LIFESTYLE OPEN HOUSE
MARK HAGEN & ROCCO
Rooms with A View
TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF LANDSCAPING BY DIVIDING YOUR YARD INTO ‘ROOMS’ BY MARK HAGEN
W
hen Todd Richards and I decided to purchase a home, landscaping was the last thing on our minds. We were young and living it up in a spacious apartment a few blocks from Cathedral Square. Adulting came calling, however, and soon we wanted dogs, a yard and all the Martha-Stewart-inspired charm we could muster. It was time to buy a house, and the moment we walked into a 1931 English Tudor in West Allis, we knew we found our home. We quickly started painting, decorating and setting things up room by room. I loved the idea of giving each room its own flair yet creating a cohesive feel throughout the house. Little did I know how well this concept worked outdoors. As a first-time homeowner landscaping overwhelmed me, but by thinking of outdoor spaces as “rooms,” backyard design seemed doable (and fun!).
TAKE IT OUTSIDE We wanted to carve out areas of the backyard for entertaining, dining, gardening and relaxing. We started by tearing down the house’s small deck and building a much larger outdoor living space. Our new deck is big enough for two spaces. Half the deck is for dining, the other half, a relaxing sitting area. 62 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS
We also took the tiny balcony off the primary bedroom and replaced with a balcony that stretched across the back of the entire house. Adding planters and a bistro set made it a spacious “room” to enjoy morning coffee or relax at sunset. The side of the house was perfect for a garden. This area has changed over the years—from a salsa garden to a cut-flower garden. Today, the hideaway features yellow roses, flowering bushes and low-maintenance greenery. I added a Hosta-lined walkway, leading to a charming gate. Even though the area has a “secret garden” appeal, we call it Rocco’s Garden because our West Highland Terrier, Rocco, loves spending time in this quiet, private area of the yard. Our unattached one-car garage had a significant presence in the backyard, so when the time came to expand it into a 2-car space, Todd worked closely with the builder to design the back of the garage (that faced the backyard). Featuring double doors, coach lights and a decorative window, it looks less like a garage and more like a quant guesthouse.
Photos by Michael Burmesch.
