No Cookie Cutter Landscaping Here: Solutions Unique to Your Home

It’s the end of an era for the Montano family – our owners, Carlos and Amanda, are selling their home and are underway designing the perfect custom home for their family (still in Naperville, IL – they’re not going far!). As they say goodbye to this property that has been their home base for many years, now seems like the perfect time to take a peek at their backyard oasis!

Making it Work

Carlos will be the first to tell you that as he and Amanda were imagining what they wanted for their outdoor living space in Naperville, they had to “make it work.” The 1960s-era home had a sunroom addition that impacted the natural light coming into the back of the house. There was also a small elevated wood deck with stairs down to a tiny patio. With a large, mature lot, so much more could be done to showcase the space and make the backyard an extension of the living space inside the home.

Landscape Design Starts with Function

One of the first decisions Carlos and Amanda made in their landscape design was to remove the sunroom. Their family spends a ton of time outdoors, and since the sunroom was not being used, the square footage was better allocated to outdoor living.

As they looked at the overall design, they knew they wanted a pool, plenty of outdoor seating and a bar for entertaining, an outdoor kitchen and dining space for family dinners outside, and keep a sizeable yard for their kids to play. That’s a pretty tall order! But Carlos was up to the challenge.

Wood or Stone – It’s All About Preference

Some families love the look of wood, and for others, stone is a must. Safety around the pool was critical, so Carlos and Amanda chose a Unilock® pre-sealed product, Bristol Valley®, surrounding the pool due to its slip resistant surface and being easy on bare feet. Natural stone was the cohesive choice for the rest of the design. Down came the rustic wood deck, and in its place, a modern multi-tiered stone haven with a dark wood pergola that beautifully complements the mature trees surrounding the property.

Fire table at night with landscape lighting in Naperville, IL.

Landscape Lighting & Fire Elements Increase Enjoyment

When you have an outdoor living space you want to be able to use as much as possible, incorporating landscape lighting and fire elements just make good sense. Effective landscape lighting should enhance the design and be unobtrusive. Carlos is particularly thoughtful about utilizing lighting within stone walls along seating spaces – this prevents bright lights detracting from the tranquility of the outdoor space.

Fire elements, whether a fireplace, stone fire pit, or as Carlos and Amanda chose, a fire table, are both peaceful and practical. On those chilly spring or fall evenings, they provide warmth so you can continue enjoying time outdoors.

Gardens That Fit Your Life

Between running a business and spending time with family, Carlos and Amanda don’t have a lot of free time to spend hours in the garden planting annuals and weeding. So when they chose to incorporate gardens throughout their landscape design, they needed to make them low-maintenance.

Carefully selected perennials, planted among river rock was the right choice for their life and design aesthetic. The rock maintained the modern look and feel of their stone patio and pool deck, plus it is quick and easy to pull up the few weeds that make their way into the garden beds. The perennials provide a beautiful contrast to the stone – both in color and in softness.

Every single project Montano’s embarks on is given the same attention and thoughtfulness as Carlos put into designing his own landscaping. Customers become friends, thanks to Carlos and Amanda’s focus, care, and genuine love for their craft. Give us a call to start designing a custom solution for your outdoor oasis!