Timeless Traditional with a Modern Twist

Though the bones of this house and property are rooted in East Coast Traditional style, the client-who is a brilliant interior designer-put a modern twist on tradition. 

The place was a bit of a mess at the start, and it took a visionary to imagine what it could be. One reason I do love working with creative people, they are visionaries. The entire project was a collaboration, tossing ideas back and forth until the visions in our minds came to life. 

We removed literally tons of overgrown trees and shrubs, an old bocce ball court, two dilapidated sheds, fences and pretty much started over. From the infra-structure up is all new. The client did the same with the house and guest house, took them both down to the studs. This was a brave undertaking. But in the words of The Bard “All’s well that ends well”. I’m pretty sure I told the client several times “In the end, you will be happy you did it”. And as you can see, they are happy. 

The perimeter planting of Ligustrum created the backdrop to everything else we did. Layering was accomplished with a front border of “little Ollie” then Oakleaf Hydrangea, then the hedge. The result is gorgeous textures, different greens and very lush. 

The front and north side of the house is planted in a combination of boxwood and several varieties of Pittosporum. The client custom designed many of the containers creating height and different shades of green. 

The fountain is an antique French limestone trough (from Eye of the Day GDC in Carpinteria) which was converted. The vintage brass spout, also from Eye of the Day, springs out of plantings of Pittosporum ‘golf ball’. 

The back firepit was custom designed. The exterior ring is fashioned of unpolished stainless steel and was executed by Joe Gonzalez Welding in Carpinteria. It is outfitted with an electronic starter that operates via remote control.   

The Spa area is a brilliant example of the client’s design aesthetic. And the playhouse on the opposite side is for their two-year-old daughter. There is a hidden garden path behind the firepit area that only reveals itself if you follow the gravel paths. 

The color pallet is neutral, greens with white accents. This is a home and garden of timeless beauty which will only get better with age (like all of us).

Lisa Cullen