DeSignia Landscape was founded almost 40 years ago, and in that time the company, with its dedicated team of creative professionals, has distinguished itself as the Queen City’s premier provider of innovative landscape and elegant, personalized outdoor living space design.
I recently interviewed Mark Selles, a co-owner of DeSignia, who wears multiple hats in the company, serving as head of design, marketing and equipment management.
Landscaping: A Growing Art
Mark’s passion and reverence for design are evidenced in the way he describes landscape as a living art form: "To me, there is nothing more satisfying than attending a site three or four years after installation, just about when the plants are beginning to achieve their design purpose, and seeing the depth of the planting design—layers of texture, color and size all harmonized to form the garden's intended character."
For Mark, plants are the essential element of any landscape design. Further detailing the inspiration for his designs and the impetus for his artistic vision, Mark asserts, "If you really pay close attention in undisturbed nature, there is a chaotic beauty that emerges. If I can represent that in a garden, then I have achieved something."
DeSignia’s Mission Statement
DeSignia’s tagline: “Beautiful by Design: Shaping and Maintaining an Elegant Atmosphere” succinctly states the company’s guiding mission—to place design first and foremost to enable custom shaping of the natural beauty each site offers and imbue the location with an authentic, elegant atmosphere.
The Design Process
Mark details his thought process when contemplating design possibilities for any space: "Landscape designs, like any art form, evoke feelings. How do I want people to feel when they stroll through the garden or relax on their patio? Creating an evocative space is the ultimate goal."
Design is the essential first step in creating any art form and the growing art that is landscape is no different. Still, at times Mark encounters individuals who do not understand that design is the foundation of any landscaping project.
People either do not want to pay for design or express a desire to rush the process. This mindset always astonishes Mark, as he observes, “Design is the most important part! You cannot realize your vision for any project without a comprehensive design."
Confronting the Challenge of Combining Practicality with Aesthetic Considerations
Numerous factors, including the amount of land available as well as the client’s lifestyle and expectations for the finished project, are discussed with each client to ascertain the practical applications they have in mind for a space. Finding ways to fit all the requested elements into a space often presents a creative challenge Mark finds enjoyable, particularly when designing for small garden spaces such as those commonly found in the city.
A Creative Challenge
Mark can attest that there are times his unwavering commitment to creating landscape design as living art and satisfying the client’s wishes presents quite the challenge. On one occasion, the DeSignia team received a request from a client who was planning to purchase a new grill and envisioned an outdoor cooking area, possibly including a fire feature with adequate patio space for entertaining.
The project posed several challenges, the most pressing of which was the small area of depth available in the backyard for landscaping due to an existing back fence that presented as a severe angle to the rear of the home. In addition, the neighborhood had been developed 18 years earlier and shared a perimeter wall of Tennessee fieldstone with black linking chains that gave it a Medieval appearance.
Innovation proved key in finding a way to build the new fireplace into the existing fence, resolving the dilemma caused by space limitations. An area of the fence was dismantled, new footings were poured, and thanks to the mastery of DeSignia’s masonry team, the fireplace blended into the existing stone so seamlessly, it was impossible to tell that it was not part of the original fencing.
To complete the space, the DeSignia team added new chains and details to give the fireplace a finished look and constructed an outdoor kitchen, a charming garden swing and an arbor with copious plantings to create an inviting atmosphere that made one hesitant to leave once they had entered this open-air respite.
Eight years later, this client returned to hire DeSignia to landscape their front yard, a testament to how the company’s quality of work, and the way they treat their clients earns them their loyalty.
Specializing in Residential and Corporate Landscape Design
DeSignia offers a full range of landscape designs for residential and corporate spaces. These two spaces vary greatly in scale, aesthetics and maintenance considerations. Mark notes, “Corporate buildings need to look great from a distance and be easy to maintain, keeping maintenance costs down.”
The DeSignia Difference
DeSignia is dedicated to offering Charlotte’s preeminent, creative landscaping solutions combined with a commitment to providing reliable customer service. To learn more about what DeSignia has to offer your residential or corporate space, visit DesigniaLandscape.com today.