LOCATION: Portsmouth, NH

Some renovations start with a clean slate. This one started with an overgrown one. This full property renovation on a historic downtown Portsmouth lot began by clearing a perennial garden that had long outgrown its footprint, opening up a large, open lawn built with kids and pets in mind. Rather than starting over completely, we preserved many of the site's mature perennials and trees, carrying the character of the original garden into the new design instead of erasing it.

Because the property sits low and had a history of drainage issues, we installed a permeable cobblestone patio over major drainage infrastructure, solving a longstanding water problem while giving the homeowners a hardscape surface built to actually handle a Seacoast NH climate. One of our favorite details on this project: the homeowners' 1920s soapstone sink, pulled from storage, became a custom beverage trough, framed in granite harvested right from the site during construction. The cedar-and-wire fence and gate were a collaboration with Matt Stack of Brighthouse, who also handled the irrigation and landscape lighting throughout the property. The result is a landscape that respects the age of the property while finally making the yard usable for the family living in it now.