When it comes to creating ideal outdoor living spaces for his clients, John Herron’s goal is not that each of his projects be easily discernable because of a signature, go-to or overarching style. As the general manager of local landscaping design/build firm RSL Outdoor, he says that it’s all about designing spaces that truly speak to the clients’ own distinct personalities, preferences and goals.
“Every project that we do is unique and specific to that client and space,” says John. “Our goal at RSL Outdoor is to create partnerships in which our creativity and professionalism help our clients realize the potential of their spaces.”
For one recent project, John and the RSL Outdoor team helped a local client completely transform the outdoor spaces surrounding their home—a sweeping outdoor living and landscape design and build initiative that would maximize the area’s function and match the style and stature of the residence.
“This was a massive project, going from bare dirt to completed total landscape,” says John. “Every element had to work with the homeowners’ aesthetic of an upscale, sophisticated outdoor living area, while also complementing the architecture of the house and working seamlessly in flow and function.”
Beginning with a complete master plan of the property, the RSL Outdoor team designed an extensive outdoor living space complete with a pool that includes a tranquil water feature, a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen with a bar area, walls for seating and a fire pit to facilitate both lively gatherings of friends and family as well as quiet everyday relaxation. The project also involved softening these elements with eye-catching boulder work and a variety of plantings throughout the landscape, including grasses, roses and evergreens for a dually sophisticated and traditional Colorado feel.
These luxurious project features are further elevated through the incorporation of a series of unique natural materials. Sleek granite countertops line the various elements of the outdoor kitchen and dining area. The cut stone for all of the vertical cladding seamlessly links the space to the home’s grand exterior. John notes that the sprawling 1,000-square-foot patio space is particularly notable both in its design and its execution.
“The flagstone patio is probably the most unique material used in the project,” says John. “Each piece of stone was hand cut to make the placements all look random in the layout. But each and every piece was carefully planned to also keep the joints looking tight and clean. We do fewer patios these days using stone, and so it’s a product that has become more distinct.”
As a whole, the project is a sterling example of the balance of thoughtfully incorporating the best products, materials and layout to create a lush, luxurious outdoor living space and landscape that fulfills the goals of the homeowners.
“It may sound cliché, but my favorite thing about this project is how happy the client is with the end product,” says John. “These spaces aren’t ours, they’re our clients’. So the most important thing is that our designs are ideally suited to them.”
