This residential landscape project included the transformation of an Oakland backyard into a kid-friendly yard with outdoor living space and inviting yoga deck. studio M MERGE approached this project by designing unique spaces for activities fit for the client’s lifestyle.
Lush layered private outdoor living and dining, gardens and play space in Berkeley California, designed by studio M MERGE. The upper terrace, which incorporates drought tolerant lawn and decomposed granite, provide permeable surfaces for the circulation and outdoor rooms under the trellis.
The lower terrace provides space for play and large gatherings. The wide stair and terraced planters provide visual connection throughout the garden. An important goal for the owners who are parents of small children.
One of the main elements of the garden is the colorful outdoor living and dining space. An orange concrete wall was designed to frame the dining space and complement the weather-wood built in bench. Extending above the wall, a modern wood and metal trellis provides shade during the warm summers and grounds the outdoor dining into the rest of the garden. Rows of outdoor string lights hang from above, perfectly illuminating the space during evening gatherings.
studio M used pops of color to tie together each space throughout the entire garden. On the modern concrete stair, pockets of planting were designed with colorful, drought-tolerant, succulents. Design details, like this example, are innovative ways to elevate a backyard into an artful modern landscape.
Designing around outdoor play and providing an inviting space for the client’s children to enjoy was an important element for the project. studio M designed a custom modern concrete slide to connect the upper terraced vegetable garden with the lush grass lawn below. The kid-friendly landscape design creates a minimalist outdoor playground for the family to enjoy year round. On the terrace above, minimalistic metal planters create a lush vegetable garden for the family to enjoy.
In any backyard, creating inviting spaces that encourage relaxing outdoors is always impactful. studio M designed around the existing Oak and Redwood trees to create a cozy patio nestled beneath the trees canopy. Furnished with two aged wood rocking chairs, the space is bordered by lush grasses and serves as the perfect place to enjoy nature.
Another intriguing element to this residential garden, was the design of an outdoor yoga and meditation deck. By following timber wood steps up the hillside, you’ll discover this peaceful destination sitting beneath the Redwood’s canopy. A rustic rock wall at the top of the hillside frames the deck and creates a raised planting bed of lush green grasses. To bring in the garden’s signature pop of orange, geometric orange lanterns hang from the tree above. The combination of mixed materials used in this space, truly make the yoga deck one of the most intriguing destinations in the entire garden.
Custom guard rails, fences and handrails throughout the project bring a unique design style to this transitional modern/craftsman style of garden. The wood posts have curved tops and hold project specific fabricated steel horizontal guard rails. Painted brown to match the custom handrails. As seen in the photo, vegetable and herb freestanding planters sit at the middle terrace of the garden.
The property is a corner lot with large mature oaks at its street facing corner. Formerly overgrown and underutilized, studio M designed a casual outdoor seating area. The shade of the oaks and smaller more intimate setting offers a wonderful alternative to the sunnier and active back yard garden. Front yard sitting areas create the opportunity to connect with neighbors that stroll by, especially in this neighborhood where the restaurants and cafes of north Berkeley are only blocks away.
Photos below show the condition of the property before the gardens designed by studio M MERGE were installed.
