Santa Barbara lifestyle with this gated 5,200 square foot estate affords serenity and privacy while incorporating the finest materials and craftsmanship. Visually striking interiors are enhanced by a sparkling bay view and spectacular landscaping with heritage oaks, rose and dahlia gardens and a picturesque splash pool. Just two minutes to Marin’s finest schools.

The crused shell driveway is traditional surface that is bordered by a bluestone walk that connects to both the front and back house entries. The relocated tool shed has an outdoor shower on the backside for cleaning up after coming back from the beach. Paul Maue

A sandstone patio is sized perfecly for a table of four.

A gravel path leads the viewer around the south lawn, unfolding changing views at every turn. -Chauncey Freeman

Landscape and design by Jpm Landscape

Cathy Stancil Photography

Duy Tran Photography

It started with vision. Then arrived fresh sight, seeing what was absent, seeing what was possible. Followed quickly by desire and creativity and know-how and communication and collaboration. When the Ramsowers first called Exterior Worlds, all they had in mind was an outdoor fountain. About working with the Ramsowers, Jeff Halper, owner of Exterior Worlds says, “The Ramsowers had great vision. While they didn’t know exactly what they wanted, they did push us to create something special for them. I get inspired by my clients who are engaged and focused on design like they were. When you get that kind of inspiration and dialogue, you end up with a project like this one.” For Exterior Worlds, our design process addressed two main features of the original space—the blank surface of the yard surrounded by looming architecture and plain fencing. With the yard, we dug out the center of it to create a one-foot drop in elevation in which to build a sunken pool. At one end, we installed a spa, lining it with a contrasting darker blue glass tile. Pedestals topped with urns anchor the pool and provide a place for spot color. Jets of water emerge from these pedestals. This moving water becomes a shield to block out urban noises and makes the scene lively. (And the children think it’s great fun to play in them.) On the side of the pool, another fountain, an illuminated basin built of limestone, brick and stainless steel, feeds the pool through three slots. The pool is counterbalanced by a large plot of grass. What is inventive about this grassy area is its sub-structure. Before putting down the grass, we installed a French drain using grid pavers that pulls water away, an action that keeps the soil from compacting and the grass from suffocating. The entire sunken area is finished off with a border of ground cover that transitions the eye to the limestone walkway and the retaining wall, where we used the same reclaimed bricks found in architectural features of the house. In the outer border along the fence line, we planted small trees that give the space scale and also hide some unsightly utility infrastructure. Boxwood and limestone gravel were embroidered into a parterre design to underscore the formal shape of the pool. Additionally, we planted a rose garden around the illuminated basin and a color garden for seasonal color at the far end of the yard across from the covered terrace. To address the issue of the house’s prominence, we added a pergola to the main wing of the house. The pergola is made of solid aluminum, chosen for its durability, and painted black. The Ramsowers had used reclaimed ornamental iron around their front yard and so we replicated its pattern in the pergola’s design. “In making this design choice and also by using the reclaimed brick in the pool area, we wanted to honor the architecture of the house,” says Halper. We continued the ornamental pattern by building an aluminum arbor and pool security fence along the covered terrace. The arbor’s supports gently curve out and away from the house. It, plus the pergola, extends the structural aspect of the house into the landscape. At the same time, it softens the hard edges of the house and unifies it with the yard. The softening effect is further enhanced by the wisteria vine that will eventually cover both the arbor and the pergola. From a practical standpoint, the pergola and arbor provide shade, especially when the vine becomes mature, a definite plus for the west-facing main house. This newly-created space is an updated vision for a traditional garden that combines classic lines with the modern sensibility of innovative materials. The family is able to sit in the house or on the covered terrace and look out over the landscaping. To enjoy its pleasing form and practical function. To appreciate its cool, soothing palette, the blues of the water flowing into the greens of the garden with a judicious use of color. And accept its invitation to step out, step down, jump in, enjoy.

Large limestone retaining wall with zoysia grass, Cedar elms throughout the property

A stone fountain welcomes visitors who travel through natural stone paved patio and steps to the home's main entrance

Garden bed that wraps around side of house with natural stone and plantings with brick edging.

Jardin minimalista de estilo mediterraneo en Casa en la playa.

From the patio, a natural cleft bluestone stepper path with lawn joints slips between two natural stone cheek walls and directs the eye toward an enticing destination: the lake. Photo by Chris Major.

A raised seating area is an inviting destination in the far corner of the yard that abuts the open space and boasts Parasoleil panels to block the wind and provide visual appeal, another fire table and is sized perfectly for the comfortable lounge furniture where one can lounge and look back on the rest of the amazing space!

Project Description: 3D Backyard Design We created a 3D rendering to fully show our client the outcome of her backyard remodel project. You can see from the 3D renderings we literally brought her vision to life. Complete Backyard Remodel We installed new pavers for the large walkway that runs from the front to the back of the backyard. We built a large concrete wall with stucco all around for privacy. The new courtyard also has new pavers, grass sections, and a sprinkler system. We planted new trees and built a wood-raised vegetable bed. For decorative accents, we added new concrete steps, smart exterior lights, artificial turf installation, river rock installation, and new drain lines to prevent flooding. We also built a custom floating deck that sits in between trees.