Terrace and pool, lit for evening
A Mediterranean house on a steep Beverly Hills street, neighbors close on both sides and the site falling away behind it. The grounds had to hold the slope, buy privacy, and give the house a level place to sit.
The design terraces the fall into two usable levels. A stone terrace runs the length of the house and steps down to a pool and raised spa, with a lawn panel holding the middle ground between them. Retaining walls are planted rather than left exposed. Clipped cypress and layered hedging close the property line without announcing themselves. The lighting is set low and warm, so the garden still reads after dark, which is when the house is most used.
The full elevation from the lower lawn
Pool, raised spa, and stepping stones set through the planting
Stone paving and pool coping in daylight
The pool terrace from the upper level, screen planting behind