A Napa-Inspired Retreat
Southern California Home
Homeowners who had lived in their residence for over three decades in the town of Fullerton - located in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego - decided, because of their love of the neighborhood and community, to stay in their semi-rural property and expand it as opposed to moving to a larger place. As a sociable and dynamic couple who are wine connoisseurs, they requested an entertaining retreat that would support large gatherings while comprising intimate niches that would allow them to feel immersed in nature and reconnect with each other over a glass of wine at the end of the day.
After engaging local landscape architecture firm Terry Design, Inc. to fulfill their aspirations, the couple made many references to a Napa Valley lifestyle. Landscape Architect and owner Alison Terry's interpretation of those references developed into a terraced hill with entertainment zones at various levels that provide a wealth of opportunities for family and friends to celebrate outside in a relaxed environment with a warm ambiance while enjoying good food and wine.
An angled roof that parallels the hillside slope and blocks the late afternoon sun covers the lower outdoor kitchen. The kitchen has counters with board and batten siding that match the house counter tops made of poured-in-place, colored concrete with a smooth trowel finish. A lily pond water feature was built by landscape contractor Eureka Landscape Services from waterproofed, poured-in-place concrete and Bluestone sides and cap. It sits on 3/8" Northern Salt and Pepper gravel.
Getting Under Way
Precipitated by the addition of a master bedroom wing and additional dwelling unit (ADU), the entire backyard was eventually reimagined. The Landscape Architect prepared two design options for the 0.84-acre property makeover and the customers selected one that turned the convex-sloped site - previously laid to lawn and somewhat unusable - into a series of wide steps forming the spine of the axial design that decreases in formality as it unfolds down the hill.
Dense Carrotwood Trees (Cupaniopsis anacarioides) that made the original pool area feel constricted were removed, the existing pool was re-tiled and re-plastered, the spa was redesigned to be slightly elevated for easier access, and the existing pool deck was refinished with Belgard's Aqualine Series concrete and Bluestone coping and edging.
Upper Spaces
A new firepit seating area and outdoor kitchen with a patio of Random Ashlar Bluestone from Cougar Stone were added at the main house level to expand the area for everyday family use. The original pool area and hillside space felt constricted and unused because it was blocked from view by dense Carrotwood Trees (Cupaniopsis anacardiodes) growing immediately off the back of the pool deck. With these trees removed, the upper level has reconnected with the main house. A wooden lattice patio cover and arbors over French doors now visually link this level with the ADU and the existing pool, which was re-tiled and re-plastered, and the spa, which was redesigned to be slightly elevated for easier access.
This L-shaped masonry sofa has a poured-in-place concrete seat, wood slat backrest, and Bel Air rubble stone veneer. The firepit is made of poured-in-place concrete with a well-defined cantilever at the base. A grapevine grows over the 'Con Heart' Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) arbor.
The Middle
The middle of the property is anchored by a rectangular water lily fountain that lies on axis with the pool and set down with 12-foot-with wide Bluestone steps and groundcover joints. An angled, solid-roof patio cover sits to the west and covers an outdoor kitchen, behind which is a stone-clad, natural gas and woodfired pizza oven, an Isokern vent-free fireplace, and a built-in sofa that creates a smaller-scale gathering spot. Directly opposite this second outdoor kitchen is an L-shaped, built-in sofa with a firepit and wooden lattice arbor overhead. Below this area is a dining patio with a steel lattice cover.
A fireplace, pizza oven, and built-in sofa ?EUR" all veneered with Bel Air rubble stone ?EUR" add to the efficacy of the lower kitchen. The fireplace features a 36" direct vent insert with running bond firebrick and a 3"-thick, poured-in-place cap. The sofa has a poured-in-place concrete seat and wooden backrest.
The paving at this level transitions to gravel, installed within for stability and permeability. Gravel paving became an important part of submitting the plans to the municipality to reduce impervious surfaces. The project's civil engineer also installed dry wells throughout the back yard to increase infiltration.
Located on the top level and partially shaded with an attached wood lattice cover is the upper outdoor kitchen, complete with a poured-in-place concrete countertop, bar seating, a 36" grill, a tilt-out trash receptacle, a 24" refrigerator, and a 24" porcelain farmhouse sink.
At the Base
The lowest level of the property consists of raised vegetable beds made of poured-in-place concrete and arranged in a balanced composition with a steel arbor that then transitions to a U.C. Verde Buffalo Grass (Buchloe dactyloides) lawn kept mostly as an unmown meadow. The vegetable garden is surrounded by fruit trees, herbs, and perennials that attract vital pollinators, assisted by an onsite apiary that produces several hundred gallons of honey each year.
Looking down the main Bluestone stairs four non-fruiting Olive trees (Olea 'Swan Hill') are uplit with the manufacturer's NP fixtures and downlit with DE fixtures ?EUR" only a portion of the 106 lights installed around the site. The pot in the center of the stairs is planted with a Kumquat (Citrus japonica).
A natural drainage swale at the lower edge of the property accommodates cyclical stormwater from the surrounding properties and provides utility access. Immediately across this dry stream bed are homes that will gradually be screened through trees planted at the rear property line. The landscape architectural work included the design of the four small outbuildings - two separate restrooms, a garden shed, and a garden cart charging station - in addition to all arbors and patio covers.
At the rear of the property is a lawn area encompassing Buffalo Grass (Buchloe dactyloides) and a flagstone walk under another steel arbor flanked by two Evergreen Pear trees (Pyrus kawakamii). The irrigation equipment included Netafim drip tubing with pre-assembled control zone kits, a Hunter 36-station controller and wireless solar sensor, valves,and a pressure regulator.
Linking the Spaces
The design intent for the landscape was to provide a sense of continuity that visually connects the backyard's terraced areas in a strong axial relationship to the house. Wide, gracious Bluestone steps and gravel landings with benches along the spine of the slope encourage thoughtful lingering among the spaces. Anchored by four symmetrically placed, field-grown, non-fruiting Olive Trees (Olea 'Swan Hill'), the central walkway connects to lower terraces formed by gently curving, Bel-Air stone rubble-clad retaining walls, which were sized to complement the human-scaled living spaces and minimize grading on the site. A gravel path with more Bluestone steps ties the central path to the west side access road that leads down to the lowest level.
A steel lattice arbor coordinated by the project's general contractor, Neilson Construction, shades a dining area nestled among Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) and mature Olive Trees. Retaining walls clad with Bel Air rubble stone accommodate planters filled with flowering species such as Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas 'Otto Quast,' far right) that are attractive to pollinators. The homeowners produce 300 pounds of honey each year with an onsite apiary.
Environmentally Friendly Landscaping
Diverse and drought-tolerant plantings - predominantly California native and Mediterranean species - were specified, as they use much less water than the previous lawn while slowing down stormwater runoff, providing locations for infiltration. The plant palette includes climate-appropriate California Lilac (Ceanothus 'Concha'), Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas 'Otto Quast'), Dwarf Olive (Olea europaea 'Montra'), Oklahoma Redbuds (Cercis 'Oklahoma,' respectively), Creeping Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis 'Prostratus'), Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii 'Winifred Gilman'), Groundcover Roses (Rosa 'Meiggili'), and Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides).
At the bottom of the property, raised planters built with poured-in-place, smooth troweled concrete with a waterproofed interior, and fruit trees such as Eureka Lemons (Citrus limon 'Eureka'), Satsuma Mandarins (Citrus unshiu), and Valencia Orange (Citrus sinensis 'Valencia') are set among gravel paths. In the background sits a garden shed ?EUR" one of the small structures Terry Design drew up initial plans for that were then completed by the home architect.
One challenge with this project was the the lot coverage and additional structures required completion of a Water Quality Management Plan. As a result of this plan, extensive infiltration devices were installed with monitoring ports. The vegetable garden uses drip irrigation and meets the state water requirements.
Another structure designed by the Landscape Architect, the east side restroom repeats the home building materials and has a wisteria arbor to integrate with the landscape.
Assessing the Outcome
This project has had a large impact on the clients' lives, allowing them to slow down and appreciate nature up-close and entertain in multiple areas, depending on their guests and desired ambiance. During several visits to the nearby residence, the principals at Terry Design have experienced the immense pride and enjoyment the homeowners derive from their new landscape. As another measure of the success, it recently received the California Landscape Contractors Association's "Landscape Beautification Sweepstakes Award" for Best Landscape Entry Overall as well as the "Brilliance Award for Lighting."
This masonry sofa faced with Bluestone and set above a Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) is one of the many destinations the owners asked to be located throughout the property; each intended for a different mood, time of day, or season of the year.
The site is a convex slope with a natural drainage swale at the bottom of the property for neighborhood stormwater pass-through as well as utility access. Immediately across the swale are homes, which will gradually be screened through trees planted at the rear property line. Previously unusable, the hillside now provides multiple entertainment areas surrounded by large planting areas. The zoned design creates a sense of privacy and immersion in nature.
