Bali Comes to a Minnesota Front Yard
A couple bring a love of Bali to their hangout-ready front yard, complete with a pagoda, a pond and edible plantings
Camille LeFevre
May 24, 2018
Houzz Contributor. Arts journalist specializing in design and architecture. Former editor of Architecture Minnesota, editor of Innovative Design Quarterly, contributor to Midwest Home and HomeDish blog, contributor to Architect's Newspaper and author of the monograph Charles R. Stinson: Compositions in Nature. Have also written for Architect, ICON and Architectural Record. On my bucket list: Modernism Week in Palm Springs; happy to have done Modernism Week in Phoenix in 2017!! More at camillelefevre.org
Houzz Contributor. Arts journalist specializing in design and architecture. Former... More
Photos by Spacecrafting
Front Yard at a Glance
Location: Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Size: 2,500 square feet (232.3 square meters)
Designers: Becca Bastyr and Jim Sweeney, Mom’s Design Build
The owners of this Minnesota yard love to whisk themselves away to the warmth and beauty of Bali when they get the chance, but the quickest commercial flight from Minneapolis to the Indonesian island’s main airport takes 32 hours, so they created a closer oasis in their own front yard.
With the help of landscape designers Becca Bastyr and Jim Sweeney, the pair transformed their 2,500-square-foot front yard into a lush Bali-inspired sanctuary featuring a “floating” deck in the middle of a lily pad-strewn pond, a stone fireplace set between herb and vegetable boxes and a series of 8-foot-tall laser-cut steel panels that provide both privacy and artistic flair.
Front Yard at a Glance
Location: Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Size: 2,500 square feet (232.3 square meters)
Designers: Becca Bastyr and Jim Sweeney, Mom’s Design Build
The owners of this Minnesota yard love to whisk themselves away to the warmth and beauty of Bali when they get the chance, but the quickest commercial flight from Minneapolis to the Indonesian island’s main airport takes 32 hours, so they created a closer oasis in their own front yard.
With the help of landscape designers Becca Bastyr and Jim Sweeney, the pair transformed their 2,500-square-foot front yard into a lush Bali-inspired sanctuary featuring a “floating” deck in the middle of a lily pad-strewn pond, a stone fireplace set between herb and vegetable boxes and a series of 8-foot-tall laser-cut steel panels that provide both privacy and artistic flair.
Instead of fencing the front yard, which isn’t allowed by the city of Eden Prairie, the design team created a sense of enclosure with panels of timber and black metal, made more airy with laser-cut openings in the shape of jellyfish, a creature commonly found in the waters surrounding Bali and a favorite of the homeowners. Panels at the front gate slide open and closed on a track commonly used for barn doors. At night, lanterns from Bali illuminate the walkway.
Panels: Parasoleil
Find lanterns in the Shop section
Panels: Parasoleil
Find lanterns in the Shop section
The design team left space between the separate panels to plant trees and create peekaboo views of the neighborhood beyond. “We strategically placed the panels to help block nearby houses without sacrificing views and a sense of openness,” Sweeney says.
The front yard features a variety of new trees, including Serbian spruce, Horstmann’s Silberlocke Korean fir, Hillside Creeper Scotch pine and Fritsche Norway spruce. An assortment of new plants and flowers — including Dark Horse weigela, caramel heuchera, Tiger Eyes sumac and Japanese lilac — add color and texture.
A round ipe deck supported by stilts appears to float in the middle of the pond. “The deck was built off-site and then we used a crane to lift it into place over the pond. It was quite the project, but the payoff is huge,” Sweeney says. A circular outdoor lounge topped with red cushions makes for a comfortable perch to take in the lush surroundings.
Browse decking tiles and planks
The front yard features a variety of new trees, including Serbian spruce, Horstmann’s Silberlocke Korean fir, Hillside Creeper Scotch pine and Fritsche Norway spruce. An assortment of new plants and flowers — including Dark Horse weigela, caramel heuchera, Tiger Eyes sumac and Japanese lilac — add color and texture.
A round ipe deck supported by stilts appears to float in the middle of the pond. “The deck was built off-site and then we used a crane to lift it into place over the pond. It was quite the project, but the payoff is huge,” Sweeney says. A circular outdoor lounge topped with red cushions makes for a comfortable perch to take in the lush surroundings.
Browse decking tiles and planks
A large timber and stone pergola covers a walkway to the front door, just to the left of the photo. “Since this is the front yard, it was important to make it feel inviting. The pergola creates a warm welcome for guests and a connection between the yard and the house,” Sweeney says.
In front of the pergola, the design team created a new sitting area with a wood-burning stone fireplace bracketed by timber and metal trellises. The trellises contain an assortment of planter boxes in which the homeowners grow herbs and vegetables that they use to cook with and garnish cocktails.
The ground beneath the seating area features a whimsical stone path in another jellyfish-inspired pattern. The stone path is surrounded by synthetic grass that requires no water and little upkeep.
In front of the pergola, the design team created a new sitting area with a wood-burning stone fireplace bracketed by timber and metal trellises. The trellises contain an assortment of planter boxes in which the homeowners grow herbs and vegetables that they use to cook with and garnish cocktails.
The ground beneath the seating area features a whimsical stone path in another jellyfish-inspired pattern. The stone path is surrounded by synthetic grass that requires no water and little upkeep.
The homeowners use their front yard as much as the weather permits, having their morning coffee or picking herbs in the garden, practicing yoga on the platform and entertaining friends.
Your turn: Have your travels inspired your own getaway at home? Tell us in the Comments!
More
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12 Surprising Features Found in Front Yards
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Your turn: Have your travels inspired your own getaway at home? Tell us in the Comments!
More
Welcome Edibles Into the Front Yard for Fresh Food and More
12 Surprising Features Found in Front Yards
Find landscape designers
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Absolutely stunning.
Delightful
Wow! Beautiful!