New Jersey, USA

Burroughs

28

Native Plant SPECIES

1

slate roof

1

Addition

A new Space

The initial scope of this project was to create an exterior living space for the backyard. We explored options for patios, decks and seating areas throughout the area. As we continued to meet, the goal shifted to including a renovation plan for an existing porch. The porch had a potential to add a unique interior room that could bridge the outdoors with the interior of the house. It was envisioned as a listening room for music - and a gathering area for family and friends.

Outdoor Dining

In Nature

The original house has a signifiant design quality that the owners loved and didn’t want to do anything that would take away from its spirit. So as we begin encapsulating the room, we incorporated elements from the house to the new porch like a slate roof. The existing house is painted a dark brown and instead of matching the color we used a charred board to finish the sides of the porch. The charred boards resemble an alligator skin and is the source for the market name for the product. The “Gator” board has a range of colors within it - the dark jet black is the most obvious but when the sunlight hits it you can also see flashes of blue, green and orange. Likewise, the grain of the wood fades in and out of distinction. It has a magical quality to it that is hard to capture in photos or words.

An adjoining patio was created to greet people as they exit the porch. The exit is an oversized bifold door finished in an aged bronze. The patio is made with a rolled paver that looks like cobblestone. We selected two colors to use for surface - an onyx black and a merlot red. The two stone colors mingle together never finding a perfect pattern but instead creates a more contemporary look.

The surrounding yard is planted with an assortment of plants - using a list of native-ish plants. The backyard is a healthy mix of shady and sunny spots. The plant groups are located to thrive in the different amounts of sunlight while providing a four seasons appeal for the garden.

Native plants

Native planting is at the core of everything we do. Creating healthy habitats for butterflies and birds, it helps your garden thrive. See below a selection of native plants that were used in this project.