This Backyard Makeover Makes Being Eco-Friendly Look Good

Brown Design Grouphad to tread carefully. The house they had been tasked to update for a growing family wasn't just any old residence. Back in the 1960s, the Japanese–style home had been built by Lutah Riggs, the first woman in California to be named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. "We needed to retain the historical value of the house," explains principal designer Diego Monchamp, but there were more pressing problems to tackle first. "The house was in pretty bad condition, with years of neglect and deferred maintenance," he says. "We had a lot of dry rot issues. The originalJapanese gardens是爱rgrown and had lost their structure. Much of the lot was undeveloped, which made it seem smaller." Monchamp stayed true to the quality craftsmanship of the original design, replacing many of the intricate wood elements and ensuring any new doors and windows felt in line with the original arrangement of the façade, but he also pushed the architecture into modern day. "We wanted to bring in more architectural details to make the house appealing from every side. Most of the rooms now have doors to the exterior, making the gardens around the house important vignettes," he says. And that was just the beginning.

It's amazing how impactful the color of apoolcan be."The pool plaster is French Gray, which is our signature choice for almost all pools that we do. This darker plaster creates a richer, deeper blue than lighter plasters."

Also, rectangular pools make so much more sense."We actually ended up moving the pool about ten feet farther away than the original pool, which was in poor condition. By reconfiguring the backyard, we were able to allow for more entertainment space and a more usable pool. We wanted to keep the pool a true rectangle and add a spa that could be protected under one pool cover."

Decking that gets better with age is the best kind of decking."The deck is all clear redwood, which will develop a beautiful patina over time. With Montecito’s coastal climate, it was a perfect choice. It also paired well with the poured concrete elements and the Santa Barbara sandstone retaining wall."

Acres of lawn in California? Not a good idea."Santa Barbara has a very serious seasonal water issue, and we wanted to be sure to respect the water usage of the property, which is just over two acres. The young owners have dogs and have just started their family, so getting a little playful grass in there was important to them. But we also used decomposed granite and gravel for many of the pathways, which echoes the rock retaining walls as well."

Shopping your backyard can lead to serious savings.“通过找出空间在你的户外基于“增大化现实”技术的关键ea, you can focus more expensive details there and then fill in less important areas with simpler materials and designs. We used a board-formed concrete design for the BBQ area, then opted for rock walls to create terraces. Most of the rocks were harvested off the property. In addition, the wood that creates the fencing screens and the entry gates was all milled from trees on the property that were tagged for removal."

Less is more when it comes to plants."Another important consideration in the landscaping was to under-plant and give plants room to grow to full potential. So often, people are impatient and they end up buying too many plants and wasting money. We worked with local landscape architectRob Madayto coordinate the house with the landscape. Many of the plant selections were driven by species common to the area that were also drought tolerant. We created interesting details between the deck and the concrete stem walls, which gave the landscape a nice backdrop. Grasses, olive trees, and Japanese maples brought a range of color."