J. Armstrong Design

Beach Shack Modern

2012-01-13T10:37:00.001-08:00

It takes some good inspiration to change a typical 1970's one story and transform it into a warm modern beach shack. This remodeled home is hardly a shack, but it is very beachy and clean. The yard is in its original state and this is where the final step to update this home comes in.

The front yard stays simple with low entry planters, concrete pads to meander to the front porch and entry. The porch will age to look and feel like an old dock. It is gracious enough to invite the neighbors over for a comfortable place to sit and watch the kids in the cul-da-sac.

One of the major possitives of older neighborhoods is the size of the yards. This one is no exception. It is large enough for a generous lap pool and then some! The firepit is located to reflect off the shimmery water surface of the pool. The concrete steppers 'float' on water. The spa is in the perfect location: center off the master bedroom for relaxing nights together.

This design has many spots to sit and enjoy life cruise by. Sunny patios to catch the warmth of the sun after swimming, a blazing firepit area to spend long nights hanging with friend, comfortable covered patios for dining, and shaded areas to sit and watch the kids the pool. Can't wait to see this one completed!

Simple. Beachy. Happy. Comfortable.

Lush Vacation

2009-06-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am in love with all tropical things.
Vacations in Kauai are on my top ten list.
The sweet smell, the warm balmy air, the refreshing ocean.
And of course, being a landscape designer, I have an affinity for beautiful plants.
Many of these plants grow in our area.
Somehow, they don't look quite the same.
Things are bigger, lusher and grow effortlessly here.
Here are some of my finds on the garden island.

Hawaiian staple, Hibiscus...pick your favorite color combination, there are so many!

Heliconia with beautiful foliage and an endless amount of orange blooms.

The Red Ti Plant makes such a statement with its strong coloring, upright form & large leafs.

Split Leaf Philodendron has dark leather-like leaves and an interesting pattern created by holes.

Lobster Claw Heliconia is seen in many floral bouquets. It doesn't look quite the same in my California garden!

Poolside Bromeliads grow effortlessly showing their beautiful pink stripped leaves.

White Garden in Bloom

2009-05-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Classic home with a classic garden.

This home creates charm with a welcoming walkway and porch.

The brick steps are softened by adding lawn bands.
Stylish black pots with topiaries flank the black front door.
The color scheme of white, black, brick and fresh green make a strong statement.

The long driveway becomes an interesting element in the garden with the lawn accent.
Every space in the landscape is an opportunity to embellish!

The backyard is entirely usable and private now with the outdoor room.
This space once was a huge slope with an 'upstairs' neighbor looking down on the space.
Now it is a beautiful covered room for everyone to enjoy.
Summer dinners out on the porch, kids swimming in the nearby pool and relaxation time at the fireplace.

A well laid out space, ample sized pool and patios, and attention to detail make this yard work.
The color scheme is strictly kept throughout making the design cohesive.
The pool and raised spa are flanked by simple brick columns with pots atop.

What a wonderful home to enjoy with family and friends!

Old Town

2009-05-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves one.

They are quaint & charming.

They are filled with interesting architecture.

They have narrow streets with established trees.

Visiting areas like these makes us feel as though we are in a past decade.

Things seem simple. A bit easier and slower paced.

This well kept bungalow is in Old Town Tustin.

The owner's have done a incredible job renovating this structure, mostly by themselves.

They insist on keeping things they way would have been.

No faux rafters, no pre-fab elements.

This house is so darling it is on the home tour in the area.

They decided to spruce the garden up just a bit for all the visitors walking through.

I was the lucky designer for the project!

I love working in areas like this...

We decided to keep things classic and clean.

We used garden favorites that would have been used years ago.

This garden needs to feel appropriate for the home.

At the drive side, we added a pergola to span the driveway.

The matching brick columns mimic the columns at the porch.

The overhead will have can lights to fill this dim area with much needed light.

The tired vegetable garden at the side yard, will now be a focal point.
The classic pots will have iron tapered obelisks to control tomato plants.

Concept Plans

2009-04-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

My project this week.

Front entry design work.

We needed to give this home some extra character.

With the builder's broom finish concrete walkway,

Minimal planting, and simple stucco finish at the house,

this sweet little home needs a lift.

Here is what we proposed...

First, some new paint for the garage, shutters and front door.
Something in a brown tone...
darker and more rich...
Second, the wood railing details need to 'pop' a bit more.
a mocha color would give it contrast to the stucco.

We redesigned the entry walk.
Added entry columns to flank the archway.
New plantings with textures and colors that will freshen up this space.
Multi-trunked tall palm wills create an overhead.

We added details that will make such a difference:

Warm wood will texture the entry hall with a centered hanging chandleir,
Tiled surround at the entry archway,
Petite fountain to fill the space with soft sounds.

Textures

2009-03-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

Small spaces....

I love them.

So much can be done to create a feel.

An idea.

An expectation.

So my friends have this modern gallery in Laguna.

In a historic building on PCH.

Its a great salmon color.

Oversized half moon windows flank the black entry door.

Small planters in the foreground of the windows provide balance.

To make this small space more interesting we wanted texture.

We created a simple, yet striking plant palette.
These planters tell the pedestrians what to expect once inside.

A strong statement is made and it pulls your attention inside the gallery.

We chose the Twin Flowered Agave in the background.

To contrast the stiff globular plant, Aeonium is in the foreground.

Tuesday Tree Day

2009-03-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

California Sycamore

Platanus racemosa

This is one of California's beautiful native trees.

You will find them along creek sides...riparian areas.

Their large trunks are unpredictable & graceful.

No two trunks lean the same.

They make the perfect climbing trees for kids.

One the few trees in California that give us the feel for the change in seasons.

They're deciduous, so they loose their leaves in the fall.

Quite a lot of leaves to clean up, they are very large trees.

They can grow 30-80 feet tall & spread 30-50 feet wide.

They grow fast.

Great coverage in 5 to 10 years.

The chamey bark peals in pieces leaving smooth white skin below.

This tree isn't for a small property though.

Make sure you have the space for this tree to thrive.

It will, in time, become a beautiful shade tree to add value to your garden!

A Twist On The Expected

2009-02-25T09:28:00.000-08:00

So many homes have entry columns flanking their walkway.

Some have pots on top, others have lamps.

Some are brick, some stucco, others stone.

They look rustic with stone caps.

They look refined with pre-cast concrete caps.

They can take on so many different looks to parallel your home.

How about a something a bit unexpected though.

Just a bit.

Something that will still hold the test of time.

Like this double wide column pictured above.

It is designed for an oversized home with a sprawling front yard.

The columns measure 4' long (double the average) by 2' wide.

Two pots fit perfectly atop, giving the column more presence.

Different.

Substantial.

Beautiful.

Tuesday Tree Day

2009-02-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

Fruitless Olive

Olea europaea 'Fruitless'

Olive trees have become very popular again within the past 10 years. They are beautiful trees and now have the added benefit of cleanliness with the all new and improved 'fruitless' variety. If you grew up in the seventies almost every home in the neighborhood had the olive in the front yard, preferably in a raised circular planter in the middle of the lawn. (I still have clients that want to relive that element in their front yard!) If you were a kid, you were always getting in trouble for stomping on, squishing, throwing or finding some new use for the olive.

With a Mediterranean origin they make the perfect compliment to many of the new developments in Southern California. Since they are drought tolerant they accommodate to low watered gardens. They grow to a height and width of 25' and with age the trunk becomes more twisted and gnarled with character. Thanks to suppliers like Morales Trees the impatient gardener does not have to wait 20 years for a tree like this! As long as you have the budget they have the trees....and the crane to drop it in.

www.moralestrees.com

Materials for the Lasting

2009-01-17T10:27:00.000-08:00

Traditional Home.

Grey siding. Black Shutters. Brick Accents. Bright White Trim.

Yes, this home does exist in Southern California.

We don't all have peach stucco walls with terra cotta tiled roofs.

Of course, the landscape needs to follow suit.

Detailed brick columns with poured-in-place concrete caps.

Yes, the cap is poured-in-place, not precast.

I only know one contractor that does work this beautifully.

Materials like this are timeless. Traditional.

This project looks as if it could have been here for decades.

No one needs to know it has only been months.

The extra large craned-in trees help with this also.

The solid brick driveway is broken up with grass bands.

All the brick is set on edge, which gives it more detail.

The double band surround gives it more girth.

The elegant entry fountain welcomes visitors.

The home and landscape was desinged with timeless tradition in mind.

This home will stand the test of time.

Perpetual Appeal

2009-01-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

Some views are unforgettable. I am in love with Laguna Beach for many reasons. I love the rugged coastline, the interesting people, the art, the restaurants and boutiques, and it is the place I met and fell in love with my husband! That is why I hold a special adoration in my heart for any home I have the opportunity to design in the beach town. This home is perched well above a private cove and arguably is the best view home I have ever been in. I have been to many homes with unquestionably beautiful ocean and city views. This view is so unique. The rushing water seems to be passing underneath your feet, giving you the sensation of standing on a pier. The crashing of waves against the cliffs always provide movement to space. The smell of the ocean is so fresh. This is a view that envelopes the space...instead of being a by-stander, you become part of the space. Absolutely incredible! The owner's that get to enjoy this view as part of their everyday ritual are quite aware of the gem they have here. That is why they have done such an exceptional job of remodeling their home. They chose a very contemporary geometric styled architecture with convecting arcs...a challenge to design let alone construct. The landscape is yet to be installed, but it will be soon. You will be able to see how we took the challenge of this beautiful location, modern architecture and a blank slate for a yard to turn it into something that is worthy of the space!

Scale

2009-01-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

BEFORE

AFTER
Is this really the same house? This beautiful home in Covenant Hills, a private gated community in Ladera Ranch is amazing. Every house in the tract is situated on very large lots...well at least for us in Orange County. The lot is somewhere around 1/3 of an acre, pretty much flat with the exception of desirable entry slope...there is nothing better than a grand entrance with stairs to pull you into the front walkway.
My sweet clients had the misfortune of a design that had the wrong scale. Scale will make all the difference in a design. Where their original entry may have worked for a smaller tract home, their sprawling oversized home dwarfed this original layout to the point where it looked as if their yard was not complete. Something felt missing. When I first came to meet the owner's the entry walls were too high, the neck of lights atop the columns were too narrow (and bright at night), and the opening at the top of the staircase was so narrow my pregnant body at the time could barely scrape through! You might not know the exact reasons the top picture does not work, but your intuition tells you something is out of scale. After much discussion over replacing the original entry walls, we decided that this would be best.
Oh...what a difference it made! Shorter walls, wider steps, darker paving to balance the cream stucco, large craned-in Olive trees, lawn that sprawls down the slope, and many more plants to create interest. One might argue, why cover this beautiful home with the olive trees. But as you can see, the olives create an entry statement, a type of grove to walk through, and they anchor the home. Without them we have a bear entry that is not reinforced with any overhead canopy. When you get to a house of this scale the investment of these trees is well worth the proper scale they provide!

Southern Style

2008-12-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

How charming is this southern-styled home? This beautiful home sits on a little over an acre with a large horse shoe driveway at the front. The white split rail fence that surrounds the property is covered with Cecil Bruner roses that welcome you in. How rare is such a large, fairly flat lot in southern California? The family that lives inside is just as charming to spend time with. The house is always bustling with children, a grandma that loves gardening with roses and bulbs, and a mom and a dad that are always doing improvements around the home. I came by yesterday to take photos for a planting redesign and everyone was helping setting up all the decorations for the season. Can you imagine this home dressed in lights? How spectacular! This is home is on my drawing table and will be the latest design. What a strong style to compliment with ferns, azaleas, magnolias, camellias...all those wonderful acid-loving plants...I think this home calls for a few very ornamental Japanese Maples also. Of course, there is many established trees and shrubs that are worthy of keeping. Hopefully, we will see the new design installed early this spring in time for the change of seasons!

Pool Party

2008-12-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

After many months of design planning and construction, Broc and Jill have their dream landscape surrounding their dream home. They have a charming story-book home and have rightly designed everything to follow suit! Cobblestone paving, manicured plantings, everything within scale of the space, and details to add dazzle make this landscape more than comfortable to be in. The cozy covered outdoor living room with stone fireplace welcomes you to the back yard. The space was filled with wonderful people, happy children, darling taste, and an 80 degree day to enjoy the new pool! The party was so fun we all stayed well past sunset! Thank you for your sharing your beautiful new yard! May you have many happy gatherings to enjoy your friends, neighbors and family!

2008-11-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

After many regrets of not taking photos of some of my work, I thought I might finally start taking pictures. Better late than never!

This is a residence here in Orange County. The owners have done a gorgeous job managing and designing their remodel and now it is the landscapes turn. We are remodeling an older pool in major need of renovation and creating a private courtyard at the front since they are located on a fairly busy street. Where there was once views of electrical lines and mismatched roofs, we will see lush green walls of beautiful plant material. Where there was once the views and sounds of a bustling street, there will now be sounds of water and canopies of trees with filtered sunlight. Instead of a blank wall outside the master bedroom, the owners will wake up to a shade loving plants and a petite water feature. In place of kid jeeps and tricycles cluttering up the yard, the toys will all be stored neatly in their parking spots at the side yard until the kids are ready to have fun with them. All mom's love that kind of organization! How fun it is to transform spaces! Thanks so much for letting me be a part of this great project!