LOCATION: Saco, ME

A property backing up to conservation land calls for a different kind of design, one that works with the landscape instead of against it. On this coastal property in Saco, ME, we built the backyard around a reclaimed granite fire pit, a D-radius design that anchors the whole space and gives the yard a clear gathering point without feeling like an add-on. An existing concrete patio was resurfaced in Hampton limestone, changing the entire feel of the backyard while giving the family a durable, upgraded surface to actually use.

Reclaimed granite steps were set into the natural slope of the property, subtly regrading the lawn and opening up extra seating around the fire pit without disrupting the site's existing character. That same reclaimed granite continues around the side of the house and down the slope into the woodland edge, where shade-loving native plantings were installed to transition the manicured backyard into the conservation land beyond. It's a coastal landscape design built to feel like part of the woods it borders, not separate from it.