Composed Tranquility

For this spectacular project in Potomac, Maryland, the owners came to Richardson & Associates for two specific phases of work: first, the front of the home and then the back. Deeply experienced with renovations and landscaping projects over the years, the couple understood the process and knew precisely what they wanted. They were very fond of their classically inspired home with a detached garage, but in their later years, they had become interested in a more modern aesthetic and envisioned a new glass pavilion as an extension to their existing home. In the courtyard spaces created by the addition, they wanted a spare, cloister-like garden with mature trees and a reflecting pool. The unexpected, lovely result is perched high above a wildflower meadow that gives way to the manicured forest at the rear of the property.

Working closely with the client and architect, Richardson & Associates designed the outdoor spaces and stainless-steel reflecting pool, which is surrounded by a limestone walkway and Yoshino Cherry trees. The trees were sourced and selected a year in advance to be properly conditioned to survive installation. Planted in-ground with soil, the trees seem enchanted as they emerge from within the chipped gravel. In contrast, the front yard with its crab apple trees remains traditional and true to the original plan but with improvements to the drive, entry, and limestone walkway. An armillary sculpted in the UK is placed on axis to the front door to honor the family and this unusual place they created.

  • Architect: Merle Thorpe Architects
  • Interior Designer: Studio Sophiste
  • General Contractor: Added Dimensions Inc
  • Landscape Contractor: Thomas Tait Gardens
  • Photographer: Frazier Springfield
Two cherry blossom trees with pink flowers frame a circular fountain in a courtyard designed by a Landscape Architect DC. The water is covered in fallen petals, and manicured shrubs sit against the walls of the modern building behind them.
A courtyard garden with flowering cherry trees, a small circular pond, and gravel ground. Modern outdoor furniture and spherical shrubs are arranged across the space between light-colored buildings.
A stone house with a black-framed glass wall faces a circular reflecting pool. Cherry trees with pink blossoms flank the house, with fallen petals scattered across the gravel courtyard.
A blossoming cherry tree with pink flowers stands in a courtyard, its petals scattered across a curved path. A circular reflecting pool sits nearby in front of modern, light-colored walls. The view is framed by open glass doors.
An outdoor seating area with four white lounge chairs arranged around a stone coffee table beneath a grove of trees. The patio features a gravel floor, a stone console table against a wall, and an outdoor grill in the background.
An outdoor patio with a fireplace centered between two sofas and a stone coffee table. The seating area is surrounded by trees with autumn leaves, set against a backdrop of woods.
A central arched entryway leads through a covered walkway to a glass door. The pathway is framed by stone walls and covered by a dark pergola, with trees overhanging the entrance.
A gravel walkway leads toward a glass-paned entrance under a modern black metal pergola. To the right, a glass-walled structure overlooks a forest with autumn foliage.
A circular stone dining table and four chairs sit on a gravel patio under a black metal pergola. A small, illuminated fountain pond is in the foreground, surrounded by manicured shrubs and trees in an autumn garden.
A gravel path leads through a long, black metal pergola toward a minimalist stucco building entrance. Recessed lighting illuminates the walkway and stone benches set between the metal beams.
A stone console table with two potted topiary trees stands against a wall between two patches of ivy. Four trees with autumn foliage frame the scene, and small landscape lights illuminate the gravel ground.
Trees with autumn foliage stand in a gravel courtyard beside a minimalist building. A stone console table holding two small potted plants is visible against a wall covered in ivy.
Two outdoor sofas face a low stone fire pit and a central fireplace on a gravel patio. The seating area is framed by trees with autumn leaves under a dark evening sky.

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