The low-slung ranch house sits at the edge of the forest, looking out toward Fanshell Beach. The client requested a restrained green-and-gray plant palette and minimal flowers, to harmonize with the black granite driveway, charcoal stucco of the house, and silvery fog of the coastal environment. 

  

Entering the property the first view is of a small meadow of native California dune grass, edged with cypresses and oaks.  These trees screen the house until the entry drive meets the auto-court.  Across the stone auto-court from the house, treads set in grass lead up a sloping lawn to a sculpture platform, with a sitting area nearby. To the east is a guesthouse with multi-level decks.  Grasses, green shrubbery, and low green groundcovers predominate. 

 

On the unfenced ocean side of the house, the lower lawn is bordered by silvery groundcovers and native beach plants. A bocce court, outdoor kitchen, multiple decks and ‘crow’s nest’ perched on the roof provide entertainment areas, seating, and ocean views. Here, deer-tolerant and salt/wind-tolerant plants are necessary, and grasses are used to capture the ocean breeze.