Lakefront Idyll

Carmel, NY

A lakefront house blends back into nature 

Aerial view of a garden with stone pathways, a patio with a table and chairs, lush greenery, shrubs, and trees, with a rooftop and a person walking on the path.
A tranquil garden scene during sunset with a stone pathway, plants, outdoor chairs, and a stone wall among trees with autumn foliage.
A garden pathway made of flat stones winding through a colorful autumn garden with various plants, shrubs, and trees with fall foliage, in a natural outdoor setting.
A backyard patio with a round wooden table and four matching chairs, surrounded by lush greenery and a stone retaining wall, with tall trees and autumn foliage in the background.
A lush garden with a stone pathway, surrounded by colorful flowers and green plants, with a background of trees and a stone wall.
Colorful garden with pink, purple, and yellow flowers surrounded by rocks and green foliage.
A landscaped garden with a stone retaining wall, various green and purple plants, and a gravel ground.
Aerial view of a long, narrow grassy walkway flanked by lush green bushes and trees, with stone borders along the edges.
A grassy park area with trees displaying fall foliage, a stone wall, and a lake in the background.
A scenic view of a sunny lakeside park with lush green grass, trees with yellow, orange, and green leaves, and a lake in the background, with park benches visible near the water.
A scenic landscape with colorful fall trees, a grassy area, and a body of water in the distance.
A scenic view of a park during daytime in autumn with colorful trees, lush green grass, and a body of water in the background.
A backyard with a hot tub on a wooden deck, surrounded by trees with fall-colored leaves, overlooking a lake.
A stone staircase with black metal handrails ascends through grassy and leafy terrain in a wooded area with tall trees. In the background, there is a hot tub and wooden fencing.
An outdoor hot tub with wooden panels, situated on wooden steps in a wooded area with trees and autumn foliage.
A wooden dock with two Adirondack chairs facing a calm lake, with a forested hill reflecting on the water in the background.
The exterior of a modern house with stone walls and large glass doors, surrounded by a landscaped garden with various plants, shrubs, and trees, under a partly cloudy sky.

Context
Two busy executives sought an inspiring respite from city, work, and travel. In addition to needing to repair the much disturbed site, the clients desired a landscape that would anchor their new home in the environment and encourage them to be fully immersed in the outdoors.

Concept
A primary focus was to reconcile the new architecture with the landscape at large—using stylized native plantings and integrating hardscaping materials left over from the previous residence. The clients now step out of their house into a gravel courtyard and cutting garden installed directly into the old foundation, and filled with plants they can easily tend to and cut from to make bouquets. From this central courtyard, a network of garden paths made from reclaimed, restored, and carefully reconfigured boulders and bluestone lead to the surrounding features. A wooden deck encourages outdoor gatherings, a sculpted meadow explodes with color throughout the seasons and leads down to a lakeside floating dock, a hill-top hot tub provides a secluded perch from which they can observe it all.

Impact
The lakeside property abuts a designated NYC watershed wetland and a significant portion of the property is located in a DEC protected wetland buffer zone. The meadow installation and plantings were vetted by the DEC using no chemicals or machinery and restricting the plant palette to northeastern US natives.

Location: Carmel, NY
Size: 7 Acres
Start Date: 2019
Status: 2025
Hortulus Animae Team: Jean-Marc Flack, Project Manager; Catie Friel, Head Gardener
Collaborators: Hudsonia, Studio Fōr, Wolcott Builders, Rennia Engineering, KnK Construction, Ruben Rivera Landscaping, Mayker Electric, Joseph Neri Landscaping, MC Palotta Irrigation, Heather Sullivan Design, Harmonyscape.
Awards: 2024 APLD, Gold Award, Planting Design
Image Credits: Alon Koppel, Jean-Marc Flack

A logo with a stylized tree, a building outline, and a banner that reads "Award Winner" for APLD.
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