We’re consistently inspired by how our designers and crews work with our clients to transform vacant or underused spaces into beautiful, functional landscapes. Here are some of our favorite Portland Metro area projects that highlight just what elevating outdoor areas into true extensions of the home can do for a space.
From solving drainage issues to creating room to gather, relax, and entertain, the landscapes featured here represent what’s possible when design, craftsmanship, and a deep understanding of the site come together.
As we reviewed our projects, four main types of transformations rose to the top— each with their own challenges, opportunities, and rewards:
- Landscaping from Scratch: New build home installs
- Lawn Transformations: Turning lawns into a dynamic outdoor spaces
- Landscaping for Usability: Turning unusable slopes into outdoor living areas
- Renovations: Completely redoing an existing landscape to match desires
Landscaping from Scratch
These landscapes began as nothing more than dirt or weeds, giving both homeowners and designers true creative freedom. With no existing features to remove, the design process focused entirely on what would best complement the new home.
Modern Backyard Landscape
The goal for this from‑scratch landscape was to complement the new house and reflect its modern, minimalist style.
The homeowners wanted multiple outdoor living zones where their family could spend more time outside, so the design incorporated spacious patios, a dedicated seating and dining area, a firepit set away from the house, a synthetic lawn for minimal maintenance and year‑round play, and a pool with a built‑in hot tub. The side yard uses stone pavers to form a path to the gate, flanked by raised garden beds.
Each element of this design works together to create a cohesive, functional, and inviting outdoor environment.
Elaborate Urban Backyard
Surrounded by overgrown weeks, this newly-built urban home had side and backyards that lacked purpose, and a front yard that undersold the lovely hew house. Our goal was to maximize this relatively small city lot and balance the right angles of the house with the homeowners’ desire for organic shapes and movement.
Despite the L-shaped layout, the backyard now accommodates four major elements, without feeling cluttered: a usable lawn area, a naturalistic water feature with a pond and a meandering side stream, a round patio and modern fire pit, and off-center rectangular paver pathway.
In the front, the extended pathway creates a sense of continuity while making the space feel larger, and leads to a welcoming patio with seating area the overlooks a reflection pool crafted from an upcycled mill stone.
Each element of this design works together to create a cohesive, functional, and inviting outdoor environment.
Lawn Transformations
Lawns have long been a standard piece of American landscaping, but water conservation and maintenance concerns, among other reasons, are nudging more homeowners towards creative redesigns of their lawns.
Whether keeping some lawn or completely replacing it, these clients prioritized colorful planitng beds and other outdoor living features.
Resort Pool in a Backyard Family Paradise
This was a favorite recent transformation of ours!
Although this property was full of lush, green grass, the homeowners felt like they just weren’t using it to its fullest extent and spent too much money and time on maintenance and irrigation. The homeowners reached out when they were ready to upgrade the space into what they had always hoped it could be.
Grass was removed and a huge amount of soil was relocated. In its place now stands a gorgeous pool with water fountain and patio area, cheerful plantings, and raised Corten-steel garden beds. It’s a dreamy resort-like paradise, that creates an invitation to come into the backyard to relax and stay awhile.
Unused Lawn to Diverse Outdoor Living Spaces
This backyard was dominated by lawn, including a fenced dog area and a simple uncovered seating space—none of which the homeowners found practical for their lifestyle. They came to us with a strong emphasis on outdoor living, and several new areas were created to offer variety year-round.
The initial uncovered patio was transformed into a beautiful outdoor kitchen, complete with fridge, oven, barbeque and bar, all sheltered under a wood-and-stone awning. The patio was expanded to include both a larger dining table and separate seating area adjacent to a burbling columnar water feature. And where the fenced dog run once stood, a circular patio with matching firepit now welcomes guests into the landscape.
Some existing lawn remains, as does the favorite long-standing Japanese maple, and two new raised beds were installed to complete the homeowners’ dreams of diverse spaces that reflect their intentions and style.
Landscaping for Usability
One of the most common complaints we hear, and regularly address, is that of an unusable landscape. Perhaps the slope is too steep, the property is overgrown with invasive species, or the terrain is uneven—whatever the cause, many landscapes are never used and all that space can go to waste.
The Portland Metro area and SW Washington have diverse terrains, including many thousands of properties perch on sloping ground. It’s one of our specialties to make these landscapes both beautiful and usable, no matter the homeowners’ lifestyle.
An Underused Slope and Lawn Waiting for Character
This home had a sloping side and backyard with patchy grass and an undefined planting bed. Moreover, there were severe drainage issues with water pooling on one side of the house.
Our team installed perimeter drains and designed an ornamental water feature that echoes a linear path with sculptural metal channels flowing into a decorative pot. This feature winds through a new Pacific Northwest‑style planting bed accented with boulders.
A paver patio with a built‑in fire pit now offers a comfortable gathering space, set level with the existing deck. A custom fence and stepping‑stone path enhance privacy, while the front yard was refreshed with a crisp blend of tidy lawn and natural forms.
A Steep Slope Transforms into an Elegant Descent and Resort-Like Features
When the homeowner purchased this lot, the designated footprint for the house was at the road level and a steep slope below was filled with a rambling, rotting series of failing retaining walls with overgrown blackberry brambles at the bottom.
The designer and crew created an impressive series of stone retaining walls to stabilize the slope while creating landings for plantings, art, and seating areas. At the bottom of the slope, a pool, pool house, built-in umbrellas, and covered dining area now create a resort-like destination, inviting the family and guests to explore each area of the property. To improve accessibility, we added a smooth path that allows guests to travel easily—whether walking or using a golf cart.
This project showcases how thoughtful hardscaping and landscape design can make a dramatic slope both functional and stunning. Never mind that gorgeous view!
Renovations: Making Your Landscape Your Own
(i.e. You’re Allowed to Change Your Mind!)
A fully-landscaped yard does not mean that it meets the current needs of the homeowner! Whether inheriting styles and features from the previous owner, or outgrowing their own earlier decisions, we work with clients to reimagine their space for their current needs, features, and styles.
Explore the below properties to see how we helped clients redesign their space for improved usability and enjoyment.
Install What You Really Want!
As families grow and preferences evolve, landscapes should evolve with them. This property once centered around specific sports features—a tennis court, a putting green, with little room for anything else. It was time to replace existing features with lifestyle elements that really make the current owner’s heart sing.
The designer and homeowner crafted a bold and beautiful new plan: replace the underused tennis court with a pool, replace synthetic turf with a patio seating area around a gas fire pit, and replace the putting green with an elegant walkway flanked by raised planting beds.
The result is a warm, inviting landscape designed for both entertaining and everyday enjoyment. This space beckons visitors to stay awhile!
To Entertain and Beautify
This landscape was originally designed by the family for their kids and pets, but over time it no longer met their needs. The sport court felt oversized, the space lacked warmth, and there was no natural place to host their large dinner gatherings.
We removed half of the concrete athletic court and added generous, meandering pathways that lead from the house through new cottage‑garden‑style plantings. Along the way, seating areas provide perfect spots for shared meals and conversation.
Because the homeowner uses the landscape for photoshoots, we focused on flowerful, loose plantings balanced with evergreen shrubs that look stunning throughout the year. This project is a reminder that the sooner you update a landscape to match your lifestyle, the sooner you get to enjoy it fully!
We love creating landscapes that inspire our clients, whether from scratch, as a phase two of their initial idea, or redoing a landscape to meet their new needs. To make the process even easier, we’ve partnered with Lyon Financial to offer financing for these home‑improvement investments for clients throughout the Pacific Northwest. Contact us for a free quote and take the first step toward transforming your outdoor space.
Here’s to another year of inspiring outdoor transformations, large and small!