The client wanted a pool in their backyard, a very big pool. However, the pool would fill most of the backyard and leave very little space for entertaining. The yard was also significantly lower than the house, which would make the pool look sunken. An additional requirement was that the pool needed to look as historic as the house. This required the use of lots of tile and materials to create a fountain and reflecting pool feeling to the swimming pool. A slightly above ground pool was suggested, but the homeowner couldn’t visualize how it would look or work. A series of concept sketches from different angles were created to help the client visualize the design. 
Bishop Garden Design - Portfolio
Pool Concept Drawings
The client wanted a pool in their backyard, a very big pool. However, the pool would fill most of the backyard and leave very little space for entertaining. The yard was also significantly lower than the house, which would make the pool look sunken. An additional requirement was that the pool needed to look as historic as the house. This required the use of lots of tile and materials to create a fountain and reflecting pool feeling to the swimming pool. A slightly above ground pool was suggested, but the homeowner couldn’t visualize how it would look or work. A series of concept sketches from different angles were created to help the client visualize the design.
Contemporary Water-wise Garden
An untouched 1954 contemporary home needed a facelift and a new garden. The new color scheme for the house and garden would echo the blues, gray-greens and burgundies of cotyledon 'Chalk Fingers'. 50 year old patios were removed and reused to make steps and retaining walls. New patios were given a more contemporary look but also allowed rainwater to soak in, instead of being diverted to the canyon behind the house. Mexican Black beach pebbles from the original 1950's garden were gathered and re-used. New matching rocks where added as well. A new tower was added in front of the house and a set of stairs from the street to the house was re-aligned with the new tower. A tile insert was added to the orginal front door and it was moved to a new privacy wall at the top of the stairs. A bench behind the walls give guest a resting place to view the garden from above. Truckloads of overgrown shrubbery were removed and replaced with succulents and grasses. The front hill became a set of terraces with a new fountain to mask the street noise. The back deck was expanded and a iron cable system replaced the old wood railing and create and unobscured view of the canyon and eucalyptus trees. Wall art from leftover and replaced tile was added to the outside walls to tie the inside and outside spaces together.
Before & After Slideshow
Front Lawn Replacement
An unused front lawn was in need of replacement and a more functional and colorful entrance. The lawn was replaced with seating walls, flagstone patios, and pergola to define the entrance, and a pallet of bright drought tolerant plants. The front parking strip was replaced with river rocks, the steps retiled and new crapemrytles to frame the house. The end result was a stunning garden and the envy of the neighborhood.
Design documents
 |
| Rendering |
|
|
Front Before and After
 |  |
Steps Before and After
 |  |
Side Yard Before and After
 |  |
Lawn Replacement
 |  |  |
Front Yard Redo
A new stucco privacy wall was added along the front sidewalk. A fountain and seating area was added to greet guest on the way to front door. The lawns were reduced in side. Color pots that matched the Spanish tile on the house where added. And colorful and bright plantings were added to tie everything together. The result was a much more functional front yard, that used less water, with seasonal flowers and bright plants that added much needed bright colors to the front of the house. The garden received a Green Thumb award from the Mission Hills Garden Club.
 |
| Front Garden Before Remodel |
 |
| Front Planting Plan |
 |
| New Front Wall and Soft Grasses Line the Sidewalk |
 |
| Color Plantings |
 |
| New Front Fountain and Seating Area Greets Guests |
 |
| Color Pots Line Front Steps |
 |
| Bright Aloes and Spanish Tile |
 |
| Drought Tolerant Plants Behind Street Wall |
 |
| Colorful Plantings and Flowers |
Spanish Revival Garden
A 1920's Spanish Revival garden was restored to it's former glory.The house trim had been painted pink and the garden had been neglected for years. Stairways and patios needed fixing. Spanish tile accents where added to the walls of both the house and garden. The house was repainted in more traditional colors. Lighting was added and updated, but with fixtures that looked like original and added to the charm of the home. The fountain in the front courtyard had an ugly plastic liner and no long worked. It was replaced with a new octagonal fountain, with pots in the middle that rested on ceramic turtles. The gentle sound of water blocked out noise from the street above. The house number was painted on the front wall in a Santa Barbara style. Overgrown plants were removed and replaced with new low water easy to maintain plantings. New patios with seating walls were added to the side garden with a mixture of old and new materials. Pots were added soften walls and add permanent color to the garden.
Slideshow
Pool to Cool
In 2002, we filled in our 1970 era swimming pool and created a walled garden. The pool was poorly constructed, far from the house and needed constant maintenance. The pool was replaced by fountains, a casita and stair tower. This created several garden rooms filed with everything from tropicals to roses to succulents. New entrances were created to the garden and winding pathways below the pool. The Asian block wall on the veranda level near the house was replaced by wrought iron and pilasters more appropriate for the style of the house. New seating walls create additional entertaining space and raised beds for planting. Lots of yellow and blue Spanish tile was used to create a colorful and very Mediterranean feel to the garden. Today, even though they are the newest part of the garden and casita look like they were always part of the house.Before & After Slideshow
Pool Area Facelift
The pool decking was resurfaced to look like flagstone. A tile mural was added to the wall above the spa area. Matching tile was added at the base of the wall. A fountain was added to create soft water noise to mask the sounds of the neighborhood. Colorful pots of succulents that match the tile were added to warm up the area and make it more inviting.
 |
| Concept Drawing |
 |
| Pool Area Before |
 |
| Concept Drawing |
 |
| Completed Project |
|
|
|
|
