Portland 1960s Ranch House Transformed With No Lawn Landscape
This Reed Neighborhood house has a welcoming landscape and entry after working with Landscape Design in a Day
Updating Curb Appeal for Windowless 1960s Ranch Home
As a landscape designer, I recently had the opportunity to transform the front of a windowless ranch house in the Reed neighborhood of SE Portland. The homeowners, Jeff and Lyn fell in love with the house for its great floor plan and proximity to their grandkids. They did not love the front of the house. The front entry courtyard was dark, windowless, and in need of updating. The old front walkway, likely installed in the 50s or 60s, was too narrow, and was damaged.
The front entry courtyard was dark, windowless and in need of updating. The old front walkway, likely installed in the 50s or 60s was too narrow and was damaged.
They needed solutions to make their front yard more welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. They needed a complete re-haul with creative solutions for a tough situation.
I have used a landscape design process to fix a house before but I was looking forward to this design in particular since the difference in the before and after would be so dramatic and satisfying.
Using my Landscape Design in a Day kit they supplied me with the information I needed to create a customized solution. Happily they were open to removing everything; the front steps, old concrete walk and the lawn. Armed with their preferences, I worked with them to design a landscape that would greatly enhance the curb appeal of their home, create a warm and inviting entry, add functional walkways and good flow to the front door of their home.
New porch and planters soften tunnel effect of narrow courtyard entry.
Creating a Welcoming Entry
The front entry of the house was dark and windowless, which made it feel unfriendly. To address this issue, we implemented four key solutions. First, we designed and built a real porch (not a deck) and incorporated different shapes and sizes of planters and steps to break up the tunnel effect and add interest to the entry.
Additionally, we designed a large well-planted berm, which served as an attractive focal point and helped diminish the tunnel effect of the entry. We added a multi-stemmed, vase-shaped tree to the berm to integrate the house with the land. Lastly, we created a curved path from the street to a center landing point, which complemented the Northwest natural landscape style that Jeff and Lyn desired. Landscape installer was D and J Landscape Contractors, Donna Burdick.
Look for our upcoming Part Two article!
Contact Us
Transforming the front of the windowless ranch house in SE Portland was a rewarding project. I loved the challenge of transforming this difficult front yard and entry without the need for a remodel. We enjoy taking our 30 years of experience and applying it to your existing landscape no matter the level of difficulty. We can look at your landscape and see what is possible. Difficult sites are fun but not required. Contact me today, and let’s create a front yard you love to come home to.
