Above and Beyond Curb Appeal

This homeowner loves to entertain. With an eye toward creating spaces for family gatherings and entertaining, Southview created a landscape design for an entire renovation – from front entry, to side yard steps and deck, to backyard patios. The project is a winner of the 2015 NALP Merit Award and a 2016 MNLA Landscape Design Award.

Before: Hazardous Approach to the Front Entry

After: Substantial Update to the Front Entry Makes Getting There Easy

A DIY project gone wrong, the front entry and steps were not only dangerous but didn’t fit the home. Driveway was cracked, unsightly asphalt, and not wide enough. Front of the house was flat, dull, and dangerous.

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Before: Lawn (yawn)

After: Major Curb Appeal

At the top of the homeowner’s wish list: Give the front of the home major curb appeal. To do that a new, wider driveway, a renovated front entry, an arbor in front of the garage, colorful window boxes, and new gardens were added in phases.

Driveway: Belgard Urbana pavers

Minnetonka Home Exterior and Landscape Makeover with new Front Entry

Refurbished Deck and an Added Arbor/Window Boxes Create Colorful Drama

Stone Steps: Side yard access required stone steps and flagstone (also Fond du Lac) with organic outcroppings. Columns and pergola add dimension and architectural interest to the home's facade.

Paver Driveway, Fond Du Lac Stone Retaining Wall, and Front Entry Steps

Natural Stone Walls Draw Visitors to the Front Entry Steps

Front Entry/steps: Phase one included new steps (colored concrete) and easier access to the front door with two landings on the approach.

Front Retaining Walls: Fond du Lac stone; matched existing walls on the right side of the driveway.

Front Entry Steps with Bluestone Inlay

Covered Entry, Concrete Steps with Bluestone Inlay Provide a Focal Point

Upgraded Entry: A covered front entry with fiberglass columns, a new front door, and new aluminum railings was added during Phase 2.

Before: Dull Backyard

After: Outdoor Rooms with Style and Color

Back yard had no entertaining space – just a large expanse of lawn. Award-winning design features three primary spaces: the hot tub and water feature, a dining patio, and a fire pit. As in front, the primary hardscape materials are New York Bluestone and colored concrete.

Concrete Steps, Bluestone Patio, Cedar Pergola/Gate with a Fountain and Hot Tub

Great Spot for Meditation & Morning Coffee

Water feature: Simple fountain with New York Bluestone caps; underwater lighting. A charming little water feature, lit from below, gurgles quietly by the back window. Pergola & Arbor: Fiberglass columns, Cedar timbers, and wood beam rafters.

Fond Du Lac Outcropping becomes an Outdoor Shower

The "Freedom" of an Outdoor Shower

An outdoor shower just before jumping in the hot tub or rinsing hands and feet after gardening.

Shower: Fond du Lac outcropping with custom plumbing fixtures and frost footings using steel rebar.

Natural Stone Fire Pit on a Bluestone Patio

S'mores Around the Fire Anyone?

Patio is New York Bluestone with colored concrete border and a Fond Du Lac stacked stone fire pit. Audio speakers "planted" in the beds nearby bring music to the outdoors.

Flagstone Path and Nightlighting

Flagstone Path and Lighting Connect Neighbors' Landscapes

The homeowner’s close family friend lives next door. During phase two, a garden path connecting the two yards was added.

Stone Mailbox with LED lighting Surrounded by Shrubs and Perennials

Added Gardens, a Stone Mailbox Pillar with LED Lighting Adds to Curb Appeal

Mailbox: Fond du Lac outcropping with custom detail; drilled mailbox opening; column top cut off and raised up on a metal plate; LED lighting inside the column shines on the underside of the upper piece - making it a piece of art.

In the News! This project was featured in Lake Minnetonka Magazine, August 2016.

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