This 1920's Spanish Colonial Revival is richly decorated with Malibu tiles but was buried behind a dense forest of trees from a 15 year old garden installation. The owner wanted sunlight and a fresh simplistic design but being an avid gardener herself perused dozens of books and magazines and presented us with several stacks of inspirational images.

The task seemed daunting, how to comb through so much material to find a simplistic direction. Rustic settings were a common theme and we incorporated earthy stone veneers on the main outdoor dining terrace walls and arches and covered with a wood arbor next to an adjacent outdoor cook station. In another area we designed a built in seating area with center fire pit.

To satisfy the owner's love of plants we gave her two gardens. In the front, we designed a softer "meadow" garden by incorporating reclaimed boulders with grasses and flowering rivers of Arctotis and Verbena. In the rear yard, we focused on Mediterranean plants such as Lavenders and Rosemary and a small succulent garden opposite the fire pit seating area.

Residential Projects - Kahan