once upon an oak
a young family with twin newborns takes the reigns of this montclair cottage gem and its a grandmother oak tree.
we layer in cozy amenities with a sumptuous hindi flare to the property’s existing woodland cottage garden lushness. with consent from more than a few arborists, we are sanctioned to heat up this shady zone below the massive oak branches with a new hot tub, outdoor kitchen, shower, and home office.
with all new amenities laying beneath the protected oak’s canopy, gentle build and gentle plantings guided the studio, spa + kitchen garden design.
the design threads a needle — to let in more sunlight while adding privacy and avoiding overthinning branches.
layered plantings will screen the hot tub in time while maximizing southern exposure, bringing a street-friendly face alongside family privacy. (tall but not too tall. screened but with welcoming secret garden peek-a-boos.)
how to stay in keeping with the overall garden’s big bloom under the summer-dry oak canopy? native oak-cottagecore plant palette will be ablaze with california lilac (ceanothus ‘ray hartman’ and ‘snow flurry’), pacific coast iris (iris douglasiana), giant coral bells (heuchera maxima), flowering currant (ribes sanguineum ‘spring showers’), california rose (rosa californica), and coast silk tassel (garrya elliptica), and more.
designing within a well loved place is a special honor.
much respect for this client taking on project management of his bespoke team of artisans and craftsfolk. it’s a mighty task, with mighty payoff.
hot tub build + upkeep curtsey of the indomitable sullivan waterworks.
outdoor kitchen, shower, hot tub platform, and home office by the spirited + savvy patrick florenti.
brothers reynaldo and manuel (along with sons, nephews, etc.) muscled those 24”-boxes like no other. deep respect. i am deeply green-eyed for your mighty brawn.
landscape design
terrene
hot tub contractor
sullivan waterworks
carpenter + concretist
patrick florenti, complete carpentry
landscape contractor
raymundo landscaping
client
bansal + agrawal
landscape built
2023 (in process)
