Not only are many gardens in locations where they can only be reached by steps, but for some, a flight of steps is the garden. As well as enabling you to get from one level to another, steps can be decorated so that they are a stylish addition to your garden in their own right. Material considerations are reflective of style. Angular bluestone steps might inform a guest they are headed to the formal entrance whereby; natural slab stone steps, with a more naturalistic feel may lend the notion that one might be headed towards a more casual entrance or location. Wherever steps lead, Terrascapes designs them to be a welcoming and safe passage.
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Informal Staircase In an effort to keep retaining walls to a minimum we designed many slopes on this property with curving staircases and slope gardens created from recycled stone preserved during excavation.
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Informal Staircase (Opposite View) Leading between private and service parking areas the step stone staircase is a pleasant journey between plain asphalt parking areas. It is planted with drought tolerant ferns, carex grasses and lined with seasonal containers.
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Informal Staircase (Close-Up View) A mixed assortment of recycled property stone was used lending an eclectic style to the staircase and adding to the informal feel of the stairway.
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Formal Bluestone Steps with Pillars Walking up a wide bluestone treaded staircase defined by a set of grand capped pillars implies you are being formally guided to an important entrance, usually the front door.
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Defining Direction with Stairs Formal vs informal stairways can implicitly implied through material. Implicit in the change between angular bluestone and natural slab stone is the direction of the front door vs the kitchen door.
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Staircase Landing The angular bluestone and the over-sized landing announce the formality of the staircase around the corner.
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Cut Through Stone Slab Steps Using appropriate materials to define the hierarchy of formal vs informal is a design technique. An eclectic assortment of stones found and recycled from the property are used to define the mudroom entrance cut-through.
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Cut Through Stone Slab Steps (Close-Up)
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Formal Steps with Informal Planting The primary path to the front entryway is usually the widest to express the formal nature of the entrance. This family of five wanted a more casual welcoming entrance so we planted with whimsical drooping plants setting guests and residents at ease before reaching the front landing.
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Grand Terrace Steps This large terrace staircase glides guests down to the adjoining two acre field. To accommodate additional seating for viewing the family and friend soccer games we designed them to be extra wide. They can also be decorated with containers in front of the pillars.
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Step Stone Staircase on a Slope Getting around on a sloped site requires informal staircases for easy movement. These slab stone steps are an easy and fast way to create an informal staircase between levels. (Newly installed)
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Extra Large Stone Staircase Adding stonework to a naturalistic landscape seems a logic choice. These extra large stones add an artistic element to the space as well as breaks up the fine textures of the surrounding foliage. Spaced widely apart the guest is allowed a gentle rise to the upper lawn with time for stopping and enjoying the flowers.
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Extra Large Stone Staircase (Close - Up) Planting the edges of large steps will narrow the feel and soften the edges. Being on a slope, drought tolerant and erosion-control plantings are prudent considerations.
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Cut Through Natural Stone Slab Staircase Cut through lines are usually an indication that a pathway is needed. Here we created a split staircase so residents could get to different areas of the property quickly. Hidden is the other side of the fork which wraps around the wall and leads the pedestrian to the vegetable garden.
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Mudroom and Front Entryway Steps Driveway basketball is enjoyed from these informal sitting steps. More formal front entryway steps were created with stoop containers in mind.
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Country Lane Steps A expansive secondary walkway is punctuated with two sets of steps. Natural broken stone treads are used to complement the Goshen stone slabs of the walkway and maintain the old English country feel of this walk.
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Woodland Staircase A wooded property was only half used because access was a problem. We renovated a hidden staircase by recycling excavated stone from another project. Now the residents enjoy taking their dog for wooded walks on their own property!
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Woodland Staircase (Opposite View) The boulders retain the edge and give a meandering dimension to this staircase.
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Steep Slope Staircase Directly accessing areas on steep slopes often creates the need for narrow staircases between levels. A previously old railroad tie staircase was given a facelift with new bluestone treads and a stone cheek wall with two small landings. Ferns were planted on both sides for eventual erosion control.
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Steep Slope Staircase (Before View) Railing and staircase are not safe for pedestrians.
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Steep Slope Staircase (Opposite View) Preference was given to bluestone treads rather than two cheek-walls due to budget concerns. The steep side of the slope was retained and the other was planted with erosion control spreading ferns.
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Steep Slope Staircase (Opposite View Before)
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Steep Slope Staircase (Later View with Railing) A few seasons later we added a railing and hydrangea hedges on both sides to enclose the descent to the pool. In a few years this should be a spectacular journey through the oakleaf hydrangeas to the lower levels.
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Steep Slope Staircase (Opposite View Railing)
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Bluestone Patio Steps Space efficiency determined the inverted pyramid shape of this staircase design. The homeowners gave up stately steps in exchange for larger guest capacity on the patio. Bluestone treads and decorative stone risers augment the custom designed sitting walls also designed for more guest seating.
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Basement Access Steps in Tumbled Bluestone We demolished this tiny basement access hidden under the deck. (Seen next photo) We removed the brick-faced red lip of the first step and veneered the steps with tumbled bluestone to match the newly installed court patio stone.
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Basement Access Steps in Tumbled Bluestone (Hidden View) The access is hidden behind the custom deck grill and the stairs are underneath the secret deck pull-up door.
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Basement Access Steps in Tumbled Bluestone (Oblique View) Safety concerns compelled us toward a pavement alteration to alert pedestrians to the open hole in the ground.
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Multidirectional Mohogany Deck Staircase This staircase is adjacent to a dining patio and is was designed to allow for additional casual seating around the small patio area. It permits the residents to descend toward the shared driveway or into the patio garden with ease.
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Stone Cascade Staircase (First Try) A failed experiment, this grand staircase over powers the tiny court above and seems more important than the actual space you are entering. A revision brought the staircase into proper scale to the space.
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Stone Cascade Staircase (First Try) Somewhere this would be a good idea but not in this space.
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Stone Cascade Staircase (Second Try) After retaining the side slopes and installing a BBQ patio annex, we were able to alter the previous staircase design to something that suited our European courtyard above.
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Stone Cascade Staircase (Additional View)
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Stone Cascade Staircase (Planted View) In order to avoid erosion between the joints we planted a variety of ground covers. One of the pleasures of designing your own property is that you can try everything and just see what works. A bit of a research laboratory.
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Stone Cascade Staircase (Close Up) We planted thyme, blue star, creeping sedums, dianthus and in the larger spaces we planted some lavender and Jacob's Ladder. Blue Star lived up to its name.
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Old World Landing Steps This mildly dropped patio is entered into through a quaint arbor where the guest is greeted by a natural stone entry court. Natural stone slab open steps define the grade change and immediately add a welcomed presence.
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Twisted Staircase Composite Materials Tight spaces often present designers with curious challenges resulting in either awkward or pleasing results. To direct guests toward the center of the patio and away from the adjacent wall, we twisted this staircase on one side opening up the bottom step for sitting and also containers.
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Twisted Staircase Composite Materials (Close Up) All the materials are Azek composite wood and are easy to maintain with water and a cloth. Guilt free maintenance.
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Twisted Staircase Composite Materials (Opposite View) The carpenter enjoyed the challenge of this deck design and the twisting results in a pleasant opening toward the center of the courtyard.
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Stepable Groundcover Step We decided to test a stepable groundcover and planted a transition strip of miniature wintercreeper as a design detail.
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Miniature Wintercreeper (Close Up)
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Terrace Steps In keeping with the terrace walls and adding easy access to the upper level, a simple staircase was built with a landing to enjoy the terrace garden from above.
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Woodland Cut Through Steps A hidden cut through path was created by dogs, gardeners, and walkers. We followed our rule of not ignoring cut through pathways and we built this sweet set of recycled stone steps so pedestrians wouldn't slip or crush neighboring plants.
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Wrap Around Deck Step Wrap around steps allow for meandering onto the patio and also for additional casual seating.
Call today for a consultation on
integrating steps and stairs into your landscape design.
Terrascapes Landscape Design
Telephone: 781-449-1788
info@terrascapeslandscapedesign.com