April 20, 2022 | Admin
Landscape Creations helps realize a couple’s dream retreat on the water fit for
multiple generations and optimally designed for outdoor living in a New England summer.
New England is famous for its cold winters, but a little-known fact about the Northeast is that its summers can be equally balmy, breezy, and perfect for outdoor living on the water. How can new homeowners transform their homes to take advantage of fine summer days outdoors while still being prepared for the seasonal changes?
The homeowners of this waterfront property in Newport, Rhode Island, decided their answer was an extensive renovation and expansion of what was originally a spec house in the hopes of customizing the residence to their needs. The couple’s children and grandchildren often visit, so creating spaces with family entertaining in mind was a must. To help with this transformation, the homeowners called upon David Andreozzi of Andreozzi Architecture, general contractor Parker Construction, landscape architecture firm Mather & Page, and landscape construction company Landscape Creations.
Parker Construction oversaw the renovation, which touched nearly every aspect of the home, but the pièce de resistance on the project was its new landscape, which integrated the home with its natural environment and introduced a front courtyard, gardens, and several outdoor living spaces. Creating spaces for comfortable living outdoors during hot summer weather was a must, so the new project included the addition of a pool, covered outdoor kitchen, dining terrace, and fire pit.
The project required a lot of work to make the site ready for all of the new additions. Landscape Creations’ tasks involved final grading of the site, drainage work, a new driveway, architectural stonework, paving, pool coping, planting, lawn installation, and the construction of stone walls, terraces and pathways, but the result was a magnificent outdoor oasis.
One of the key features of the site was its stonework, an element that can be overlooked when designing outdoor spaces but which the landscaping team made sure received proper attention to detail in a time when supplies can be rare. “We had five overseas containers of limestone that came in from Portugal early on during the pandemic,” recalls Jonathan Zeyl, president and co-owner of Landscape Creations. “To protect ourselves from the rampant supply chain issues at that time, we ordered extra stock and custom milled it as needed on site to produce the different thicknesses and design patterns specified.” Zeyl also notes that a critical piece of the puzzle was maintaining consistency with the existing on-site masonry. “There were certain features that we needed to preserve, so we had to match the style and technique for everything to appear cohesive.”
Aside from the extensive masonry work throughout the site, Landscape Creations sourced and installed a mix of native and nonnative plants, perennial shrubs, and larger trees, with a color scheme that incorporates lots of pink, purple, and yellow. “Our overarching objective for this project was to better connect the home and the landscape,” says Zeyl. “The new pathways and gardens create a nice flow from the front of the house to the back.” And as for the collaboration with the clients, Zeyl says it couldn’t have gone better. “These homeowners were so appreciative and fun to work with. Their intention was to invest in future memories with their family, which is something that resonates with us as a company.”
Our favorite features of the project: the addition of a classical courtyard framed by curvilinear stone walls to welcome visitors at the front of the home while the back showcases the best in outdoor living essentials with a custom pergola and an outdoor kitchen. We couldn’t imagine a better backyard for a summer outdoors!
Parker Construction
Landscape Creations
Andreozzi Architecture
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