3 min read

Finding Sublimity in Little Details

Picture of Jenna Patrick Jenna Patrick : Jan 1, 2024 8:00:00 AM

West

Brookside Landscape Design’s Holistic Approach to an Encinitas Yard

BYLA (18) Meeting for the first time at the tail end of a long and complicated architectural home build process, the owner of this California paradise asked Brookside Landscape Design for little more than a new yard with a quick permit process. Had they taken the request at face value, this project would have been a cakewalk for this landscaping husband and wife duo. Instead, Jennifer Crawford describes how she and her spouse focused on rekindling the playful side of the client’s imagination and sprinkling magic into the scene.

“It’s pretty rare nowadays that a client will not have any inspirational imagery saved somewhere on their phone ready to share,” says Jennifer. “When they do not, it indicates that this client is more hands-off or busier than others. It could signify that they are more willing to trust us to create and execute the vision, where others prefer to be more involved.”

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After an initial site visit, a budgetary discussion, a request for inspirational imagery and a chat about hopes and dreams recorded and saved for later study, Brookside Landscape Design sent the client a detailed questionnaire. From this, they gathered information like the client’s favorite and least favorite color, how much they enjoy watching the hot air balloons floating over their breathtaking view, the time of day they expect to be outside most and what they do for fun. Any tidbit that could help the client feel at home in their backyard, the Brookside team wanted to know about it.

“It needed to be a kid-friendly space, but it also had to feel elevated so adults would enjoy their time out there,” says Jennifer. “The client asked for a hot tub because they had back pain and wanted to soak every evening after work. They also wanted an outdoor shower, a miniature putting green, an outdoor TV set up to watch sports together as a family and a zone to relax in the sun. There also had to be a heat source to extend their activities into the evening. That is quite a lot to accomplish in such a small space.”

In the design phase, the Brookside team thoroughly contemplated the position of each desired element. For instance, they knew that the simplest solution for the TV—mounting it to the wall— would shift the energy of the space away from the view that the clients indicated they cared about. Because of this, the team went down a rabbit hole, collaborating with an expert to create a waterproof, collapsible enclosure that allows the TV screen to turn as directed via a remote control from anywhere in the yard. Before installation began, the team considered ways to execute their signature “flex spaces” or sections for more than one activity. The area with removable mini golf turf is a prime example of this.

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The hot tub, cladded and surrounded with thermally modified wood, required discussion, design iteration and fabrication to guarantee maintenance access and avoid leakage or water damage. They also crafted the custom concrete fireplace in-house using a board form technique. Besides this, and a decision to reinstall the porcelain pavers to reduce the noise caused by shifting in the original sand-set hardscape, Jennifer says that overall, the execution phase of the project was relatively straightforward. Once finished, it was time to get creative again.

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BYLA (16) “I think the decor phase is something unique that we do for our business that a lot of landscape designers rarely include in their service options,” says Jennifer. “This is not for every client, but it has been a point of differentiation for us. In this particular case, we incorporated a lot of decor and furniture. We added custom cushions, imported sling chairs and stone shower hooks made by a small business owner online. It’s those personal touches that make the space feel special.”

It makes sense. Whether they find inspiration on platforms like Instagram, Pinterest or Houzz—or by flipping through magazines—residential clients are more than likely used to viewing fully furnished, picture-perfect outdoor spaces. Jennifer understood how impactful mimicking a stylish lived-in space, catered to a client’s taste, could be to making them fall in love with the project results at first sight. She says that the projects where they can allocate that 15-20 percent extra to the decor phase almost always end up being their portfolio projects, used to attract more business.

“You want to give them that lifestyle feel and emulate what people I find are generally looking for when they hire a landscape designer: that perfect blend of indoor and outdoor space,” says Jennifer. “Maybe there are aspects of an aesthetic that they have already explored with an interior designer that they want to see extended to an outdoor setting.”

Because this client was remarkably open-minded, the team found ways to experiment here and there. In addition to sourcing original decor pieces, including a custom mobile, they hired local artist Blaine Tiongson of Momma Pots to hand paint planters with her patent pending, homemade paint.

"I saw this as an opportunity to give
exposure to some artists & local
craftspeople with very niche skills.""

BYLA (15) “It’s cool that we can show their work in our portfolio and have other clients think, ‘Oh, I can use that in this context!’ I remember a local restaurant started using Blaine’s pots after seeing them in our project photos,” says Jennifer.

Jennifer’s perspective on this project demonstrates how the scope of community in this industry can sometimes flow beyond the types typically associated with landscaping. Landscape design can be a push and pull between giving the client what they want and feeding the creative process without limitation to make something that not only satisfies but evokes awe.

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Brookside Design(20) Understanding a client’s desires beyond what they can articulate requires a creative and often collaborative approach. Ultimately, when a space mirrors a person’s inner yearnings, it becomes a project future clients will more often connect with.