Question:We are looking for ways to integrate the disparate elements that make up our front/side yard. We live on the side of a canyon, and our front yard slopes downward toward the house, which is a 1950s ranch-style home. We need to soften the severe lines of our brick courtyard in front, and integrate it with the concrete patio at the side of the house.

Kathleen Borie, Burlingame

Answer: Your home's entry has so much potential that it's hard to know where to start! More good news is that it can be improved in phases.

Since your family and guests see the front door first, let's begin here.

The two large windows force the door to be off center and while the potted plant next to the door affords some privacy, it also makes the entry seem crowded.

CHOOSING A DOOR

My recommendation is to replace the door and windows altogether. Consider a centered door with two side lights. The door can have a glass panel that complements leaded glass in the side lights. The interior of the entry still benefits by getting daylight, and the exterior now has a pleasing symmetry.

To keep a lighter feeling in the entry, consider a white door and trim instead of a dark wood door. If you want to add color use a soft color on the door with white trim. Add brass door handles to bring some sparkle to the front of the house.

Select brass lighting fixtures, perhaps a carriage lantern-style lamp. Put a pair of lamps on each side of the door. The brass elements will brighten the entry during the day and illuminate it at night.

Next, the bricks on the patio: They are the most dominant design element. Because they're expensive to replace, leave them and do other things that will help them relate more effectively to the house.

The front door step is made of a different material than the rest of the patio. It looks like an afterthought and an attempt to distinguish the entry.

Redo this step with a more natural paving stone, in keeping with the nature surrounding the house. A good stone to consider is called Bouquet Canyon. It has a lot of gray, is not slippery when wet and has a very elegant feeling. Give the entry step an elliptical shape to soften all the square lines elsewhere.

Consider using this same stone to clad the two circular brick planters that float in the middle of the patio on each side of the house. The stones can be cemented directly over the existing brick.

Next, remove the elliptical planter to the left of the door. Add long stone planters that run the entire length of the house on both sides of the front door.

To keep the area soft, make the planters serpentine instead of straight boxes. Use these undulating lines as soft and graceful design elements.

Now you've created the opportunity to add beautiful plants in front. This will soften the appearance of all the brick and make the visual transition to the structure more gentle.

LANDSCAPING FOR EFFECT

With these three areas -- the front step, the round planters and the long planters all made of stone -- there's a more "designed" look to the front and a more cohesive feeling overall.

Now let's focus on landscaping.

Since your home is in a canyon, let's follow the flow of nature and add lots of interesting plants and flowers. Start with the larger plants and work your way out to the flowers.

The "bones" of this planter garden will be evergreens. Don't choose plants that will grow 20 feet tall! Select plants that will stay fairly low and, if the front is shaded, ones that don't need much sun. Plant the taller ones to the back, and graduate the size down to small trailing plants that will spill over the stone of the planter.

In the round planters, put the tallest plants in the center. Place annual flowers in-between the evergreens and remember to replace them seasonally to keep a fresh, colorful look all year. And don't be sparse! Nature loves abundance, especially in confined spaces.

What's just been described are relatively simple and not-too-expensive changes that will make a tremendous difference quickly.

A more expanded makeover would include changing the windows across the front of the house, especially the "bunker" windows to the right of the front door. No matter what's on the inside, those rooms can probably handle more light. If privacy is a concern, window treatments can provide the necessary visual screening and still let in more light.

What I've described will dramatically update the look of your home and let the brick seem like a planned element instead of something you're stuck with. Enjoy this change, and happy planting!

 

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