Palisades

After completing their stone-clad, Pennsylvania German-inspired home, our clients expanded by acquiring the neighboring property, eager to expand with a guest house and office. The steep hillside between the properties, crowned by a magnificent Sycamore, added to the Brandywine Valley-style charm. Working with Carmel Greer, Architect, the guest house echoed the stone motif while introducing warm redwood paneling.

Our task was to create distinct yet connected outdoor spaces. To stabilize the hillside and protect the Sycamore’s roots, we built a natural boulder wall using locally sourced stone. We introduced a paving design of rough-cut rectangular pavers, accented with tightly-set irregular flagstone at key points. A sleek black metal pergola with mechanical louvers provides shade and rain cover at the rear. The pool was updated with an autocover, and a small grill island — complete with an ice chest and cabinetry — was discreetly placed along the property line.

The landscape, almost entirely native, features foamflower, Rhododendron, Dogwood, ferns, and fragrant Sumac, creating a serene, natural environment that enhances the connection between the two homes.

A modern two-story home featuring a combination of stone walls and warm wood siding. A gravel driveway leads to the garage under a large, illuminated corner window, while a separate stone building with a dark metal roof stands adjacent under a large tree.
A stone house with a wooden deck and glass doors, viewed through tree branches. In the foreground, a low stone wall sits before tiered garden beds filled with shrubs and ornamental grasses.
Modern grey curved outdoor furniture set on a wooden deck in a lush garden. A sun umbrella stands over the seating area, which includes two chairs, a small table, and a sofa with three drinks on it.
A modern two-story home with wood siding and a stone chimney stands behind a stone patio and swimming pool. The outdoor area includes two metal chairs, a built-in grill, and stone steps set within a lush, tree-filled landscape.
A stone-walled house features large glass doors opening onto a wooden deck with a dining table and benches. Lush greenery and stone steps lead up to the patio area.
A stone house with a gabled roof overlooks a rectangular swimming pool. A dark metal pergola covers a patio dining set placed against the stone wall.
Stone steps set into a garden slope, flanked by clumps of ornamental grass. The rugged, natural stone slabs are arranged in a tiered pattern alongside a flat stone path.
A high-angle view of a backyard garden featuring large, flat stone steps leading up to a wooden deck. The deck is furnished with a long sofa and a small coffee table, with a skylight visible nearby.
A stone garden path made of irregular flat flagstones winds through lush green groundcover plants. The grey stones are set into the earth, creating a natural walkway between clusters of foliage.
A stone house with a dark metal roof overlooks a backyard patio, pool, and wooden deck with modern sculptural seating. The landscape features lush greenery and illuminated pathways connecting the main house to an attached wooden wing at dusk.
A modern wooden home at dusk, featuring a prominent stone fireplace centered between two glass doors glowing with interior light. A stone pathway leads through a garden toward the fireplace, with a large tree in the foreground.