Hollin Hills

When our clients approached us about designing a garden for their mid-century home, they envisioned one typical of California. For a climate that limits plant selections and paver choices, we focused on board form concrete walls to respond to the massing of the house and to gently mediate the grade change along the back. Sited at an angle to the street, introducing the front door required careful thought. We used steppingstones to lead to the breezeway and a small fountain signals a slight turn towards the door. The entry garden is planted with Equisetum, Coral Bark Maple, and Sky Pencil Holly. A quintet of native hornbeams grows from a gravel terrace. Uplighting the bosque of trees draws attention to the client’s impressive sculpture collection. The overall feel is minimalist and utterly suited to the home’s angled aesthetic.

Winner of a 2022 Home & Design Excellence Award.

A single-story mid-century modern home with a brick chimney and large glass windows. The house sits on a gravel driveway surrounded by mature trees and lush green landscaping under a clear blue sky.

The exterior of a mid-century modern home features a flat roof and large floor-to-ceiling windows. A concrete walkway leads toward a glass-enclosed breezeway, flanked by tall green landscape architecture and a small stone fountain.

A mid-century modern home with a light blue front door and large glass windows. A patch of tall, thin reeds grows near the entrance, and a stone walkway leads to the door.

A patio featuring a glass-topped dining table with white chairs and a separate lounge area with built-in seating and a grill. A distinctive red outdoor fireplace stands near the seating area, surrounded by a yard with mature trees and gravel ground cover in a mid-century landscape architecture style.

A small, round water fountain with a spray of water sits in front of a dense cluster of green horsetail reeds, showcasing mid-century landscape architecture. A tall evergreen shrub stands to the left in this garden setting.

A round concrete water fountain with a central bubbler sits on a square stone base, reflecting mid-century landscape architecture. It is surrounded by a gravel garden bed interspersed with small green plants and bordered by stone pavers.

Large rectangular concrete pavers are arranged in a mid-century landscape architecture style path, separated by narrow channels of gravel and moss with low-growing dark green foliage bordering the walkway.

A modern L-shaped house at twilight with a stone walkway leading to a glass-walled entry. Warm interior lights glow through the windows, illuminating the landscaped front yard and the house number 7304.

Four small trees with autumn-colored leaves stand in a gravel garden bed. Two rectangular, grid-like privacy screens are positioned behind the trees in front of a backdrop of dense green foliage.

A modern backyard patio at twilight featuring a rectangular fire pit, a built-in concrete bench with cushions, and a dining area. A vibrant red outdoor fireplace stands near glass-walled living spaces surrounded by trees.

A modern house with a backyard patio featuring a fire pit and seating area. In the foreground, a low concrete wall surrounds a fire pit with lit flames, while glass doors lead into the brightly lit interior of the home.