Landscape Design
Patio of the Week
Yard of the Week: Elegant Poolside Retreat and Front Yard Lounge
A landscape design-build firm gives a family in New Jersey an outdoor oasis for swimming, eating and relaxing
When a couple and their young daughter moved into their home in Haddonfield, New Jersey, two years ago, their backyard desperately needed a face-lift. The in-ground pool was in good shape, but nothing around it was remotely inviting, landscape designer Joe Palimeno says.
“My clients loved the property’s location, and the house had great bones, but it had a tired, outdated concrete deck around the pool, plus a couple of old pressure-treated wooden decks that were falling apart,” says Palimeno, who had landscaped the family’s previous property. “We stripped the entire property down. All we left was the pool and the driveway.”
“My clients loved the property’s location, and the house had great bones, but it had a tired, outdated concrete deck around the pool, plus a couple of old pressure-treated wooden decks that were falling apart,” says Palimeno, who had landscaped the family’s previous property. “We stripped the entire property down. All we left was the pool and the driveway.”
After: Palimeno made use of a spot against the garage, where there had been some plantings, to place two chaise lounges where they would receive sun during the day. “We were able to take that space and make it really functional where it wasn’t before,” says Palimeno, owner and lead designer at Ledden Palimeno.
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For shade lovers, there’s a lounge area near the pool sheltered by oversize umbrellas.
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Shop for patio furniture on Houzz
Palimeno designed a new waterfall feature at one end of the pool that provides soothing sounds to the space.
While it can be tricky to work around an existing pool, Palimeno says defining functional areas on different levels proved challenging as well. “It’s kind of strange to walk out of your house, down off your deck to grade and then walk back up to your pool. That’s not a typical design for us,” he says. “We would have set that pool elevation down when it was originally built and have some walls around that, so keeping those different levels was our biggest challenge.”
To ease the path and create interest, Palimeno put in two semicircular stairs topped with Pennsylvania bluestone and edged with the repurposed brick.
To ease the path and create interest, Palimeno put in two semicircular stairs topped with Pennsylvania bluestone and edged with the repurposed brick.
Cozy Outdoor Kitchen
A new ipe wood deck and integrated grilling station — featuring soapstone countertops, undermount lighting and a brick surround — create an ideal setup for family meals and entertaining. “The brick surround also acts as a separation from their driveway,” Palimeno says. An ipe slat wall adds more warmth to the space.
What to Know About Adding an Outdoor Kitchen
A new ipe wood deck and integrated grilling station — featuring soapstone countertops, undermount lighting and a brick surround — create an ideal setup for family meals and entertaining. “The brick surround also acts as a separation from their driveway,” Palimeno says. An ipe slat wall adds more warmth to the space.
What to Know About Adding an Outdoor Kitchen
After: Palimeno created an intimate patio furnished with Adirondack chairs. “It’s what you would have if you built a porch on the front of your house,” he says.
After: A loose, naturalistic path now connects the seating area to the driveway and front entry. “We took away the structured brick walkway that originally led to the front door and created a couple of circle patterns that hold the pea stone in, and laid out a new bluestone path,” Palimeno says.
What to Know About Installing a Walkway of Pavers and Pebbles
What to Know About Installing a Walkway of Pavers and Pebbles
Low-Maintenance Plantings
To complement the hardscaping, Palimeno chose a variety of regionally appropriate plants that require little maintenance. “This is a palette that we use all the time in our designs; we know which plants do well in our soil, our climate and our zone,” he says. “We use a lot of ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Velvet’) and Incrediball smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), a hybrid variety of Annabelle, that has big white flowers and stands up more firmly than an Annabelle, which flops when there’s lots of rain.”
Several varieties of ornamental grasses were added to soften the overall look. “Grasses are just nice; you’ll see them moving in the breeze, and they make for easy gardening because you’re not pruning — all you’re doing is cutting it down in spring or fall, whenever you choose to,” Palimeno says.
To complement the hardscaping, Palimeno chose a variety of regionally appropriate plants that require little maintenance. “This is a palette that we use all the time in our designs; we know which plants do well in our soil, our climate and our zone,” he says. “We use a lot of ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Velvet’) and Incrediball smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), a hybrid variety of Annabelle, that has big white flowers and stands up more firmly than an Annabelle, which flops when there’s lots of rain.”
Several varieties of ornamental grasses were added to soften the overall look. “Grasses are just nice; you’ll see them moving in the breeze, and they make for easy gardening because you’re not pruning — all you’re doing is cutting it down in spring or fall, whenever you choose to,” Palimeno says.
Perimeter Fencing
Palimeno designed a custom cedar fence that brings a modern flair to the yard. “It’s hard to find a ready-made fence that has a horizontal slat look like that, and we also designed a hollow post system so we were able to fish wire through for the lighting,” he says.
Palimeno welcomes clients doing plenty of online research prior to beginning a large project. “We use Houzz as a resource all the time, and almost every client shares an ideabook with us,” he says. “Houzz is such a great resource to quickly get a sense and feel for the client’s taste and their style.”
Palimeno designed a custom cedar fence that brings a modern flair to the yard. “It’s hard to find a ready-made fence that has a horizontal slat look like that, and we also designed a hollow post system so we were able to fish wire through for the lighting,” he says.
Palimeno welcomes clients doing plenty of online research prior to beginning a large project. “We use Houzz as a resource all the time, and almost every client shares an ideabook with us,” he says. “Houzz is such a great resource to quickly get a sense and feel for the client’s taste and their style.”
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their daughter
Location: Haddonfield, New Jersey
Lot size: About half an acre
Designer and builder: Ledden Palimeno
Reimagined Poolside
The pool itself was in great shape, but everything around it needed an upgrade. For the pool decking, Palimeno chose Blu 60 slate slab pavers by Techo-Bloc in beige and cream, which feel cool underfoot on hot summer days. His crew salvaged the original brick pavers and incorporated them around the pool and the perimeter of the property to add color and contrast.
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