My client for this project was a builder/ developer. He had purchased a flat two acre parcel with vineyards that was within easy walking distance of downtown St. Helena. He planned to “build for sale” a three bedroom home with a separate one bedroom guest house, a pool and a pool house. He wanted a modern type farmhouse design that opened up to the site and to the views of the hills beyond and to keep as much of the vineyards as possible. The house was designed with a central Great Room consisting of a kitchen area, a dining area, and a living area all under one roof with a central linear cupola to bring natural light into the middle of the room. One approaches the entrance to the home through a small garden with water features on both sides of a path that leads to a covered entry porch and the front door. The entry hall runs the length of the Great Room and serves as both a link to the bedroom wings, the garage, the laundry room and a small study. The entry hall also serves as an art gallery for the future owner. An interstitial space between the entry hall and the Great Room contains a pantry, a wine room, an entry closet, an electrical room and a powder room. A large deep porch on the pool/garden side of the house extends most of the length of the Great Room with a small breakfast Room at one end that opens both to the kitchen and to this porch. The Great Room and porch open up to a swimming pool that is on on axis with the front door. The main house has two wings. One wing contains the master bedroom suite with a walk in closet and a bathroom with soaking tub in a bay window and separate toilet room and shower. The other wing at the opposite end of the househas two children’s bedrooms each with their own bathroom a small play room serving both bedrooms. A rear hallway serves the children’s wing, a Laundry Room and a Study, the garage and a stair to an Au Pair unit above the garage. A separate small one bedroom guest house has a small living room, a kitchen, a toilet room to serve the pool and a small covered porch. The bedroom is ensuite with a full bath. This guest house faces the side of the pool and serves to provide privacy and block views ofthe neighbors to the east. A Pool house at the far end of the pool on the main axis of the house has a covered sitting area with a pizza oven, a bar area and a small bathroom. Vineyards were saved on all sides of the house to help provide a private enclave within the vines. The exterior of the house has simple gable roofs over the major rooms of the house with sloping ceilings and large wooden trusses in the Great Room and plaster sloping ceilings in the bedrooms. The exterior siding through out is painted board and batten siding similar to farmhouses of other older homes in the area. Clyde Construction: General Contractor Photographed by: Paul Rollins

Amanda Shipman
Small country backyard full sun garden in Hertfordshire with a garden path and brick pavers for summer.

Westphalen Photography
Photo of a large country partial sun driveway in Burlington with gravel.

Hear what our clients, Lisa & Rick, have to say about their project by clicking on the Facebook link and then the Videos tab. Hannah Goering Photography

Ross Chandler
Inspiration for a large country backyard full sun formal garden in Other with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Inspiration for a country garden in Other with a water feature.

Plantings surround a dry creek bed
Photo of a mid-sized country front yard full sun xeriscape for summer in Austin with concrete pavers.

Submerged lighting can create a warm glow and help draw attention to water features. Photo By Linda Oyama Bryan
Photo of a country garden in Chicago with a water feature.

Country garden in Seattle.

Photo of a country backyard outdoor sport court in Phoenix with natural stone pavers.

In back, the first of three courtyards sits closest to the home. Tall hedges separate this space from the driveway and provide a sense of sanctuary that radiates into the home's interior. The bird bath beyond draws visitors to central patio. Photo: Lesly Hall Photography, Spring 2025

The neglected garden of this historic DePaul townhome was transformed into a natural children’s garden. The centerpiece of the yard is a custom-built tree house fronted by a sedge meadow. A tree stump path winds through a textured shade garden to an outdoor classroom complete with a chalkboard. Darris Lee Harris Photography

Stained Wood Privacy Fencing in backyard
Country backyard garden in Other with with privacy feature and a wood fence.

We added climbing jasmine, roses, foxgloves & geraniums to the gravelled courtyard garden at our Cotswolds Cottage project. Interior Design by Imperfect Interiors Armada Cottage is available to rent at www.armadacottagecotswolds.co.uk

This is an example of a country front yard xeriscape in Orange County with concrete pavers.

Photo of a country garden in Denver.

The design created gardens connected with walking paths with destinations throughout the property. Pathways wind past the potager, chicken coop, horse shoe court, patures, sculptures, fountains, pumpkin patch, grand canopy trees, and lovely patios.

Inspiration for a country garden in New York.

Weg aus Muschelkalk-Kleinsteinpflaster mit vereinzelten Thymianstauden als Verbindung zwischen zwei Terrassen und eine blütenreiche, insektenfreundliche Bepflanzung