Yard of the Week: Landscape Connects a Home to Its Wooded Site
Landscape pros found on Houzz integrate a driveway, motor court, entry, patios and plantings with the midcentury house
Becky Harris
March 19, 2022
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
This couple fell in love with this quintessential midcentury modern house near Chicago and the quiet wooded lot surrounding it. Renovating the house from the studs up and reworking the landscape became a passion project for them. “They had a clear vision for the property and assembled a great team,” landscape designer Josh Griffin says. They found his firm, Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors, on Houzz, and the landscapers joined the team before the full house renovation began. This meant they could work closely with the architect and contractor to ensure that the house and landscape would work together in harmony.
“After” photos by Jimmy Allen of Bureau Gravity, except as noted
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Wheaton, Illinois
Size: Approximately 2-acre property
Landscape architect and builder: Bob Hursthouse and Josh Griffin of Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors
Architect: Tom Basset-Dilley Architects
General contractor: Thomas Patrick Homes
The landscape design begins at the street with this house number monument. The piece foreshadows what’s at the other end of the driveway: The brick matches the brick used on a massive chimney on the home’s exterior, and the house number piece is cantilevered the way a bench near the entry is. “We played around with using negative space for the house numbers,” Griffin says. “The way we lit them makes them very clear at night.” The numbers were cut out of powder-coated aluminum.
He surrounded the monument with Red Sprite winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’), ‘Jim Dandy’ winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Jim Dandy’) and red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), creating year-round interest that includes fiery red fall foliage and red berries in winter. Other plants around the sign include ‘Summer Beauty’ alliums (Allium lusitanicum ‘Summer Beauty‘) and ‘Blue Ice’ bluestar (Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’).
The project also included reworking the driveway. Its graceful curves wind through the woods up to the house, which is barely visible from the street.
Work with a landscape designer on Houzz
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Wheaton, Illinois
Size: Approximately 2-acre property
Landscape architect and builder: Bob Hursthouse and Josh Griffin of Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors
Architect: Tom Basset-Dilley Architects
General contractor: Thomas Patrick Homes
The landscape design begins at the street with this house number monument. The piece foreshadows what’s at the other end of the driveway: The brick matches the brick used on a massive chimney on the home’s exterior, and the house number piece is cantilevered the way a bench near the entry is. “We played around with using negative space for the house numbers,” Griffin says. “The way we lit them makes them very clear at night.” The numbers were cut out of powder-coated aluminum.
He surrounded the monument with Red Sprite winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’), ‘Jim Dandy’ winterberry (Ilex verticillata ‘Jim Dandy’) and red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), creating year-round interest that includes fiery red fall foliage and red berries in winter. Other plants around the sign include ‘Summer Beauty’ alliums (Allium lusitanicum ‘Summer Beauty‘) and ‘Blue Ice’ bluestar (Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’).
The project also included reworking the driveway. Its graceful curves wind through the woods up to the house, which is barely visible from the street.
Work with a landscape designer on Houzz
Before: The property had magnificent hardwood canopy trees, including oaks and copper beeches, and a few existing ornamentals, such as the redbud seen here on the left side of the chimney. The new landscape design works with and celebrates these trees.
Preserving the existing trees and maintaining their root zones during construction was paramount to the project. “Not one tree was felled during construction,” Griffin says. However, the team did clear out a thicket of invasive European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), a problematic species that has overtaken many other plants in the region.
Preserving the existing trees and maintaining their root zones during construction was paramount to the project. “Not one tree was felled during construction,” Griffin says. However, the team did clear out a thicket of invasive European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), a problematic species that has overtaken many other plants in the region.
After: Architect Tom Basset-Dilley maintained the classic lines of the house but took it all the way down to the studs during the simultaneous home renovation. He also completed a deep energy retrofit that reduced the home’s energy use by 40%. He added lots of glass to the design, opening up the views to the landscape and forging a strong connection between indoors and out. The landscape designers worked with the architect to figure out the sightlines from the windows and doors out into the yard. “Collaborating from the beginning of the project allowed us to plan a very cohesive circulation,” Griffin says.
The driveway leads up to the garage, located on the left side in this photo. To the right is one of the backyard’s two bluestone patios.
The driveway leads up to the garage, located on the left side in this photo. To the right is one of the backyard’s two bluestone patios.
It’s helpful to get a good sense of the whole site before exploring further. The arrow at the bottom of the depiction seen here points north. The street is on the left side of the plan. The driveway leads up to a motor court, with the garage at the top left.
The home’s public rooms, such as the family room and kitchen, run from north to south. The wing on the right contains the bedrooms. The southern patio is the main patio, and there’s a smaller patio located off a den-office near the top of the plan.
The home’s public rooms, such as the family room and kitchen, run from north to south. The wing on the right contains the bedrooms. The southern patio is the main patio, and there’s a smaller patio located off a den-office near the top of the plan.
Entry Garden and Motor Court
Before: The driveway had pavers that had settled badly. The team also wanted to alter the motor court and entry sequence to the front door.
Before: The driveway had pavers that had settled badly. The team also wanted to alter the motor court and entry sequence to the front door.
Photo by Hausman Photography
After: Part of the driveway alterations included creating a motor court with extra parking for guests and plenty of room for turning around, as backing down the driveway would be a challenge. A wall composed of board-formed concrete creates an entry court off the parking court.
After: Part of the driveway alterations included creating a motor court with extra parking for guests and plenty of room for turning around, as backing down the driveway would be a challenge. A wall composed of board-formed concrete creates an entry court off the parking court.
Photo by Hausman Photography
The architecture of the home inspired the design for this entry area. “The siding is horizontal, but it doesn’t have a reveal for shadows. This made it very monolithic in color and texture,” Griffin says. “Also, this is the coolest front door I’ve ever seen; it pivots open off hinges.”
Strong board-formed concrete walls repeat these monolithic elements and the architecture’s rectilinear lines. “We wanted to repeat the big bold shapes of the house in the hardscape,” he says.
A line of cranberry cotoneasters (Cotoneaster apiculatus) softens the area between the driveway and the concrete wall. The plants have small pink flowers in the spring and big beautiful red berries in the winter.
The architecture of the home inspired the design for this entry area. “The siding is horizontal, but it doesn’t have a reveal for shadows. This made it very monolithic in color and texture,” Griffin says. “Also, this is the coolest front door I’ve ever seen; it pivots open off hinges.”
Strong board-formed concrete walls repeat these monolithic elements and the architecture’s rectilinear lines. “We wanted to repeat the big bold shapes of the house in the hardscape,” he says.
A line of cranberry cotoneasters (Cotoneaster apiculatus) softens the area between the driveway and the concrete wall. The plants have small pink flowers in the spring and big beautiful red berries in the winter.
Photo by Hausman Photography
Griffin used bluestone pavers on the entry patio, removing the stones that had more contrasting colors. “This created a tighter color palette. The idea was to keep a monochromatic look with the bluestone that mimicked the monochromatic look of the house,” he says. “It provides some bright contrast against the siding.” The stair treads are thermal bluestone, which has been heat-treated to create a smooth, consistent surface.
Find a masonry and concrete contractor near you
Griffin used bluestone pavers on the entry patio, removing the stones that had more contrasting colors. “This created a tighter color palette. The idea was to keep a monochromatic look with the bluestone that mimicked the monochromatic look of the house,” he says. “It provides some bright contrast against the siding.” The stair treads are thermal bluestone, which has been heat-treated to create a smooth, consistent surface.
Find a masonry and concrete contractor near you
“This area helps orient you from the soft wooded natural area along the driveway to the very geometric linear home,” Griffin says.
A striking feature in the entry area is a cantilevered wooden bench. It protrudes past the wall the same way the house numbers cantilever off the brick monument.
A striking feature in the entry area is a cantilevered wooden bench. It protrudes past the wall the same way the house numbers cantilever off the brick monument.
Lights built into the walls and under the eaves make traversing the steps safer at night.
Shop for outdoor lighting on Houzz
Shop for outdoor lighting on Houzz
While the lines of the hardscape mimic the architecture’s, the soft, graceful curves of the planting beds provide contrast. The landscape designers planned this planting bed around an existing native eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) tree. With its multiple stems, it adds a wonderful sculptural form to the yard.
In keeping with the midcentury modern spirit, Griffin went more for texture than showy flowers in the plantings. He also transplanted many of the existing ferns and hostas, integrating them into new planting beds.
Photo by Hausman Photography
Patio Lounge
This patio located off the family room is the main outdoor lounge area. “We wanted to bring the homeowners away from the house into the landscape,” Griffin says. “And we wanted them to feel nested in and surrounded by green.” He created a planted courtyard between the patio and the house, seen behind the patio in this photo.
The planting philosophies of expert Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm influenced Griffin’s approach. Diblik specializes in sustainable plantings that provide interest throughout the seasons while requiring less maintenance than traditional plantings.
The plantings around the patio include mixed perennials as well as lilyturf (Liriope spicata), Chicagoland Green boxwood (Buxus ‘Glencoe’), cranberry cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculatus), ‘Sem’ false spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Sem’), ‘Kallay’s Compact’ juniper (Juniperus x pfitzeriana ‘Kallay’s Compact’), autumn moor grass (Sesleria autumnalis), ‘Summer Beauty’ allium (Allium lusitanicum ‘Summer Beauty’), dwarf fragrant viburnum (Viburnum farreri ‘Nanum’), ‘Carousel’ little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Carousel’), Hubricht’s bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), ‘Densiformis’ yew (Taxus x media ‘Densiformis’), Little Lime hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’), bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium) and ‘Flame’ amur maple (Acer tataricum ssp. ginnala ‘Flame’).
A fire pit draws the eye over to the woods. It is made of poured-in-place concrete and clad in thermal bluestone tile. “It’s another monolithic block,” Griffin says. The size required two gas burners, connected by a gas line.
Patio Lounge
This patio located off the family room is the main outdoor lounge area. “We wanted to bring the homeowners away from the house into the landscape,” Griffin says. “And we wanted them to feel nested in and surrounded by green.” He created a planted courtyard between the patio and the house, seen behind the patio in this photo.
The planting philosophies of expert Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm influenced Griffin’s approach. Diblik specializes in sustainable plantings that provide interest throughout the seasons while requiring less maintenance than traditional plantings.
The plantings around the patio include mixed perennials as well as lilyturf (Liriope spicata), Chicagoland Green boxwood (Buxus ‘Glencoe’), cranberry cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculatus), ‘Sem’ false spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Sem’), ‘Kallay’s Compact’ juniper (Juniperus x pfitzeriana ‘Kallay’s Compact’), autumn moor grass (Sesleria autumnalis), ‘Summer Beauty’ allium (Allium lusitanicum ‘Summer Beauty’), dwarf fragrant viburnum (Viburnum farreri ‘Nanum’), ‘Carousel’ little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Carousel’), Hubricht’s bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), ‘Densiformis’ yew (Taxus x media ‘Densiformis’), Little Lime hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’), bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium) and ‘Flame’ amur maple (Acer tataricum ssp. ginnala ‘Flame’).
A fire pit draws the eye over to the woods. It is made of poured-in-place concrete and clad in thermal bluestone tile. “It’s another monolithic block,” Griffin says. The size required two gas burners, connected by a gas line.
A landing off the family room door has a path on either side. A right turn leads to the main patio, while the path to the left runs along the back of the house.
The architects wanted to keep the clean lines of the roof unencumbered by gutters wherever functionally possible. Around the back of the house, this meant that the landscape designers had to plan carefully for water coming off the roof. This included using the bluestone paver path to direct the water toward a channel drain and cistern, as well as surrounding the rest of the house with a gravel path with drain tiles beneath it. Together, the elements function the same way a French drain does, collecting water and moving it away from the house. Gravel placed beneath the eaves also keeps water that sheets off the roof during a hard rain from spreading dirt or mulch around.
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
The architects wanted to keep the clean lines of the roof unencumbered by gutters wherever functionally possible. Around the back of the house, this meant that the landscape designers had to plan carefully for water coming off the roof. This included using the bluestone paver path to direct the water toward a channel drain and cistern, as well as surrounding the rest of the house with a gravel path with drain tiles beneath it. Together, the elements function the same way a French drain does, collecting water and moving it away from the house. Gravel placed beneath the eaves also keeps water that sheets off the roof during a hard rain from spreading dirt or mulch around.
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
The landscape’s graceful curves are edged with layers of plantings. Lawn gives way to soft and low grasses, perennials, taller shrubs and ornamental trees. As mentioned, Griffin thought carefully about the sightlines from the house when composing the planting plan and stretches of lawn.
“We used larger evergreens and deciduous ornamental trees as we moved away from the house,” he says. “We used more herbaceous plants and smaller deciduous shrubs closer to the house. This brings the eye down and then up and over.”
“We used larger evergreens and deciduous ornamental trees as we moved away from the house,” he says. “We used more herbaceous plants and smaller deciduous shrubs closer to the house. This brings the eye down and then up and over.”
This photo shows the way the layers of plants give the patio a nested-in feeling between the house and the edge of the woods. “The planted beds are texture-heavy, not floral-heavy. They are intentionally subdued and more monochromatic,” Griffin says. This puts the focus on the textures, shapes and structures of the plants.
Photo by Hausman Photography
Sunken Bluestone Patio
Located off a den-office on the other side of the bedroom wing, this sunken bluestone patio is quieter and more contemplative. Board-formed concrete walls surround the two sides of the patio. The wall along the house is snap-cut bluestone, meaning it has a more irregular edge.
Wherever the team had to install gutters, they used rain chains in lieu of downspouts. The chains “are so wonderful to watch when it rains,” Griffin says. This photo also shows the gravel that surrounds much of the house to catch the water.
Sunken Bluestone Patio
Located off a den-office on the other side of the bedroom wing, this sunken bluestone patio is quieter and more contemplative. Board-formed concrete walls surround the two sides of the patio. The wall along the house is snap-cut bluestone, meaning it has a more irregular edge.
Wherever the team had to install gutters, they used rain chains in lieu of downspouts. The chains “are so wonderful to watch when it rains,” Griffin says. This photo also shows the gravel that surrounds much of the house to catch the water.
A mix of ‘Techny’ arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’) and Canadian hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) provides privacy from a neighboring house. A Japanese maple draws the eye to the corner.
The garden bed has a mix of textures via more of the cranberry cotoneasters, lilyturf and boxwoods, among other plants. “These textural mixes are monochromatic and were influenced by matrix planting,” Griffin says. (Matrix planting is meant to emulate how plants would naturally grow in the wild.) “They also offer seasonal interest.”
Get Year-Round Good Looks With Matrix Planting in Your Garden
The garden bed has a mix of textures via more of the cranberry cotoneasters, lilyturf and boxwoods, among other plants. “These textural mixes are monochromatic and were influenced by matrix planting,” Griffin says. (Matrix planting is meant to emulate how plants would naturally grow in the wild.) “They also offer seasonal interest.”
Get Year-Round Good Looks With Matrix Planting in Your Garden
Photo by Hausman Photography
Here’s a peek at the interior with the new large windows that look out onto the yard. The glass door on the left leads to the large patio. The interior design was completed by Bespoke Interior Design and Vara Design.
Check out before-and-after photos of the home’s interior
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
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Here’s a peek at the interior with the new large windows that look out onto the yard. The glass door on the left leads to the large patio. The interior design was completed by Bespoke Interior Design and Vara Design.
Check out before-and-after photos of the home’s interior
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
Browse thousands of patio photos
Hire a landscape contractor
Shop for your outdoor spaces
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We are fortunate that most of the oaks are very high branched, allowing for a bit more light. While the lawn is lush and green in the spring, it does thin out a bit as the season progresses, from the shade and competition for moisture. Glad you like the story and the results!
My favorite thing… the rain chains!
@Dixie Glad you like the rain chains!
@Chris Alexander..... apologies as I forgot to answer lawn type. We supplemented the existing lawn with a traditional bluegrass sod but have over-seeded the lawn with perennial rye that is a bit more shade tolerant than the bluegrass.