The house sits off of Tanglewood Boulevard on a lovely tree lined street in Houston, Texas. The landscape had all the elements the owner wanted: a pool, grilling area and spa. The spaces however were not working. The gardens lacked cohesion from both an aesthetic and utility standpoint.
The front of the house was punctuated by overgrown plantings which obscured the lovely lines and architectural details of the house. Huge overgrown shrubs covered the windows while walkways leading to the house had fallen into disrepair. The back of the house had a pool that was not accessible, failing plantings and pedestrian surfaces that did not provide adequate circulation. The owners enjoy entertaining alfresco and very much wanted to use the pool area for large functions as well as family fun. BL created a master plan which encompassed plantings that spoke to the Mediterranean architecture and flatwork linking up the spaces. A seating wall was added to the grill area which invited people to sit and enjoy a visit with the grill cook. The brick wall was punctuated with lovely French antique encaustic tiles, that repeat throughout the landscape.
The spa had been built into the far side of the pool which did not provide a sense of enclosure or encourage use. To enhance the spa experience, we built a concrete bench clad in a mosaic of antique French encaustic and ceramic tiles. BL enjoyed a happy collaboration with interior designer Julie Baker, on the tile bench and poolside containers. The existing brick work was extended providing comfortable barefoot circulation as well as space for tables during larger functions. Awnings and decorative valances were introduced in a bold black & white stripe. Click here to see our process and learn more about the transformation.