Set on a subdivided parcel in Englewood's Cherry Hills neighborhood, the property known as Steel Magnolias began as a modest landscape refresh. By the time the design-build team at Designs by Sundown had finished, it had become a full reimagining of the grounds — a sequence of gathering spaces, gardens, and hardscape details engineered to read as one continuous design, from the front entry to a working orchard along the side yard.
"The homeowners wanted the landscape to feel like a true extension of the house — a place built for entertaining, but just as comfortable for everyday family life," says Wiley Klein, Senior Landscape Designer at Designs by Sundown. With young grandchildren and pets factored into nearly every decision, generous turf areas were worked into the plan to give them room to run, while the surrounding patios, plantings, and outdoor rooms gave the adults space of their own.
DESIGNING WITHIN THE LINES
The site brought its own restrictions. Because the lot had been subdivided from a larger parcel, atypical setback requirements extended through much of the rear and side yards, shrinking the
buildable footprint and leaving little room for a traditional accessory structure. Rather than let the constraint shrink the vision, the team treated it as a design problem — through careful space planning and close coordination with the property's existing hardscape, they engineered a layout that used every available square foot while remaining fully within code.
Portions of the original poured patio remained, but its finish didn't match the caliber of the new design. Instead of demolishing it, Designs by Sundown layered in architectural upgrades: custom precast banding with 45-degree corner detailing around the pool for definition and texture, and custom precast step caps that add warmth and color variation to the hardscape. Even the stair treads received a quiet reengineering — a custom-fabricated 2-inch turned-down edge that visually doubles the apparent thickness of the stone without altering the structure underneath.
A GARDEN BUILT FOR EVERY MICROCLIMATE
Where the site's constraints shaped the hardscape, its exposure shaped the planting plan. Full sun and full shade sit side by side across the property, and the client's highly curated vision for horticulture demanded that both read as a single, cohesive garden. Hydrangeas and hostas anchor the shaded beds; lavender, Russian sage, and other Colorado-adapted xeric perennials carry the
sunnier exposures. Irrigation was zoned accordingly from the start, so each microclimate receives exactly what it needs without disrupting the design's continuity.
"Every decision was measured against the same standard — does this reflect the client's aesthetic, and does it knit the architecture and landscape together as one property."
— Wiley Klein, Senior Landscape Designer, Designs by Sundown
DETAILS THAT DISAPPEAR ON PURPOSE
Local code required a retention pond scaled to the size of the lot — a requirement the team used as a design opportunity rather than an obstacle. Anchored by a weeping willow and a dry creek bed and planted in no-mow native seed, the pond reads as a natural wild area rather than stormwater infrastructure. Custom steel planters, set along the front boundary between patio and yard, are replanted seasonally with perennials and annuals for color that shifts throughout the year. And what had been an unused side yard is now a small orchard, its path lined with Honey Crisp apple,
Elberta peach, Mount Royal plum, Lapins cherry, and Red Delicious trees.
The result is a landscape that exceeded the client's original brief — a series of interconnected outdoor spaces built for entertaining, for grandchildren and pets, and for everyday family life, under a planting plan designed to mature and improve for years to come.
To learn more, visit DesignsBySundown.com.
"Every decision was measured against the same standard — does this reflect the client's aesthetic, and does it knit the architecture and landscape together as one property."
— Wiley Klein, Senior Landscape Designer, Designs by Sundown