Tucked away at the end of a long brick driveway, past the courtyard, beyond the French-inspired residence, you'll discover breathtaking waterfront views and a meticulous garden. The landscape architects and construction team of Three C's landscaping were fortunate enough to have a blank slate to work with in 2003 for this creative project. The mix of extensive old-world traditional bricks and clean lines of bluestone and limestone blend beautifully with the clean-cut boxwoods to give the design a contemporary feel as well.
Capturing the architect's vision, he utilized all of the natural elements surrounding the estate. The water and foliage framing the property lead to the beautiful 'plant-scaping' and water features. Opening into the expansive rear grounds, you're drawn to the serine reflective pond on the grand patio. From the patio, you are surrounded by a meticulous lawn, decorative boxwoods, groupings of succulent greens and bouquets. Your feet never touch the grass, with a purposely placed stone path that sharply leads to the second prominent patio with a sunken fire pit and beautifully carved stone benches at the water's edge.
One secret detail that can't be seen but is no less important is the Rill. This intricate feature was designed to carry water in a shallow channel winding throughout the property. Water was pumped from the lake and traveled down the side of the house to the front of the courtyard, curbing around the driveway, passing under the patio to the boardwalk and eventually dumping back into the lake. It's easy to see why this project in its entirety took nine months to create, but although this process was extensive, it wasn't overdone!
No detail was spared with this design, creativity was at an all-time high and literally no stone was left unturned.
If you would like to see the equally impressive interior, please contact Patty Riley for a private appointment at 313.884.0600.
One main highlight is the courtyard and driveway, which was made entirely of brick and lined with Belgian Block concrete blocks. Each tree that lines the driveway has a light on it. You can imagine how majestic that looks coming home in the evenings!