The owners of this home in Longwood, Florida wanted a somewhat transitional Mediterranean style with a resort like feel for their roughly three-acre outdoor space that sits on a lake and golf course. The Landscape Architects at Redmon Design Company worked with the clients to create a rich and cohesive design that complemented the architecture of the home. The driveway, pool and terraces were all designed with a traditional European layout, following the axial design of the property, with all garden elements sourced from their sister company, Alfresco Living.

 
Turkish travertine was used throughout the front and back of the property in a checkered pattern with the colors chosen to match the roofing of the house. The front entry leads to a circular driveway made of 8"x8" travertine pavers, chosen in size for their strength, placed over natural crushed stone. Arranged to make up larger 32"x32" squares, the travertine pavers are outlined in a clay brick double header band. The gold and walnut colors selected were
a representation of the existing colors to the house and chosen for their durability in the sun to not fade.

A fountain situated in the center of the front driveway is designed as a compass with a custom armillary sphere in the center. Created by British sculptor, David Harber, the sphere is set to the longitude and latitude of where the homeowners met, engraved with a personal inscription significant to the couple. The fountain surround and four pillars representing each compass direction are made of Italian limestone, hand carved by a family of sculptors near Vicenza, Italy. Also made of hand carved limestone are two lion statues guarding the home's front entrance.

In the rear part of the home, the Landscape Architects transformed the space by creating an open outdoor area with a pool, pergola and fire feature, and continued the rich design with more Italian limestone statues. Turkish travertine pavers are continued in the back of the home and around the pool area in checkered ivory and gold. The Landscape Architects separated the design into a series of spaces with artificial grass joints between cast stone steppingstones connecting each area. The pergola is made of large cedar planks atop cast stone columns that complement the house architecture. Intent of the design was to create a structure that was heavy and massive enough to offset the scale of the house. Creating focal points across the pool both ways allows a visual of the pergola and golf course down the axis one way and the raised fire feature and lake down the axis the other way. Raised, tiled columns set at each corner of the pool's shallow side create a waterfall feature that spills into the pool on two sides from a slot scupper set slightly below the column cap. Originally designed for planters, the client requested statues be placed upon the decorative columns. Facing guests as they enter the pool deck are four statues representing each season in hand carved Italian limestone. Set inside the pool's shallow cove is an island topped with artificial turf inlayed with pebble bands. A bronze sculpture by Kevin Robb, a well-known Colorado contemporary metal sculptor, adorns the home's upper terrace deck with cast limestone benches and planters placed carefully around the property.

While the large site of the property gave the Landscape Architects creative freedom without many constraints, the homeowners wanted privacy from the neighbors and the space to capture the views towards the lake and golf course. The challenge for the design was to blend each space, making the site appear rich throughout the property. By sourcing garden elements from their sister company, Alfresco Living, the sculptures, planters and benches unify the landscape and create an elegant, custom intention. From the start of the project, the design was created holistically, with the framework intentionally thought out, leaving a masterfully grand representation of a resort at home.

As seen in LASN magazine, February 2021.