Craft your grand entrance with a landscape makeover
Sponsored by EcoRegions
When the owners of a Country Club of Louisiana home decided to update their outdoor space, they knew they wanted to create an entrance with a grand feeling accented by mature landscaping. With the right mix of ironwork, brick and large plants, Chris Sanderson and his team at EcoRegions Landscape Architecture and Outdoor Construction achieved the look his clients had in mind.
Sanderson had worked with the clients before on other projects. This time, the North Mission Hills Avenue residents were seeking a bigger change while ensuring the updates meshed with the existing space for a cohesive design.
A previous owner left behind some drawings for planned improvements to the home and landscape, giving Sanderson a solid starting point for the project. Sanderson came up with a combination of landscaping and hardscaping that makes a striking impression from the street and seamlessly guides visitors into the home.
“The house is very large, so they needed something to bring some scale into their landscape,” Sanderson says. “We did a courtyard wall in front of the house and added an access for people to park on the street and walk to their front door.”
Choosing the right materials was crucial. The home, built by renowned Baton Rouge architect Al Jones, has a distinct style. Sanderson strove to preserve the overall feel of the space while making new additions that complemented the existing construction.
“We used a lot of antique materials,” he says. “That was a process in itself to get the right mix of brick to use. The brick walls we built were all painted, but we had to source a custom mix of bricks to be able to match the size and texture of what was on the house. We matched the lime wash mix they have on the house and what we used on the new wall, making sure everything looked consistent.”
Another aspect of the project that required careful attention to detail was the ironwork. Sanderson added custom fence panels that were specially made to match the size, dimension and intricate design of some older ironwork at the home.
Selecting plants was another important part of the job. Sanderson helped the customers bring their dream of mature landscaping fronting their property to reality.
“We ordered a lot of large plant material to give them that immediate effect of having mature landscaping from the start,” Sanderson says, adding that working with the mature plants was one of his favorite parts of this project.
“It was a night-and-day difference,” he says. “One day there was nothing there, and the next day, you’ve got 10-foot-tall specimen trees that are 20 years old.”
As for the customers, they’re now enjoying a functional, attractive design that gives the air of grandeur they desired.
“They’re thrilled with it,” Sanderson says. “The biggest thing for them was for it to have the visual impact they wanted. This project completely transformed the front elevation of their house.”
Interested in a makeover of your own outdoor space? Sanderson and EcoRegions can help. The first step is a consultation.
“We go through a consultation to figure out what you want, and then we start the design process,” he says. “We begin with the conceptual phase, then revisions and finally construction drawings in order to get the project where you want and at the budget you want to spend.”
