The brightly colored home helps contrast the dark Seattle days and works well with the adjacent homes which are also bright colors. Landscaping is a future project. John Wilbanks Photography

Rob Karosis, Photographer
Design ideas for a country yellow exterior in New York.

Kate Eyre Garden Design
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional exterior in London.

Modern one-storey exterior in Dallas.

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz
Small midcentury one-storey blue exterior in Dallas.

Tony Mott
Design ideas for a contemporary one-storey exterior in Melbourne.

Photo: Nat Rea
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional two-storey exterior in Providence with wood siding and a gable roof.

Photo of a large contemporary exterior in London with mixed siding and a hip roof.

Tom Crane and Orion Construction
Inspiration for a traditional exterior in Philadelphia.

Mid-sized country two-storey yellow exterior in San Francisco with a gable roof.

This project presented unique opportunities that are not often found in residential landscaping. The homeowners were not only restoring their 1840's era farmhouse, a piece of their family’s history, but also enlarging and updating the home for modern living. The landscape designers continued this idea by creating a space that is a modern day interpretation of an 1840s era farm rather then a strict recreation. The resulting design combines elements of farm living from that time, as well as acknowledging the property’s history as a horse farm, with staples of 21st century landscapes such as space for outdoor living, lighting, and newer plant varieties. Guests approach from the main driveway which winds through the property and ends at the main barn. There is secondary gated driveway just for the homeowners. Connected to this main driveway is a narrower gravel lane which leads directly to the residence. The lane passes near fruit trees planted in broken rows to give the illusion that they are the remains of an orchard that once existed on the site. The lane widens at the entrance to the gardens where there is a hitching post built into the fence that surrounds the gardens and a watering trough. The widened section is intended as a place to park a golf cart or, in a nod to the home’s past, tie up horses before entering. The gravel lane passes between two stone pillars and then ends at a square gravel court edged in cobblestones. The gravel court transitions into a wide flagstone walk bordered with yew hedges and lavender leading to the front door. Directly to the right, upon entering the gravel court, is located a gravel and cobblestone edged walk leading to a secondary entrance into the residence. The walk is gated where it connects with the gravel court to close it off so as not to confuse visitors and guests to the main residence and to emphasize the primary entrance. An area for a bench is provided along this walk to encourage stopping to view and enjoy the gardens. On either side of the front door, gravel and cobblestone walks branch off into the garden spaces. The one on the right leads to a flagstone with cobblestone border patio space. Since the home has no designated backyard like most modern suburban homes the outdoor living space had to be placed in what would traditionally be thought of as the front of the house. The patio is separated from the entrance walk by the yew hedge and further enclosed by three Amelanchiers and a variety of plantings including modern cultivars of old fashioned plants such as Itea and Hydrangea. A third entrance, the original front door to the 1840’s era section, connects to the patio from the home’s kitchen, making the space ideal for outdoor dining. The gravel and cobblestone walk branching off to the left of the front door leads to the vegetable and perennial gardens. The idea for the vegetable garden was to recreate the tradition of a kitchen garden which would have been planted close to the residence for easy access. The vegetable garden is surrounded by mixed perennial beds along the inside of the wood picket fence which surrounds the entire garden space. Another area designated for a bench is provided here to encourage stopping and viewing. The home’s original smokehouse, completely restored and used as a garden shed, provides a strong architectural focal point to the vegetable garden. Behind the smokehouse is planted lilacs and other plants to give mass and balance to the corner and help screen the garden from the neighboring subdivision. At the rear corner of the garden a wood arbor was constructed to provide a structure on which to grow grapes or other vines should the homeowners choose to. The landscape and gardens for this restored farmhouse and property are a thoughtfully designed and planned recreation of a historic landscape reinterpreted for modern living. The idea was to give a sense of timelessness when walking through the gardens as if they had been there for years but had possibly been updated and rejuvenated as lifestyles changed. The attention to materials and craftsmanship blend seamlessly with the residence and insure the gardens and landscape remain an integral part of the property. The farm has been in the homeowner’s family for many years and they are thrilled at the results and happy to see respect given to the home’s history and to its meticulous restoration.

MHK Architecture and Planning in Naples Florida
Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical two-storey white house exterior in Miami with a gable roof and a metal roof.

This spectacular project was a two year effort, first begun by demoing over $400k of spec home madness and reducing it to rubble before rebuilding from the ground up. Don't miss these amazing construction videos chronicling the before during and after effort from start to finish! http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE8A17F8A7A281E5A This project was for a repeat client that had worked with Bianchi before. Bianchi's first effort was to paint the broad strokes that would set the theme for the exterior layout of the property, including the pool, patios, outdoor "bistro", and surrounding garden areas. Then Bianchi introduced his specialized team of artisans to the client to implement the details. Contact Kirk to learn more! The centerpiece of the backyard is a deck level vanishing edge pool flush in the foreground, strikingly simple and understatedly elegant in its first impression, though complex under the hood. The pool, built by Tyler Mathews of Natural Reflections Pools, seems to emerge from the ground as the deck terraces downward, exposing a wetted wall on the background. It is flanked by two mature ironwood trees anchored within stone planters on either side, that bookend the entire space. A singular monochromatic glass tile spa rises above the deck plane, shimmering in the sunlight, perfection wrought by Luke and Amy Denny of Alpentile, while three sets of three spillways send concentric ringlets across the mirrored plane of glassy water. Bianchi's landscape star Morgan Holt of EarthArt worked his magic throughout the property with his exquisite selection of specimen trees and plant materials, and above all, his most challenging feat, crafted a Michaelangeloesque cascading stair, reminiscent of that at the Laurentian Library, levitating and flowing down over the front water feature like a bridal train. This will be a project long enjoyed by the owners, and the team that created it.

Scandinavian two-storey grey exterior in Munich with wood siding and a gable roof.

Country two-storey grey exterior in Dallas with a gable roof.

Proto Homes, LLC
This is an example of a large contemporary house exterior in Los Angeles with a flat roof.

James Ray Spahn
This is an example of a mid-sized country two-storey exterior in Denver with wood siding.

Traditional two-storey exterior in San Diego with wood siding.

Photo of a contemporary two-storey black exterior in Miami with mixed siding.