Menlo Park Backyard

THIS family in Menlo Park, initially, had a functional yard for their family of five and their dog. A lawn that was green for part of the yard, a patio, old patio furniture, and a barbecue. They did not, however, have something beautiful, unique or sustainable.

When we approach a design project, the first thing we discuss is ALL of the homeowner’s wishes, without thinking about the cost, permitting or execution. Then, we discuss a budget range - ideal to maximum - followed by the wishlist in order of importance.

In this case we wanted:

• A new back door that could slide all to one side.

• NO lawn - to be replaced by native grasses and colorful plants

• A seating area in the yard aside of from the patio to encourage the use of the whole yard and a path to get there.

• A fire pit area

• A trellis with electricity

We set out to find a local landscaper and at the same time, drew up a few different plants to get an idea on how we could fit all of these elements into the yard above. We received quotes from multiple different contractors and none of them were within our budget so we had to decide what things were a priority and start on those first.

The landscapers were worked with, Sunscapes, Inc, were excellent in that they gave us a detailed quote and suggestions on how we could save in some areas without compromising aesthetics and where money would be well spent. The landscapers did beautiful work and we were able to accomplish everything on the list!