White Birch Project

Location: Cedar Lake. Traverse City, MI.

Phew. This beauty is one for the books...
We were initially reached out for inquiry on a designed putting green and landscaping right on Cedar Lake, in Traverse City, Michigan. With it being only their second year of owning the home they were catching up on interior renovations and were starting to think more about their outside space.

We scheduled the onsite consultation and realized the opportunities with a blank canvas like this one. What started as a putting green and landscaping design quickly turned into a full exterior home renovation!

When it comes to the property, and what our client wants, it is important to come up with goals and plan together. The husband envisioned himself taking his breaks outside of his office and stepping into his own sanctuary for some peace throughout his day. The wife was looking for a bit of landscaping on the steps since they definitely needed some love. She envisioned a natural landscaping design with wild flowers and grasses.

We first started off with a full 3D design to physically show our clients our vision and the potential the outside of their home had. We ended up going from a putting green to a full exterior home renovation!

We began by solving problems the homeowners had. Every project comes with a plan and the first step was beginning back to front to ensure a beautiful masterpiece with only a one entry-way backyard.

When we start a project we divided it into individual work areas. This is often done when a project is completed in parts than as a whole. Below we will go into each feature and show you from start to finish.

The next task to overcome was the water issues that caused puddling that prevented grass from growing in their backyard. Of course, the tons of (gorgeous) birch trees shading their backyard didn't help, but keeping as many original natural elements in the space as possible was crucial. Regardless, we were determined to make it happen. We first started by installing french drainage, properly connecting gutters and leading the water to an appropriate area and properly leveled the entire backyard and used TONS (literally) of drainage stone to allow for proper drainage. We created a wonderful environment for their gorgeous grass to finally absolutely flourish!

There was also constant soil erosion on their only access way to their backyard, which was approximately a 50 ft drop. During the rainy season this hill would quickly become a mound of mud and dragged all of that down hill to their backyard. They wanted an ATV driveway that could easily get them down but wouldn't have to be maintained (like a gravel driveway) each year and looked appealing to the eye... We designed a unique driveway with tons of draining stone, boulder retaining walls, and Techobloc's aqaustorm paver that was created for spaces much like this. Spaces that require anti-flooding and would suit the natural aesthetic they have going on.

We moved and redesigned a practical fire pit space, inbetween a circle of trees in their backyard.
We also added grass detailing inbetween to bring a pop of color to the space.

We designed the putting green with an extended turf space for the wife to do her workout outside while her husband is practicing. This way we can create a beautiful space for them to bond. They're both very active and fit individuals. Their home gym was conveniently right across from his office, so an outside workout/yoga area was the perfect addition!

The wife is also very much a gardener and loves wild flowers so we created a beautiful space for her to garden. Our team designed and built gorgeous matte black wooden raised beds with installed irrigation for watering convenience. A lighted custom metal arch with climbing hydrangeas draws the eye to these gorgeous garden beds.She now has a space for her to plant and have freshly cut wild flowers for her home whenever she likes!

Originally, the steps leading to the backyard were bare and eroding, but with a little bit of love the steps transformed into the flourishing flower walkway of her dreams. We replaced fallen down boulder retaining walls around the property, and readjusted eroding large natural stone steps.

Every inch of the home was landscape designed with boxwoods, hydrangeas, wild flowers, decorative grasses, weeping cherries, japanese maples and an array of gorgeous plants. From the front of the home to the backyard.. Every inch was beautified.

All of this work was brought to life at night with some outdoor lighting design, for the cherry on top! Now this space will not only be enjoyed during a full gorgeous summer day, but now also once the sun sets they can keep the party going!

What began as a simple putting green and landscaping... flourished into a fully designed space for their family to enjoy and make memories together for years to come. That's all we could ever wish for our clients!!
This project is truly an artists dream come true.