Remodeling
The Path Leads Home
A run-down yard obstructing the sight of treasured assets is transformed into a pathway of luminous foliage and renewed views—a much more welcoming entrance

THE CHALLENGE: Last fall, asphalt covered the yard in front of James Hodgson’s mid-1960s Brown’s Point home. A large wood fence in the center of the yard blocked the view of his garden and koi pond and, beyond, the Commencement Bay shipping lanes, Vashon Island and Cascade Mountains. The front yard needed to accommodate space to park, plantings and a welcoming entry—but first, that layer of asphalt and 12 inches of compact rock and clay would have to go.

THE SOLUTION: Landscape designer and builder Jean Zaputil made plans to extend the yard and create an entrance to the front door. She kept the original fence arbor, which matches the clean-lined contemporary house, and added a flagstone pathway surrounded by foliage and granite boulders to create an open path. For the entry, Zaputil replaced a concrete slab with a stained-wood porch. After demolishing the asphalt, the designer brought in drain lines and plenty of soil for new plants. Zaputil says the bay view and koi pond in the backyard inspired the landscaping. “The [backyard] garden already had a very large water feature, and [we] wanted to continue the same feeling into the front.” A new pathway curves through the garden and around the plants and boulders, creating elegant lines that mirror the movement of water.

Homeowner and designer agree that opening up the yard makes the lot more welcoming and relaxing. Hodgson says it is more pleasant to come home to plants than asphalt: “Suddenly it feels like you are removed from everything.”


  • The original arbor was stained dark to match the new front porch. It is now a centerpiece instead of a barrier.
  • Grasses, New Zealand flaxes and evergreen plants were added to concentrate on leaf pattern and texture.
  • The stone feels natural. “I like rocks as monuments, and the flagstone pathway is an important piece to me,”  Hodgson says.
  • Visitors now have an unobstructed view of Hodgson’s koi pond and waterfall.

 

Design Details

Landscape Designer
Jean Zaputil, Jean Zaputil Garden Design LLC, 7014 27th Ave. N.W., (206) 706-7330

Builder
Jim Boekhoff, Brick and Blade, Landscape Construction, (425) 776-6469