Divide and Conquer
With an emphasis on nothing, the flat expanse of hardscape and sod in a Carlsbad back yard needed embellishment.
Faced with a lot that was twice as long as it was wide, designer Laura Wireman of Innerspace Design divided the blank canvas into three distinct areas: a kitchen nook with a dining table and covered barbecue, a living room pavilion with a central fireplace and a large spa with a cascading waterfall.
“The lot is 68 feet long by 32 feet wide,” Laura says. “To add interest and drama, I varied grade levels to create the trio of zones. Now the back yard has a much larger feel.”
Tropical foliage — including plumeria, tupidanthus and vinca — fills raised, undulating planter beds. Boulders and retaining walls capped with stone coping provide natural places for perching and enjoying conversation throughout the back yard.
“I used a local San Marcos quarry for the granite elements and the boulders,” Laura says. “Two-inch granite-slab countertops are featured in the kitchen; and a 3-inch-thick granite slab, paired with a giant boulder, was used for a bar-height dining table.”
The pedestal base for the table was constructed with a steel post buried 2 feet into the ground. A granite boulder was threaded over the steel base to complete the circular table.
“The multiple-ton boulders and tabletop were craned over the residence’s roof into the back yard, creating quite a stir from curious neighbors,” Laura says. With her fresh take, now the emphasis is on entertaining, kicking back and having a blast.
