Modern Garden Ideas and Designs
Exterior Worlds Landscaping & DesignThis garden house was designed by owner and architect, Shirat Mavligit. The wooden section of outer wall is actually the outer section of a central volume that creates an enlarged open space bisecting the home interior. The windows create a view corridor within the home that allows visitors to see all the way through to the back yard.
Occupants of the home looking out through these windows feel as if they are sitting in the middle of a garden. This architectural theme of volume and line of site is so powerful that it became the inspiration for the modern landscape design we developed in the front, back, and side yards of the property.
We began by addressing the issue of too much open space in the front yard. It has no surrounding fence, and it faces a very busy street in Houston’s Rice Village Area. After careful study of the home façade, our team determined that the best way to set aside a large portion of private space in front of the home was to construct a landscape berm.
This land art form adds a sense of dimension and psychological boundary to the scene. It is built of core 10 steel and stands 16 inches tall. This is just high enough for guests to sit on, and it provides an ideal sunbathing area for summer days.
The sweeping contour of the berm offsets the rigid linearity of the home with a softer architectural detail. Its linear progression gives the modern landscape design a dynamic sense of movement.
Moving to the back yard, we reinforced the home’s central volume and view corridor by laying a rectilinear line of gravel parallel to an equivalent section of grass. Near the corner of the house, we created a series of gravel stepping pads that lead guests from the gravel run, through the grass, and into a vegetable garden.
The heavy use of gravel does several things. It communicates a sense of control by containing the vitality of the lawn within an inorganic, mathematically precise space. This feeling of contained life force is common in modern landscape design. This also adds the functional advantage of a low-maintenance space where only minimal lawn care is needed. Gravel also has its own unique aesthetic appeal. Its dark color compliments both the grass and the house, providing an ideal lead-in to the space of the vegetable garden.
This same rectilinear geometry was applied to the side yard, but the materials were reversed to add dramatic effect. Here, the field is gravel, and the stepping pads are made from grass. Heavy gauge steel planters were set into the gravel to house separate plantings of Zoysia. The pads run from the library to the kitchen, allowing visitors to travel between the two as if they are walking on a floor decorated with grass.
The lawn in all three yards is planted with Zoysia grass. This species of grass is frequently used in modern landscape design because it requires only moderate amounts of water to retain its exceptionally fine texture. When mowed, it presents a clean, well-manicured lawn that compliments the conservatism of the home.
Find the right local pro for your project
Techo-BlocThis front yard landscaping project consist of multiple of our modern collections!
Modern grey retaining wall: The smooth look of the Raffinato collection brings modern elegance to your tailored spaces. This contemporary double-sided retaining wall is offered in an array of modern colours.
Discover the Raffinato retaining wall: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/walls/raffinato-smooth/
Modern grey stone steps: The sleek, polished look of the Raffinato stone step is a more elegant and refined alternative to modern and very linear concrete steps. Offered in three modern colors, these stone steps are a welcomed addition to your next outdoor step project!
Discover our Raffinato stone steps here: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/steps/raffinato-step/
Modern grey floor pavers: A modern paver available in over 50 scale and color combinations, Industria is a popular choice amongst architects designing urban spaces. This paver's de-icing salt resistance and 100mm height makes it a reliable option for industrial, commercial and institutional applications.
Discover the Industria paver here: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/pavers/industria-smooth-paver/
DPG Pavers and DesignPaver driveway, drought tolerant planting, black mulch. Paver color and style selected to compliment paint and roof color.
AquaTerra OutdoorsAquaTerra Outdoors was hired to design and install the entire landscape, hardscape and pool for this modern home. Features include Ipe wood deck, river rock details, LED lighting in the pool, limestone decks, water feature wall with custom Bobe water scuppers and more!
Photography: Daniel Driensky
Maïtanne Hunt Garden & Landscape DesignFamily garden divided in 3 zones; first the sitting area with comfortable furniture under the dappled shade of scented evergreen trees, then a large lawn for children and family to play and finally a bespoke elegant garden building including storage unit, play room for the children and fully equipped office for their Dad :-).
June Scott DesignSituated above Lake Hollywood, this expansive terrace was part of a masterplan for the property. It is composed of simple, elegantly-balanced elements that link together to offer the clients a range of pastimes to enjoy with friends and family.
Modern Garden Ideas and Designs
Tilly | Landscape DesignThis customer was looking to add privacy, use less water, include raised bed garden and fire pit...making it all more their style which was a blend between modern and farmhouse.
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