We are pleased to have just finished a project on Marine Drive in the small coastal community of Moss Beach, California. The new space features a stunning hard-trowel concrete seating wall and integrated spillway water feature.
The goal was to open the living space into a modern garden room. As an alternative to bamboo, we put in 18 Podocarpus henkelii trees, a favorite screen of ours. A well and equipment was concealed with an ipe screen. To offer multiple defined spaces, we divided two areas for people gather using a seating wall.
The long projection into the space defines the conversational clusters and acts as a chaise lounge. One one side, there is a gravel area to offer the couple’s pet doggie a space to move around and do his business. This same area is then a perfect surface for friends to circle ’round a fire during parties. The other side has paving strips paired with gravel bands to offer a stable place for upholstered outdoor seating.
From inside the house, the garden is seen from the dining room. We created a really cool fountain that can be enjoyed from the table. As many California coastal homes, it is near the Great Highway. The pouring of the water softens the sounds of the road and offers a soothing ambiance. From the seating wall, the water pours from an integrated spillway and disappears into the gravel of the patio.
