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

The company landed on elegant solutions to each dilemma. A deck clad in irregular flagstone has supplanted the concrete surface, and the pool has been fully upgraded. A newly created ipe patio and path to the dock extend the home’s lower level outdoors, while a lower terrace was granted a permit thanks to the use of permeable decking. 

Poolside plantings include a fringe of Russian sage in the foreground of the river view. A slope of wave petunias, hydrangeas, perennial sage and daylilies descends from pool deck to ipe pathway alongside a generous new flight of stone steps between brick retaining walls.

The serene setting belies substantial effort, which extended to finding new brick to complement the 20-year-old house. “It’s kind of neat when you can get back on a property, upgrade it and bring it up to modern standards,” Bleinberger observes. “At the end of the day, you want to make it look easy.”

Award: Distinction, Outdoor Living. Landscape Design & Contracting: Hans Bleinberger, McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Photography: Erin B. Bogan.

Pinehurst Landscape Company installed the garden elements and provides continuing care, starting with perimeter screening and deer fencing. Hydrangeas enliven a side yard. “The wow factor of the plants has only increased,” says Pinehurst’s Ted Carter. The landscaping “has got a big kapow.”

Improvements include repair of a vintage-stone lily pond, pool upgrades and construction of a gazebo. New, mosaic-patterned quartzite pool decking contrasts with the freeform stonework of the original terrace, which was rebuilt using existing massive slabs of hand-quarried bluestone and new machine-cut bluestone, hand-chiseled and artificially weathered to blend into the legacy landscape. “That’s the coolest thing about this whole project,” says Carter. “It was fun to use the character of stone to its full extent and bring it to life.”

Award: Heritage/Outdoor Living (Pinehurst). Landscape Architecture/Design: Jamie Brown, Beechbrook Landscape Architecture, Baltimore, Maryland. Contractor: Paglia Contracting, Forest Hill, Maryland. Landscape Installation: Pinehurst Landscape Company, Glen Arm, Maryland.

Chad Talton, a principal landscape architect at Surrounds, quickly focused on the rear façade. “Let’s blow out this small covered porch and make it a full covered room,” he proposed. The new, metal-roofed terrace incorporates an outdoor kitchen, plus dining and sitting areas. An existing outdoor fireplace gained new stature as a focal point in the dining space. Overhead heaters extend the outdoor season. Adjacent to the terrace, a prefab spa faced in stone beckons year-round.

Surrounds put a finishing touch on enhancements by crafting a welcoming new entrance to the property from the motor court. A cedar gate opens into a stone-walled pocket garden planted with colorful perennials and boxwood. From there, a walkway of Pennsylvania bluestone charts a clear new path past box hedging and white-flowering crape myrtle trees to the bluestone terrace and pool surround. 

As Talton reflects, “We tried to create a cohesive environment that is easy to use for owners and for guests.”

Award: Grand, Outdoor Living Area, Design/Build. Landscape Architecture & Contracting: Chad Talton, PLA, Surrounds Landscape Architecture + Construction, McLean, Virginia.

CUT ABOVE 
Luxury appliances take up residence outdoors in an al fresco kitchen equipped with a Wolf grill and Sub-Zero under-counter refrigerator and freezer drawers. Icemakers, warming drawers and built-in trash receptacles are also available. Find at ADU—Your Appliance Source locations. adu.com; subzero-wolf.com

THAT’S AMORE
The 30-inch Lynx Napoli Outdoor Oven, part of the brand’s Professional Grill Series, quickly heats up to 700 degrees to deliver restaurant-grade pizza and other delectables. Available at AjMadison in Tysons. ajmadison.com; lynxgrills.com

BELLS + WHISTLES
The Edgestar 36” Wide Natural Gas Built-In Grill features a motorized rotisserie, LED lights and four burners. Edgestar outdoor appliances can be found at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in Chantilly. fergusonshowrooms.com; edgestar.com

]]> https://www.homeanddesign.com/2023/02/12/lca-awards/ Sun, 12 Feb 2023 21:09:44 +0000 https://www.homeanddesign.com/?p=80033 DECADE AWARD

> FINE EARTH LANDSCAPE, INC.—A Lush Oasis for Residential Maintenance.

HERITAGE AWARDS

> KANE LANDSCAPES, INC.—Hardesty Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

PINEHURST LANDSCAPE COMPANY—Blythewood Residence for Outdoor Living Area.

GRAND AWARDS

> COLAO & PETER, LUXURY OUTDOOR LIVING—A Modern Twist on a Middleburg Historic Home for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Oakton Oasis Backyard Renovation for Craftsmanship (Design/Build).

> GROW LANDSCAPES—Great Falls Retreat for Outdoor Living Area.

> JENNIFER CONNOLEY LANDSCAPE DESIGN—Fabulous Farmhouse, Full Property Landscape Design for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Urban Oasis, Outdoor Entertaining Area, Landscape and Hardscape for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.—Dunkirk Residence for Residential Maintenance; Easton Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Great Falls Property for Total Residential Contracting; Great Falls Residence for Outdoor Living Area; McLean Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Mill Creek Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Riverview for Total Residential Contracting; Seneca Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Walker Road Residence for Residential Maintenance.

PINEHURST LANDSCAPE COMPANY—Millero Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

PLANTED EARTH LANDSCAPING INC.—Baltimore Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Owings Mills Residence for Residential Maintenance.

> SISSON LANDSCAPES—A Formal Great Falls Landscape for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

SURROUNDS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION—Fox Creek Farm for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

DISTINCTION AWARDS

> COLAO & PETER, LUXURY OUTDOOR LIVING—Lodge-Style Sanctuary for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

D.A. DUNLEVY—Luxurious Pavilion for Complete Outdoor Living for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> ED BALL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE—Transformative Outdoor Living Design for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

J&G LANDSCAPE DESIGN—Country Living in Clarksville for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway; Historic Home in DC for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway.

> KANE LANDSCAPES, INC.—Duncan Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

LIVE GREEN LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES—Pollard Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.—A Pasadena Residence for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway; Bozman Residence for Residential Maintenance; Edgewater Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Glen Mill Residence for Outdoor Living Area; St. Michaels Residence for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway.

PLANTED EARTH LANDSCAPING INC.—Alexandria Residence for Residential Maintenance; Great Falls Residence for Total Residential Contracting; McLean Residence for Total Residential Contracting. 

ROSSEN LANDSCAPE—Foxhall Village Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Wilson Lane Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> SISSON LANDSCAPES—The Hidden Monk’s Garden in the District for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> WHEAT’S LAWN AND CUSTOM LANDSCAPE—A Private Residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland, for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS 

J&G LANDSCAPE DESIGN—Waterfront Residence in Annapolis for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway.

> JENNIFER HORN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE—Falls Church Hybrid for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

LIVE GREEN LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES—Olek Residence for Craftsmanship; Silcott Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).>

> McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.—Bethesda Residence for Residential Maintenance. 

ROSSEN LANDSCAPE—Woodland Falls Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

The Houses and Collections of Marjorie Merriweather Post: The Joy of It (Rizzoli Eclecta, 2022) celebrates the philanthropist and art patron’s residences and personal collections. Written by Hillwood’s curatorial staff and full of lavish photography, the book opens the doors to Post’s illustrious homes, from Florida’s Mar-a-Lago to her beloved estate in DC. Hillwood’s French drawing room is pictured below.  

Beyond Bold: Inspiration, Collaboration, Evolution (Pointed Leaf Press, 2022) traces the evolution of DC landscape firm OvS. Featuring 320 pages of vibrant photography, the book written by OvS principals pays tribute to the firm’s late founders, Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden, and details how the duo’s legacy lives on.

AU NATUREL
Landscape architects Kevin Campion and Meredith Beach designed an Annapolis project with year-round allure overlooking Cadle Creek. A stone wall separates the property into a manicured side close to the house and a naturalistic side brimming with grasses that blends into adjacent marshland. “Grasses have fall interest, especially when mixed with fall-blooming perennials,” says Campion, who urges clients not to cut back grasses prematurely. “Make sure that 20- to 30-percent of plants you select bloom into fall. The final months of the year can be the best time to enjoy your garden.” Landscape Architecture: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects. Landscape Installation: Walnut Hill Landscape Company. Architecture: Hammond Wilson. Builder: Pyramid Builders. 

SNOW DAY
Landscape architect Bob Hruby designed an award-winning project overlooking Accotink Creek in Virginia. One goal was to devise new gardens that would appear to be centuries old. In one of the eight-acre estate’s courtyards, antique stone church windows imported from England form a focal point near a reflecting pool lined by linden trees and boxwood.

Even in the bleakest weather, evergreens such as boxwood provide a welcome burst of color. Says Hruby’s colleague, Kevin Campion, “Always include evergreen plantings in your landscape; they provide structure in the winter. And a dusting of snow on a winter garden can be delightful.” Landscape Architecture: Bob Hruby, PLA, ASLA, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects. Landscape Design: Chapel Valley Landscape Company. Pools & Water Fountains: Lewis Aquatech.  

WINTER BOUQUET
The late landscape architects James van Sweden and Wolfgang Oehme first conceived a 16-acre project on the West River, overlooking Kent Island, in 2007. The firm they co-founded—now known as OvS—continues to nurture the Harwood, Maryland, garden to the present day.

The owners enjoy dramatic river vistas all year round. Snowy views illustrate what van Sweden called the “winter bouquet,” according to OvS principal Lili Herrera. “Today, we know the importance of letting spent material overwinter, providing habitat and refuge for insects that are a critical part of the food chain, as well as birds,” she says.

Herrera reminds clients to consider the structure plants retain beyond summer. “During the winter, grasses frame views out to the water and also provide privacy,” she says. “The foliage of grasses, perennials and their seed heads can be viewed as a complement to the winter garden—with or without snow.”

On such a spectacular site, wonders abound in every season. “The winter colors are more muted but equally beautiful,” Herrera reflects. “And the rustling of spent foliage creates a unique sensory experience. We love hearing the sound of grasses in the wind.” Landscape Architecture & Photography: OvS. 

The Loudoun County estate sprawls over 200-plus acres of Virginia horse country, virtually all under conservation easements. To the southwest, the Blue Ridge Mountains beckon across a valley that transitions each autumn from green to rust. On the northern edge of the site, a gracious stone residence constructed in 1932 reflects the dignity of just three owners who’ve occupied it over the past 90 years. In the eyes of Campion and McGraw, the stunning property was fertile ground. “It’s an exquisite old Virginia estate,” says Campion, of Campion Hruby Landscape Architects. “We worked with the clients to reinvent this place for modern life.”

Its current occupants, a horse-loving family of five, acquired the property in 2015 and quickly approached Campion, who had worked on their prior residence in Leesburg. Over the next five years, he collaborated with the owners, an engineering executive and his wife, an equestrienne, to redefine the agrarian landscape.

His master plan encompassed a range of improvements, from a new entry gate and inviting garden rooms to paddocks and a riding arena. It also mapped out a future barn. When the time was right, Campion suggested that his clients contact McGraw, founding partner of StudioMB in Washington, DC, to design it.

“When we came to the project, it was just open pastures,” recalls the architect. “The new owners wanted to bring in horses. The need for a barn evolved into a greater project.”

McGraw conceptualized a grand, multi-purpose structure that would not only accommodate horses but also serve as a venue for family fun and entertaining. Now central to the family’s engagement with their home, the completed whitewashed, timber-frame retreat boasts an airy great hall perched above an elegant, six-stall stable. The 31-foot-high hall is graced by exposed Douglas fir columns, beams, trusses and joints; pine-paneled walls; and a pair of cupolas that bathe the interior in daylight.

Mid-Atlantic Timber Frames of Pennsylvania crafted the 5,700-square-foot structure, which was fitted onto a waiting foundation. Complete with a sleeping loft, the barn’s 3,050-square-foot upper level enjoys pastoral and equestrian views through oversized glazed openings on two sides; a floating wall supports a stone fireplace and a kitchen extends along one end. Sized to host large gatherings such as an annual party for a local riding school, the hall is also intimate enough for family Thanksgiving.

“What I loved about this project was the fact that the clients gave us latitude to create a home for them,” says Campion. “We added the first equestrian piece, then did a master plan for the gardens, then designed the equestrian areas, then went back to the house.”

The main house is a seven-bedroom dwelling with a peaked slate roof, dormers, chimney and white trim. The late DC architect
William H. Irwin Fleming, who orginally designed it, clearly reveled in rustic stone, not only used to clad the exterior but also in a stone-walled study with a flagstone floor and on a massive stone fireplace—one of nine in the residence.

Recent improvements by Campion and McGraw better connect the main house to its pristine landscape. Existing French doors and a Juliet balcony overlook a new stone terrace, pavilion and outdoor kitchen that surround the existing pool. The home’s columned rear porch surveys neat paddocks once dedicated to rolled hay.

The team took design inspiration from the original home. Campion credits Marshall, Virginia-based mason Ed Ashby with honoring the existing stonework. “The magic of the gardens is the combination of hardscape and local building materials with plants that ties it all together,” explains the landscape architect.

Kevin Campion’s master plan respects the natural contours of the terrain. To fine-tune an all-season plant palette, Campion was joined by fellow landscape architect Meredith Forney Beach, whose favored combinations around the new pool terrace include Little Lime hydrangea, Russian sage, ornamental grasses and catmint with “PowWow Wild Berry” coneflower. Spring daffodils and alliums give way to summer roses. In autumn, the foliage fades to gold.

“It’s a very simple, uncomplicated garden,” Campion says. “There’s nothing really fussy, just a sea of native plants with walls and structures that fit into the landscape.”

As for the new barn, this whitewashed building adds a visual focal point. The finely detailed lower level serves an essential purpose in the equestrian family’s lifestyle with efficiency and elegance. The upper level provides the owners with a venue for sharing the estate with a multitude of guests.

“The design was definitely an evolution,” reflects McGraw. “At the end of the day, the barn has become the jewel of the property.”

Barn & Pool House Architecture: Adam McGraw, AIA, StudioMB, Washington, DC. Builder: Potomac Valley Builders, Bethesda, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Kevin Campion, ASLA, principal; Meredith Forney Beach, principal, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Contractors: Planted Earth Landscaping Inc., Sykesville, Maryland, and Redux Garden and Home, Catonsville, Maryland.

Below, we cover 10 great ideas for inspiration.

DINING UNDER THE STARS
Reserving space for a generous table makes hosting outdoor soirées a breeze. The courtyard of a new Arlington home is defined by a cedar-slat fence and a poured-concrete wall. Lush shrubs and perennials soften the hardscape. Architecture: Resolution: 4 Architecture. Landscape Architecture: Ryan Moody, Moody Graham. Landscape Contractor: Oldetowne Landscape Architects. Builder: MK Development. 

IN FULL SWING
A swing arbor creates a serene spot for unwinding on a one-acre McLean property overhauled by Anthony Cusat, PLA, of McHale Landscape Design. As he asserts, “There are many therapeutic benefits to using a swing. Slow, rocking motion can reduce stress, calm one’s breathing and bring the heart rate down.”

SHOWER POWER
Outdoor showers let bathers forge a strong connection with nature. Architect Mark Kaufman, AIA, of GTM Architects integrated an outdoor shower into his design of a modern Bethesda pool house. Stone walls and sapele mahogany panels reinforce the organic vibe. Builder: JEFFCO Development. Landscape Contractor: Landscape Projects. 

LIGHT A FIRE
“Gathering around a fire provides the chance to disconnect from the world with those who care about you,” says landscape architect Jordan Loch Crabtree, ASLA, of LOCH Collective. On the grounds of a custom waterfront property he designed near Easton, Maryland, Loch installed a fire pit on a bluestone pool terrace enveloped in native grasses. Architecture: Martins Grehl Architects. Builder: ThinkMakeBuild. 

TAKE A DIVE
Today’s home-fitness craze has fueled a demand for lap pools. McLean clients tapped Kevin Kurdziolek, PLA, ASLA, and Steve Waldron of Pristine Acres to integrate a 73-foot-long, three-sided infinity-edge pool into a slope in their backyard. Their design includes a lounge deck, multiple retaining walls and lush garden areas. Architecture: WCRA. Builder: Brush Arbor Homes.

MOVIE NIGHT
An outdoor screen is front and center in the covered, stone-and-ipe structure that landscape architect Chad Talton, PLA, of Surrounds, Inc., designed in a client’s compact DC yard. “Almost every space we build contains an outdoor TV because people love to gather and watch with friends,” he reports.

REAP A HARVEST
Tending a vegetable garden not only supplies healthy ingredients, but also “a great sense of accomplishment in growing your own food from seed to table,” says Kate Mitchell of Love & Carrots. The DC company, which helps residential and business clients nurture their own crops, maintains a Vienna garden where tomatoes, eggplant, beans, peas and carrots thrive.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
“Seeing or hearing the soothing sound of water induces relaxation,” says Don Gwiz of Lewis Aquatech, who updated a client’s Potomac property with a stone water feature that overflows into a pool. A profusion of flowers and greenery adds color and texture.

UP ON THE ROOF
Roof gardens take advantage of surplus outdoor space—often with a view. A DC homeowner created a private aerie complete with teak decking; planters full of  seagrass conceal speakers for music. It’s the perfect haven for yoga, meditation and entertaining. Builder: Gibson Homes, LLC. 

COOK OUT
Bringing a kitchen with all the bells and whistles outside is the ultimate backyard luxury (aside from hiring a caterer). In a Vienna home, Michael Winn and Jimmy Finn, AIA, of Winn Design + Build created a screened-porch kitchen that boasts a grill and hood, two refrigerators, an icemaker and stainless-steel Danver cabinetry.

CHEF’S CHOICE
Versatility rules in Cuisinart’s Twin Oaks Pellet and Gas Grill, which combines a smoker, griddle and grill with 900 square inches of cooking surface. Bluetooth readouts monitor progress via LCD remote or the Cuisinart app. Windows and halogen lights make viewing easy. cuisinart.com

PIZZA NIGHT
Artisanal pizza moves outdoors with the Dometic Delta Heat 30-inch pizza oven. Burners in the dome and hearth reach 43,000 BTUs and heat-retentive tiles line the oven’s interior—so delectable pies are ready in minutes. Find in a built-in or countertop version. deltaheat.com

SMOKIN’ HOT
Nexgrill’s smartphone-enabled Oakford Pellet Grill not only smokes meats to perfection, but it also grills, bakes, roasts, braises and warms. Available in three sizes, the grill is made from hammer-tone steel in a black powder-coated, high-gloss finish. nexgrill.com

WHAT’S COOKING
Coyote Outdoor Living’s C series 36-inch Built-In Gas Grill is equipped with 875 square inches of grilling space, 80,000 BTUs of output and five cast-stainless-steel burners. Extras include interior lights and an optional wind guard. Find at area Appliance Distributors Unlimited locations. coyotegrill.com; adu.com

The duo was given pretty much a free hand to design the landscape, measuring just under a quarter-acre, for the couple, who resided elsewhere while a renovation of the home by GTM Architects was also underway. “This was their first house with a fairly sizable outdoor space,” Richardson recounts, “and so they were leaning on us to direct them.”

The final plan imparted formal, welcoming appeal to the front of the house while enhancing outdoor living space in back. A brick walkway atop a retaining wall that ran from the front around the side of the house was extended to create a dining area covered with a wood-and-black-painted metal pergola; an adjacent lounge area with a fireplace prolongs outdoor entertaining into the cooler months. A built-in grilling station beneath the pergola is integrated with the fireplace.

A metal fence and planters filled with boxwood now adorn the retaining wall in back, which is softened by a bank of hydrangeas and boxwood. The patio overlooks an oval lawn ringed with Green Giant arborvitae and white knockout roses.

At the front of the house, a metal trellis over the garage carries semi-evergreen Snowdrift clematis and yellow jessamine vines, and a new dog run wraps around the side of the house to the back. Layers of stepped-up plantings provide the privacy the clients requested: pachysandra at ground level, then roses, hydrangeas and tall skip laurels. Adam Sexton notes the simple plant palette of creamy white flowers against the evergreen backdrop. “It fits the neighborhood perfectly,” he says. n

Landscape Architecture: Joseph Richardson, PLA, ASLA, principal; Adam Sexton, project manager, Joseph Richardson Landscape Architecture, Washington, DC. Landscape Contractor: Kohler Brafford, Black Pearl Management, Leesburg, Virginia, Washington, DC.

“I was initially perplexed,” he recalls, “because it was an area without shape. It’s not a square, it’s not a circle, it’s not a rectangle. It’s formed by a wall placed to hold the soil back and allow the house to be built.”

The overarching challenge, Brinitzer decided, was “to make some sort of recognizable form out of what was treated by the builder as leftover space.” To reduce the wall’s visual impact, he installed a custom steel trellis in front of it. Now supporting two swinging chairs, it creates a focal point and a horizon line. Fronting the trellis, a bluestone terrace with limestone insets complements the Craftsman-style house. It provides space for separate dining and lounge areas and a raised square planter containing a tall Natchez crape myrtle.

To obscure the wall and neighboring properties, Brinitzer added Japanese cedars along the property line. Slender Silhouette sweetgums were planted behind the trellis, clusters of Steeplechase arborvitae were pruned into rectangles at different heights and Miami crape myrtles with vibrant pink blooms back the seating area. Prague viburnums are arranged around the edge of the patio, and dwarf mondo grass, astilbe and maidenhair ferns border a new, curved stone stair that descends to the front yard.

“The beauty of this,” Brinitzer observes, “is that I’m using ideas I’ve used before, but in new ways. This was a challenging, not immediately obvious solution.”

Landscape Architecture: Scott Brinitzer, PLA, ASLA, Scott Brinitzer Design Associates, Arlington, Virginia. Landscape Contractor: Wildwood Landscape, Round Hill, Virginia.