Fifteen-year-old John Van pushed his lawnmower across a client’s lush, verdant lawn. The smell of freshly cut grass permeated the air as he meticulously cut it to his father’s standards. He never anticipated that the rest of his career would be about taming Colorado terrain and designing award-winning landscapes with Four Elements, founded by his father in 1987. “While in high school and college, I would help my parents out,” John explains. “I realized that I could make a couple of dollars, and that maybe I should continue. Twenty-plus years later, here I am. I try to make the company better every day and expand it every year.”
Because Colorado’s weather is unpredictable but perfect for outdoor living, as the sun shines 70 percent of the year, Four Elements specializes in outdoor living spaces. Spring, summer, and fall are ideal seasons to enjoy the outdoors. Winter can be enjoyable with a fireplace, heater, or enclosed patio.
“The goal for outdoor living spaces is to create ambience: A place for people to relax and enjoy being outside,” John says. “It doesn’t have to be a full-blown, expensive project. We can create something simple, like a small sitting area to enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day.
John's highly skilled team, Ron Atchison, in-house architect/designer, Jeremy Hillman, sales lead, and Jimmy To, lead project manager, collaborate to transform projects from the initial design on paper into a stunning landscape. “It is satisfying and amazing to see the finished product,” John says.
Well-educated in Colorado’s native landscape, the team selects low-maintenance, functional, and sustainable elements for each project. If a house faces east and west, the design incorporates plants that thrive in that orientation. The soil composition, land contours, lot size, and budget all influence the choice of materials and the original design.
Hardscapes, the non-living landscape design elements, are a Four Elements' specialty. Known for its creative, high-quality hardscapes, designs include stone, concrete, paver pathways, patios, decks, planters, outdoor kitchens, fire features, water elements, and more. Client desires, alongside the team's suggestions, help select durable, low-maintenance materials well-suited for the climate, enhancing the property's value and providing the homeowner with years of enjoyment.
Lighting is the key to showcasing the design, creating atmosphere, and extending the day into the night. Four Elements is adept at creating and installing lighting options that make its projects stand out.
Customers rave about John and his crew for their outstanding customer service. Tom, a client in Littleton, says, "working with John and his crew was fantastic! There are very few contractors that I would allow on my property because I am very particular. John and his crew are quality, good people.”
For clients, David and Danathe Lyons, Four Elements redesigned their lot, seamlessly blending it into the natural terrain of their land. The project features various hardscapes, patios, a seven-drop waterfall, a fountain, a fire feature, pathways, planters, and precision lighting.
“We have the most beautiful landscape in our neighborhood,” Dana says. “I watched the precision with which these guys cut the pavers; it was impressive. As an artist, I pay attention to these things. Their attention to detail was amazing.”
David Lyons added, “These guys are artisans, hands down. The team brought in a lot of organic elements, like we have in our home. We wanted to reflect the inside on the outside and make it look like the house was built around the natural landscape first, not the other way around.”
John doesn't mow lawns anymore. Instead, he oversees each project as a designer and general contractor to ensure his team’s work meets exceptional standards.
Visit fourelementslandscape.com for a gallery of projects, a form for project inquiries, a list of services, testimonials and more.