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Pro Spotlight: Cultivate an Outdoor Space That Matches Your Style
A Lehigh Valley landscape professional shares ways to make your landscape as beautiful as your interiors
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Who: Chris Stocker of Atlantic Ridge Landscape
Where: Easton, Pennsylvania
In his own words: “The best landscape is one you can enjoy for years to come.”
Your outdoor spaces should be just as well-thought-out and personalized as the inside of your home. “There’s no reason not to have a compelling landscape design,” says Chris Stocker, who owns Atlantic Ridge Landscaping in Easton. Designing and installing an individualized landscape is one of the things he enjoys most about his work.
Where: Easton, Pennsylvania
In his own words: “The best landscape is one you can enjoy for years to come.”
Your outdoor spaces should be just as well-thought-out and personalized as the inside of your home. “There’s no reason not to have a compelling landscape design,” says Chris Stocker, who owns Atlantic Ridge Landscaping in Easton. Designing and installing an individualized landscape is one of the things he enjoys most about his work.
Growing his business. Stocker started his landscaping career with a push mower, doing lawn care for 10 customers. After getting a degree in hospitality services, he combined his love of the outdoors with his love for the service industry and opened his company. “I wanted to create something of my own,” he says.
Design with a purpose. Stocker believes that any good landscaping project starts with a design that will add beauty and pleasure to your life. He encourages homeowners to share everything that’s on their wish list with their landscaping team — whether or not they think it’s possible. Then, he says, let the designer take it from there. “The fun part of design is fine-tuning your thoughts and ideas,” Stocker adds.
Want a one-of-a-kind yard? Stocker shares his tips below.
Want a one-of-a-kind yard? Stocker shares his tips below.
1. Divide to Conquer
Treat your outdoor spaces as a series of rooms, each with a different purpose, Stocker says. He used this approach when designing and installing the landscaping seen here for clients in Bethlehem.
A freeform pool and attached spa take center stage in the backyard, with plenty of room for lounging on the pool deck. A pavilion at one end houses an outdoor kitchen and dining area; a freestanding fire pit, perfect for nighttime stargazing, sits at the other. Another table and set of chairs near the house provide a nice spot for morning coffee.
See more of this project
Treat your outdoor spaces as a series of rooms, each with a different purpose, Stocker says. He used this approach when designing and installing the landscaping seen here for clients in Bethlehem.
A freeform pool and attached spa take center stage in the backyard, with plenty of room for lounging on the pool deck. A pavilion at one end houses an outdoor kitchen and dining area; a freestanding fire pit, perfect for nighttime stargazing, sits at the other. Another table and set of chairs near the house provide a nice spot for morning coffee.
See more of this project
2. Level the Playing Field
Enhance your outdoor space by reworking the existing elevations. For homeowners in Nazareth, that meant finding a way to tame a slope that ran from the house to the far side of their already narrow backyard. “They wanted a place for kids and animals to play,” Stocker says.
The team cut into the slope to create a terrace along the back of the house and used boulders for a retaining wall. A patch of lawn and a shallow stream now provide a nice play area. They also added an outdoor kitchen, a dining space and a seating area around a firepit. “The clients now have seating for 25 people,” Stocker says.
See more of this project
Enhance your outdoor space by reworking the existing elevations. For homeowners in Nazareth, that meant finding a way to tame a slope that ran from the house to the far side of their already narrow backyard. “They wanted a place for kids and animals to play,” Stocker says.
The team cut into the slope to create a terrace along the back of the house and used boulders for a retaining wall. A patch of lawn and a shallow stream now provide a nice play area. They also added an outdoor kitchen, a dining space and a seating area around a firepit. “The clients now have seating for 25 people,” Stocker says.
See more of this project
3. Make It Match
Choose a landscaping look that blends beautifully with the style of your home. Stocker, for instance, designed a modern landscape to match the contemporary aesthetic of this house in Allentown. “The homeowners didn’t want the landscape to be conspicuous,” he says.
The final look features a straight paver path surrounded by white gravel that’s the same width as the entry door and the adjacent windows. Neat, low-maintenance shrubs sit on either side of the path at evenly spaced intervals. To illuminate the steps, Stocker chose contemporary downlights with a dark finish and right-angle design that echo the home’s window frames.
More: For more information on Chris Stocker and examples of his work, visit Atlantic Ridge Landscape’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Choose a landscaping look that blends beautifully with the style of your home. Stocker, for instance, designed a modern landscape to match the contemporary aesthetic of this house in Allentown. “The homeowners didn’t want the landscape to be conspicuous,” he says.
The final look features a straight paver path surrounded by white gravel that’s the same width as the entry door and the adjacent windows. Neat, low-maintenance shrubs sit on either side of the path at evenly spaced intervals. To illuminate the steps, Stocker chose contemporary downlights with a dark finish and right-angle design that echo the home’s window frames.
More: For more information on Chris Stocker and examples of his work, visit Atlantic Ridge Landscape’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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Review by Chuck Hopper:
We recently moved to Nazareth PA earlier this year (new construction neighborhood) and part of our initial investment was to add a pool, deck, and patio. After doing some research we selected Atlantic...More