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The 2022 Spring Landscaping Guide, With Bonus BOGO Deals from The Home Depot


If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SPY.com may receive an affiliate commission.

Table of Contents


  • Spring Landscaping Part I: Essential Supplies


  • Part II: Inspect, Prune and Fertilize


  • Part III: Plant, Sew and Sprout


  • Part IV: Water, Decorate and Tend


  • Need More Spring Landscaping Ideas?

Spring has finally sprung, even if the weather is suggesting otherwise in some parts of the country. As a result, a lot of gardeners and homeowners are getting a late start to the spring landscaping season. If the time has finally come to revamp your landscaping for spring, there’s no better place to go for all things yard than The Home Depot. Until May 1, The Home Depot is offering big savings on yard tools, plants and landscaping essentials, so this is the perfect time to start a new outdoor project.

Today’s Top Deals

With a little bit of planning and the right spring landscaping tips, anyone can successfully lay down fresh soil, plant new plants, and get your front yard and backyard in tip top shape. Whether you’ve got sprawling lawns or a small outdoor patio, there are plenty of options for sprucing up your outdoor spaces using greenery, flowers and freshly grown decor of all kinds.

If taking on a new spring landscaping project seems intimidating, then you should know that it’s completely doable with just a few key tips and tools, all of which you can get at The Home Depot. They’ve got everything: from top-rated tools and plants you can order right to your home, to in-depth video guides to spring lawn care, front yard landscaping and creating a three-season garden bed.

No matter how big or small your landscaping project is, they’re here to help — and so are we. We’ve created a 4-part guide with our best spring landscaping tips, including some of our favorite must-have supplies from The Home Depot. Browse through our guide and your yard will soon be making your neighbors jealous in no time.


Buy: Shop Spring Gardening & Landscaping Tools from The Home Depot Check Prices

gardening supplies, garden landscaping

gardening supplies, garden landscaping




Spring Landscaping Part I: Essential Supplies

No matter what kind of projects you have on deck, you’ll need to have a plan for weed control. Round-Up is the weed and pesticide of choice for countless homeowners, and this spring at The Home Depot, you can get a free HDX sprayer when you purchase this Round-Up product.

Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer

This lawn fertilizer from Scotts is a favorite amongst The Home Depot experts, and it’s the subject of a limited-time BOGO deal. Now through May 1, when you buy one bag of Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer, you also get a second bag for free as part of The Home Depot’s spring savings event. Turf Builder combines weed control with essential nutrients for a healthy lawn, and it’s made to kill dandelions, clovers, crabgrass and other common weeds. As it kills weeds, it also nurtures popular grass strains such as Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass and Tall Fescue, among others, and is made to be dispelled during the spring, when dandelions just begin to grow.

BOGO DEAL
Scotts lawn fertilizer, spring landscaping

Scotts lawn fertilizer, spring landscaping


Buy: Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with Weed Control $29.97 (orig. $31.97) 6{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48} OFF

Round-Up Weed & Grass Killer Plus Free HDX Sprayer

No matter what kind of projects you have on deck, you’ll need to have a plan for weed control. Round-Up is the weed and pesticide of choice for countless homeowners, and this spring at The Home Depot, you can get a free HDX sprayer when you purchase this Round-Up product.

SELLING FAST
roundup and free sprayer

roundup and free sprayer


Buy: Round-Up Weed & Grass Killer Plus Free Gift $21.97

Digz Gardening Gloves

First things first, you’ll need gardening gloves. Protecting your hands and wrists is crucial with any gardening or landscaping project, even just trimming the grass. These gloves from Digz are made of thick, durable, latex-free and breathable material. They also have dipped palms to give you a strong grip whether you’re moving the lawn or raking leaves. In addition, Digz also makes heavy-duty gardening gloves that are machine washable for added convenience.

Digz gardening gloves, home depot landscaping guide

Digz gardening gloves, home depot landscaping guide


Buy: Digz Coated Gardening Gloves 3-Pack $5.98


Buy: Digz Heavy-Duty Gardening Gloves $9.88

Anvil L Wood Steel Transfer Shovel

A good shovel is another necessity when you’re working outdoors. Garden landscaping involves a ton of dirt, and this laser-cut blade is perfect for shoveling quickly and efficiently. The head is tempered for extra strength and the wooden handle is sturdy for good maneuverability.

Anvil shovel, garden landscaping

Anvil shovel, garden landscaping


Buy: Anvil L Wood Steel Transfer Shovel $13.98

Anvil Wood Handle Trowel

A trowel is a necessity for planting in smaller planters or pots, or placing small vegetable seedlings into the ground with care. Garden landscaping means moving both large and small amounts of dirt, and this trowel will help you do the latter with precision.

anvil trowel, garden landscaping

anvil trowel, garden landscaping


Buy: Anvil Wood Trowel $4.98

DPC Raffia Lifeguard Sun Hat

Don’t forget about sun protection while you’re outside doing yard work. This sun hat from is made from organic raffia, has a large brim for protection against UV rays, and the adjustable chin cord keeps it firmly in place while you’re working.

Raffia lifeguard hat with chin strap, garden landscaping

Raffia lifeguard hat with chin strap, garden landscaping


Buy: DPC RAffia Lifeguard with Chin $29.50

POPULAR LIFE Washable Knee Pads

Garden and landscaping work requires a lot of hunching over, and work on your knees planting, sewing seeds, watering and completing other tasks. These washable, flexible foam knee pads are designed to protect your knees from soreness and are adjustable, so you can find a comfortable fit for long hours of work.

washable knee pads, garden landscaping

washable knee pads, garden landscaping


Buy: Popular Life Washable Knee Pads $17.09

Earthgro 1.5 cu. ft. Black Mulch

Mulch is an essential component of most spring landscaping projects, and you’ll want to make sure you have enough for all of your needs. Through May 1 at The Home Depot, you can buy a large bag of Earthgro mulch for just $1.98 per bag for total savings of 41{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48}. There is a limit of 75 bags per order, but this is a great chance to stock up on mulch for spring and summer. Simply place your order online and you can pick up your mulch at the nearest The Home Depot location.

SAVE 41{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48}
earth guard mulch

earth guard mulch


Buy: Earthgro 1.5 cu. ft. Black Mulch $1.98 (orig. $3.33) 41{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48} OFF

Holland Old Town Blend Concrete Pavers

When you’re trying to upgrade your landscaping for spring, paving stones are one of our favorite tools. That’s because they can be used in so many different ways. If you’re up for a large DIY project, you can create an entire patio with pavers, but you can also use them to create pathways and separate different sections of your garden. Through May 1, The Home Depot customers can enjoy bulk pricing discounts on these pavers, which come in a dozen finishes. Simply place your order online and pick them up at a store near you.

BULK PRICING
garden pavers

garden pavers


Buy: Holland Old Town Blend Concrete Pavers $0.25 (orig. $0.48) 48{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48} OFF

Greenes Fence Original Pine Raised Garden Bed

Do you want to ease yourself into spring landscaping? For homeowners that aren’t ready for a complex DIY project, a raised garden bed is the perfect solution. These pine garden beds give you a perfect playground for spring planting, and you can combine multiple garden beds together to create your own mini vegetable garden in an afternoon. These Greenes Fence Garden Beds are currently 21{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48} off, although there’s a limit of five per order.

raised garden bed

raised garden bed


Buy: Greenes Fence Original Pine Raised Garden Bed $88.98 (orig. $112.57) 21{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48} OFF

pruning plants, garden landscaping

pruning plants, garden landscaping




Part II: Inspect, Prune and Fertilize

Once you’re ready to start landscaping for spring, you’ll want to begin by inspecting the conditions of your current garden, backyard, front yard and outdoor space. As you move around your yard, this can also be a good opportunity to do some basic pruning and weeding.

Here are a few steps to get things ready for new landscaping projects:

  • Inspect all plants for dead branches, leaves, buds and flowers that need to be cut or trimmed.

  • Prune away anything that’s dead so new life can grow.

  • Collect branches and prunings into a pile for easy removal.

  • Check the pH and nutrient levels in your soil, and ensure it’s ready to support new plant life.

  • Use a weed killer or yank away weeds so they don’t hinder the growth of your new plants.

  • Finally, spread fertilizer as needed throughout your outdoor spaces.

Here are a few top landscaping products from The Home Depot to get you started with this step:

Fiskars 5.5 inch Bypass Pruner

This small, compact, portable pruner is made to be comfortable and easy to use on small and medium plants. It has a 5/8 inch cut capacity for tackling stubborn stems and branches, and the cushioned grip makes it easier to hold.

pruning shears, garden landscaping

pruning shears, garden landscaping


Buy: Fiskars 5.5 Inch. Bypass Pruner $13.98

Hyponex 40 Pound All-Purpose Fertilizer

This fertilizer comes with a fast-release formula so nutrients are delivered to plants efficiently. You can use it to fortify soil for everything from your herb and vegetable garden to trees and flower beds.

Hyponex all-purpose fertilizer, garden landscaping

Hyponex all-purpose fertilizer, garden landscaping


Buy: Hyponex All-Purpose 10-10-10 Fertilizer $21.97

Bonnie Plants Harvest Select Raised Bed Soil

This organic, OMRI-approved soil for organic gardening is formulated to feed vegetables, fruits, flowers and other produce for up to two months. It’s perfect for use in raised garden beds and is great for starter plants that need extra juice during those first few months of sprouting. It comes ready to use so you can throw it in your garden right away, and has forest products in the mix designed to circulate air in the root zone to keep plants’ roots healthy.

bonnie plants soil, spring landscaping

bonnie plants soil, spring landscaping


Buy: Bonnie Plants Harvest Select Raised Bed Soil $9.98

Roundup Weed Killer for Lawns

roundup weed killer, garden landscaping

roundup weed killer, garden landscaping


Buy: Roundup Weed Killer $18.97

garden landscaping

garden landscaping




Part III: Plant, Sew and Sprout

Now the fun begins. Once you’ve prepped your soil and mapped out your plants, it’s time to get some new greenery in the ground. No matter how big of an outdoor space you have, you’ve got options for how you can do it. The Home Depot has plenty of flowers, bushes, shrubs and plants that are great for framing walkways and porches, as well as trees for investing in long-term shade. They also have plenty of vegetable and herb plants for a garden, if you’re ready to flex a green thumb.

One Note About Annuals vs. Perennials

When looking at gorgeous outdoor flowers, like the ones below, you’ll want to consult The Home Depot’s Outdoor Plants Center, which will walk you through the differences between annuals, perennials and other types of plants. Some are better suited for warmer climates with dry heat, while others prefer muggier summers and cooler springs.

Perennials are flowers that come back year after year, whereas annuals tend to one last one season. Take note of what sounds right for you and your home, and make design choices from there.

One Note About Climate Zones

A few of the descriptions below reference climate zones, which you can read about in The Home Depot’s Outdoor Plants Center. Each zone is differentiated based on the lowest temperatures it reaches in that location, as some plants are sturdier against the cold than others. Choose plants that fall into your zone for the best chances at success and growth.


Buy: Visit The Home Depot Outdoor Plants Center

Proven Winners Grande Supertunia Purple Flowers

These annuals have gorgeous purple and green colors that really pop, and enjoy partial to full sun. They’re heat-tolerant, long-blooming and attract pollinators as well. They come in a large bunch you can plant in the ground or in a pot, depending on your space. They’re best suited for zones 10-11.

annuals, garden landscaping

annuals, garden landscaping


Buy: Proven Winners Supertunia Purple Flowers Check Prices

5 Pot Southern Live Oak Semi-Evergreen Tree

This shade evergreen tree is large and spreading, and it’s relatively low maintenance too. It’s super adaptable to water and soil types, but it does need a large area for its roots to grow and spread. This tree is hardy down to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or zones 7-10.

southern live oak evergreen tree, garden landscaping

southern live oak evergreen tree, garden landscaping


Buy: 5 Pot Southern Live Oak Semi-Evergreen Tree $59.98

Southern Living Sunshine Ligustrum Privet Shrub

This shrub is perfect for planting in a front yard to frame a walkway or along the perimeter of a backyard to complement other colorful plants. These shrubs are salt and drought-tolerant and can grown in neutral soil. They resist deer and attract butterflies as well. They grow from spring to fall, and can thrive in containers or in the ground as a landscaping hedge.

Southern living bushes, garden landscaping

Southern living bushes, garden landscaping


Buy: Southern Living Sunshine Ligustrum Privet Shrub $29.98

Bonnie Plants Super Sweet Tomato Plant

Be warned: if you plant a tomato plant you should be prepared to grow and eat hundreds of tomatoes. (Or, in the worst-case scenario, to make the local squirrel population very, very happy.) This plant should return season after season and is very easy to grow in the ground. It has tall vines you’ll want support for (more on that in a bit) and is disease-resistant as well.

tomato plants, garden landscaping

tomato plants, garden landscaping


Buy: Bonnie Plants Super Sweet 100 Tomato Plant $4.00

Bonnie Plants Hot Jalapeno Pepper Plant

If you like spice, a jalapeno plant should be in your garden. This one grows between two and four feet tall, and the fruits are ready to eat 72 days after planting. They require full sun and will yield plenty of fruits in a variety of climates.

Bonnie Plants jalapeno plant, garden landscaping

Bonnie Plants jalapeno plant, garden landscaping


Buy: Bonnie Plants Hot Jalapeno Pepper Plant $4.00

outdoor watering, garden landscaping

outdoor watering, garden landscaping




Part IV: Water, Decorate and Tend

The last step in garden landscaping for spring and summer is preparing to water and tend to the plants you’ve added to your yard. You also might want to add various decorative elements, like rocks or mulch, to tie the whole design together. We’ve included a few top products below for irrigation, maintenance and adding extra ornaments to help your whole yard pop.

Proven Winners WaterWise Drip Irrigation System

You could go after a few plants with a watering can on a regular basis, but depending on how many plants you have that may not be feasible. This irrigation system from WaterWise can water up to 10 potted plants with just one faucet after setup. It reduces water consumption and the amount of work you have to do to make sure your plants are watered in the summertime.

proven winners waterwise irrigation system

proven winners waterwise irrigation system


Buy: Proven Winners WaterWise Drip Irrigation System $42.40

Dura-Tel White Vinyl Cambridge Trellis

A trellis is a beautiful addition to any yard for both design and practical purposes. A trellis is a form of plant support, which some ivy-type plants need to grow optimally, tomato plants are a perfect example of this. This trellis is made of weather-resistant PVC vinyl and has pre-drilled holes that make it easy to assemble. It also includes ground anchors for sturdiness.

Dura-Tel white vinyl trellis, garden landscaping

Dura-Tel white vinyl trellis, garden landscaping


Buy: Dura-Tel White Vinyl PVC Cambridge Trellis $41.99

Vigoro Bagged Premium Brown Mulch

This brown mulch is a brilliant accent for brighter flowers and is perfect for lining walkways. It helps the soil maintain moisture and stay temperature regulated on hot summer days. This one bag can also cover about 8 square feet at 3 inches deep.

Vigoro brown mulch, garden landscaping

Vigoro brown mulch, garden landscaping


Buy: Vigoro Bagged Premium Brown Wood Mulch $1.98

Rain Forest Large Egg Rock Pebbles

These all-natural pebbles are another great accent to plants and greenery in your yard, and the color contrast they provide will draw attention to landscaping features. They also help soil maintain moisture and a consistent temperature, and they prevent soil erosion as well during big storms. The all-white color is a great backdrop for bright, vibrant flowers and they come in a bag designed for easy handling and spreading.

Rain forest bagged pebbles, garden landscaping

Rain forest bagged pebbles, garden landscaping


Buy: Rain Forest Caribbean Beach Pebbles $12.98

Kentucky Walnut Resin Wine Barrel

This barrel planter is perfect for patios or decks without access to soil, or for folks who prefer their flowers contained and easily movable. It has a faux wood barrel exterior for a rustic design and is lightweight, making it more portable and flexible. It’s UV coated to protect the color from fading and it’s weather and crack-resistant as well.

kentucky walnut barrel planter, garden landscaping

kentucky walnut barrel planter, garden landscaping


Buy: Kentucky Walnut Resin Wine Barrel Planter $16.98

Mayne Fairfield Square Self-Watering Planter

If you want a more significant, proper planter this one from Mayne is heavier, sturdier and self-watering for substantial root growth. It has drainage holes for shedding excess water and comes in black, brown and white finishes. Its classic, sophisticated look is perfect for an entryway or for framing the corners of an outdoor sitting area, and is built durable for lasting throughout the seasons.

Mayne Fairfield self-watering planter, garden landscaping

Mayne Fairfield self-watering planter, garden landscaping


Buy: Mayne Fairfield Self-Watering Planter $99.83




Need More Spring Landscaping Ideas?

As we mentioned above, The Home Depot has everything you need for spring landscaping projects, and we’re not just talking about plants, tools and weed killer. At The Home Depot’s website, you can find hundreds of how-to guides and instructional videos that will help you plan out a DIY project from start to finish. Best of all, tons of essential spring landscaping tools and materials are on sale now through May 1.

So whether you’re looking for some beautiful flowers and planters or new pavers for your patio, literally everything you need can be found at The Home Depot. You can either order what you need and have it delivered directly to your front yard, or you can schedule a pick-up at a nearby location.


Buy: Shop Spring Gardening & Landscaping Tools from The Home Depot Check Prices

About the Author: Taylor Galla

Taylor Galla is SPY’s Senior E-Commerce editor. In addition to writing about home goods, cleaning hacks and outdoor products, Taylor also writes about the latest health and fitness products. So far in 2022, she’s reviewed dozens of products for SPY readers, from TikTok-famous cleaning products to smart home devices. Before joining SPY. Taylor worked as a digital content consultant for companies around the country. Taylor graduated in 2018 from Scripps College in Claremont, CA with a B.A. in sociology and media studies.

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FIRST UP on GMW: ABC of Wilton Celebrates 25 Years * Bonus Sales Tax Free Week * Landscaping Employee Dies in Wilton Accident

Initially UP on GMW is an occasional column that highlights shorter announcements or updates, and aids you get a brief commence to the Wilton information of the day. Have a information suggestion, product or one thing you know men and women are chatting about? E mail us at editor@goodmorningwilton.com.

ABC of Wilton Celebrates 25 Decades

A Better Possibility of Wilton (ABC) celebrated 25 yrs as a superior faculty community-sponsored system on Sunday, April 10 with a festive social gathering at the Carriage Home at Ambler Farm. The festivities recognized the communal successes of ABC’s historic 53 scholars and the town’s cultural progress from their variety and enthusiasm.

Pictured higher than: Former ABC Students and Board Presidents reunited at Sunday night’s A Improved Likelihood of Wilton’s (ABC) 25th Anniversary Celebration. Pictured: Chris Payne WHS 2008 Previous President Marylynn Clune Elijah Everett WHS 2008 Former President Lynne Vanderslice and Jeremy Lewis WHS 2009.

As one of only 22 national community-sponsored applications, ABC Wilton has graduated 53 students who have attended higher education and embarked on careers in technological innovation, enterprise, finance and social services.

ABC’s mission is to invite academically talented superior faculty pupils from underserved communities to are living in city and attend Wilton Substantial Faculty. The program offers direction and day by day support for the individuals, who are joined by Wilton host families on the weekend.

“The education is the primary thing but a massive element is the practical experience,” Monei Walker, a past scholar of ABC Wilton, recalled. “I arrived to meet people today, make connections… It’s a family here.”

The program relies solely on private donations and fundraising events inside the local community, with all of the monies elevated supporting the program’s initiatives. The program gains from possessing the comprehensive backing of the Wilton Significant School administration, the Board of Education and the town itself. Even so, a important aspect of guidance that fosters success is the involvement of ABC volunteers: a working Board of Administrators, host families, motorists, college or university coaches and scholar advocates.

People Can Get Benefit of Profits Tax-Cost-free Holiday break 7 days

Connecticut residents are used to possessing a 7 days of vacation from having to pay revenue tax on certain goods just about every August, generally suitable before the start of school. But now, there’s a reward 7 days of tax discounts that Nutmeg Point out citizens can love starting Sunday, Apr. 10 by Saturday, Apr. 16.

Many thanks to laws passed final thirty day period, purchases of most outfits and footwear priced less than $100 an product will be exempt from Connecticut’s 6.35{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48} gross sales tax.

The gross sales tax getaway was part of a bill to help CT people help save in various areas — it suspended Connecticut’s gasoline tax as effectively as fares on public buses from April 1-June 30. The legislation was handed by the CT legislature and signed by Gov. Ned Lamont in March.

“With this bipartisan action, we are having measures to deliver some relief to people as they face growing charges owing to a variety of intercontinental dynamics and current market instability that go much further than our point out,” Lamont stated in a assertion, including that he was prepared to “use just about every instrument available” to support people find aid.

The list of attire and footwear that qualify below the sales tax getaway for April is really similar to things that are exempt from profits and use tax in August. Even so, the April 2022 Income Tax-Free of charge 7 days does not exclude merchandise thought of “special apparel or footwear largely intended for athletic exercise or protective use.” In addition, profits of wallets are not issue to tax through the April 7 days, even though they are ordinarily excluded from the tax holiday break in August.

For more data or to look at unique products considered exempt from revenue tax all through this 7 days, go to the CT Department of Earnings Products and services web-site or phone 800.382.9463.

Landscape Company’s Truck Runs More than, Kills Worker in Wilton

An staff of a landscaper performing in Wilton was killed Saturday early morning when he was strike and operate over by one particular of the landscape company’s vans.

Wilton law enforcement, firefighters and EMS responded to a simply call at 77 Danbury Rd. at approximately 10:35 a.m. on Saturday early morning, April 9 for what officers mentioned was a car crash involving a pedestrian. On the scene, responders mentioned they discovered a landscaping truck experienced run more than an employee of the landscaping enterprise, and the employee was trapped below the motor vehicle.

The Wilton Fire Section moved the motor vehicle to extricate the target, later identified as Norwalk resident Adolfo Guitierrez Sanchez.

A report issued by Wilton Police Community Facts Officer Lt. Gregg Phillipson explained Sanchez was unresponsive and everyday living-preserving initiatives ended up manufactured but ended up unsuccessful. Sanchez was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Wilton Police Crash Reconstruction Staff is continuing to examine this incident. Any person with facts relevant to this incident is questioned to speak to Phillipson by cellular phone at 203.834.6325 or by using email. Contact can also be made anonymously by the anonymous suggestion line at 203.563.0256 or by using e-mail.

 

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Fall Home Design: 20 memorable NW Living moments (plus 5 bonus bathtubs!)

THEY FLASH LIKE FIREFLIES: vivid, unbidden, briefly flitting mini-memories — sometimes individually, sometimes in a swarm, always somewhat magically.

Out of the dim twilight of that nowhere bridging Right This Second and Some Other Time, they materialize: a home. A room. A setting. A conversation.

All originate from one dusty-but-apparently-not-totally-rusty attic of the past: NW Living, the architecture and design feature that was a weekly staple in these pages for decades.

It makes sense, I guess, that those stories, and places, and memories, would linger. When people invite you into their homes — whether it’s through a tattered screen door at Grampa’s lopsided fishing cabin or a mahogany masterpiece framed in stately brick — it’s a big deal. Our homes are our personal sanctuaries, our family hubs, our communal holders of our accumulated stuff, our (“Oof!” and “Yay!” combined) modern-day workspaces.

Over the decades, NW Living writers and photographers were warmly welcomed into, easily, hundreds and hundreds of distinctly designed local homes. From my time in the guest chair (fall 2015 until we retired the feature in June 2020), I toured more than 200, and met even more inspired and inspiring architects, interior designers, DIY-ers, builders and homeowners (plus oodles of kids and critters). (Please note that we’re not naming the homeowners this time around, in case they no longer live where they did.)

So, yeah: I saw (still “see”) some memorable things.

Which is one key reason (another one — ahem — rhymes with veronacyrus) for this year’s special Fall Home Design issue, a Vintage Pacific NW collection of 20 of those most insistently memorable NW Living moments. And, to add to the assets of our memory bank, we’ve invited along a truly retro entry from 1968 by the incomparable Margery Phillips that makes an impression even from the outside, more than 50 years away.  

Welcome back in.

In the woods-from-around-the-world great room of the Lake Forest Park home designed by architect Roger Wallace, “It’s really important to me that it be just a warm, wood-filled space,” he says. “As you’re sitting here, this is like living in this gigantic piece of furniture. It’s very much like living in this finished cabinet that’s a treehouse.” (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2020)


1. Woods of the World
Feb. 15, 2020; Lake Forest Park
How much wood could just one room hold, if one room could hold much wood? Well, here is what’s in the majestic great room (just the great room) of the contemporary, distinctly curvy home that architect Roger Wallace designed among some seriously towering trees: The walls are Waterfall Bubinga, from Africa. (Originally, that is. Wallace got his from Edensaw Woods in Tacoma.) The floor: curly cherry, from Maine. The sofas and chairs Wallace designed as a graduate student — and then ended up building, with his carpenter friend Brian Gregory — are Paldao (from Indonesia and New Guinea), with African Zebrawood trim. The ottomans at the feet of the shiny Eames Lounge chairs are of Santos Palisander, from South America. The legs of the stunning dining table are African mahogany, with midcentury chairs in rosewood. Cabinets by Ross Day are Jatoba, from South America, and Western Tiger maple, with smaller accessories in walnut burl and teak. And tying it all together, all through the house: “Just a normal cherry,” says Wallace.

Expansive glass walls in the family room, left, and one of the kids’ rooms frame a majestic tree in a Beaux Arts Village home by architect Jim Cutler. All construction materials, including custom masonry, were locally sourced to reduce the impact on the environment. (Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times, 2015)


2. A Tree-Hugging Home
May 5, 2016; Beaux Arts Village
This magnificent, way-more-than-a-cabin “treehouse” was envisioned, designed, built and inhabited to wholeheartedly embrace the site’s seven old-growth Douglas firs and all they so stately stand for. “The trees were such a gift that we organized the building around the experience of the trees,” says architect Jim Cutler of Cutler Anderson Architects. “How could you not love this presence? It’s like a relation or an ancestor, like having your grandfather in the room all the time.”

The dining and living areas of The Cliff House in Anacortes are separated by a wall that frames a painting of a shipwreck on Sheetrock, which pops out from CLEAF paneling made in Italy, says architect Brooks Middleton. The paneling also shows up on the kitchen cabinets, but in a different color. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times, 2018)


3. Paneling That Pops
Dec. 7, 2018; Anacortes
Everything about The Cliff House, a one-of-a-kind inhabitable observatory more than 50 dramatic feet above the Guemes Channel, stands out: so much so, the home won two awards from the Skagit/Island Counties Builders Association, including Project of the Year, in 2018. But that paneling! The word sounds so standard, but this is anything but. This is a laminate manufactured in Italy by CLEAF that “comes in giant sheets,” says architect Brooks Middleton, who worked with Strandberg Construction. It coats the walls with the richness of hot fudge. It fronts the kitchen cabinetry in melty French vanilla mixed with just one dollop of hot fudge. It’s warm and really, really cool, and you can’t not touch it. And then — surprise! — it takes on a whole new dimension when Sheetrock pops out to frame the homeowners’ art pieces. 

The upstairs kids’ loft of Heron Hall on Bainbridge Island overlooks the cathedral-like great room, with giant salvaged beams and columns from the island, a Big Ass Fan (“It’s a heck of an air-mover,” says designer Jason F. McLennan) and the only deliberately imported element in all of Heron Hall: David Trubridge lights ordered from New Zealand that come flat-packed in a tiny box. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2017)


4. Extra-Bright Shades of Green
May 11, 2017; Bainbridge Island
Heron Hall, designed by Jason F. McLennan of McLennan Design, is a genuinely groundbreaking tribute to regenerative design, local materials, salvaged treasures and bespoke green products and techniques — one of the most advanced buildings ever and “completely solar-powered and completely off the water grid,” says McLennan, who worked with general contractor Smallwood Design & Construction and a bevy of contributors and craftspeople. Two-foot-thick rammed-earth walls start at the entry gate, rise two stories through the powerful central stair tower and ground the entire home with what McLennan calls “a literal stabilizing presence.” “We wanted Heron Hall to be timeless, for generations,” he says. “We hope it’s the kind of house that 100 to 200 years from now, families will be in it, loving it and using it.”

White Panton chairs surround the COR-TEN steel-topped dining table, custom-designed by Hilary Young Design Associates, under a Logico Triple Linear Suspension Light. Bowling art further brightens the already-light living room. Peace Industry felt rugs, in custom designs by Young, anchor the space; the black chairs are Mies van der Rohe Barcelona. (Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times, 2016)


5. Whimsy to Spare
Aug. 19, 2016; Enatai
A giant neon bowling-alley sign is the shining North Star of the neighborhood. (As in, “Hang a left after the giant neon bowling-alley sign.”) You can see how that might happen: The thing is 8 feet tall, 6 feet wide, nice and high in the living-room window and — repeated for emphasis — neon. It’s also the whimsical kingpin of this strikingly renovated midcentury-modern home, a veritable gallery of singular finds artfully united and sited by interior designer Hilary Young of Hilary Young Design Associates. That giant sign (neon; did we mention?) ties together the whole airy living/dining area. “Not many houses can handle it,” Young says, “but this house is perfect.” Just a 7-10 split away, over the fireplace and its original surround, hangs a series of Warhol-ized official White House photos of Richard Nixon. He. Is. Bowling.

Intricate woodwork by Makoto Imai, who crafted this entire Japanese guesthouse in Shoreline, graces the ceiling of the gathering room. “Japanese homes are post and beam,” he says. “The posts are cedar — white or yellow color, with the opposite color, red, as a nice contrast. At some special point, we add hardwood. It looks simple, but it’s all simple beauty.” (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2020)


6. Masterful Craftsmanship
May 10, 2020; Shoreline
Makoto Imai is a true master craftsman of traditional Japanese woodworking and construction. He uses no nails, no bolts, no screws — just precisely aligned, gorgeous joinery, and hand tools carrying 8,000 years of history that he brought from Japan. Over his 50-year career, Makoto (he’d prefer we call him Makoto) has designed and built homes in Japan, in California, on the East Coast and in Washington — including this one-bedroom Japanese Sukiya Guesthouse, designed with Cardwell Architects “primarily as an entertaining space” and situated on a serious 100-foot-high bluff overlooking sparkling Puget Sound, amid Zen gardens and a languid pond. Typical of Makoto’s work, the materials are natural: clay tile, concrete foundation, Japanese clay plaster walls. And the wood, of course, is perfection: Alaskan yellow cedar posts, Western red cedar beams, entry stairs with bamboo insets — with all wooden joints shaped by hand, by Makoto.

Up on the rooftop of this modern home in Magnolia designed by Jill Rerucha of ReruchaStudio (the builder was Mint Build), a super-roomy yoga studio pops up atop a view-perfect deck. (Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times, 2016)


7. Stretch Higher!
Nov. 4, 2016; Magnolia
“[One of the homeowners] needed to stand on his hands.” Jill Rerucha, of ReruchaStudio, tosses out that statement from the skylighted yoga studio that pops atop this sparkling home almost as if it’s a design requirement she hears all the time: “We’d like natural materials; an awesome indoor-outdoor connection; and, you know, plenty of overhead (overfeet) clearance.” Turns out, a daily handstand also worked as a metaphor for the entire home-design and -building experience. “It really was a balancing act,” Rerucha says — of processes, and of options. “With a modest budget, you choose selectively. It’s like an outfit. Prada shoes and a Gap T-shirt are just fine. You do not need all Prada.” But this transitional, transformative, upside-down space really was a must.

Fir plywood with a whitewash stain brightens the previously dark attic, now brilliantly transformed with a curved translucent wall, a wood-burning stove, a new skylight and the home’s only TV (hidden behind plywood). This classic Tudor Revival home in Queen Anne was updated by architect John DeForest while maintaining its historic charm. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times, 2019)


8. A Surprisingly Artsy Attic
March 8, 2019; Queen Anne
In the top-to-bottom remodel of this 1915 Tudor Revival home, you will not see THIS top coming — which is the whole idea. The classic/modern mishmash starts right inside the formal entry and progresses — gradually, intentionally, surprisingly — as you climb. You might have to seek out the plywood stairs to the attic (they’re hidden behind what looks like a closet door), but — ohmygosh. Find the stairs. Climb them. Pick up your jaw from the plywood floor. Then follow the bright, barely stained plywood up the walls and onto the ceiling, as it defines angles, shadows, spaces … and perhaps the most unexpected element of all: a curved, supercool translucent wall. “In the attic … there was just this amazing shape,” architect John DeForest says. “As soon as we tried a rectangular wall up there, it detracted from the roofline, so we inscribed this elliptical shape in creating all these different, interesting spaces that are surprising, not conventional.” Along the attic edges, a guest bedroom, a bathroom, nooks and crannies tuck along squeeze-through, watch-your-head passageways — “all these ins and outs, a whole network of spaces,” DeForest says. They are not easy to navigate. Also not an accident. The experience, it turns out, is the ultimate intent.

Customized COR-TEN steel entry ramps lead over a fountained moat to this Innis Arden garage, a hefty 22-foot-span of more COR-TEN that’s raised and lowered with a hydraulic pumping station. (Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times, 2016)


9. One Highly Designed Driveway
Dec. 9, 2016; Innis Arden
Typically, as its name so aptly implies, a driveway simply gets you to a house. Right? Drive (this) way! Keep it between the lines. There; you made it. So let’s not call the artful entrance to this home a driveway, K? This brief stretch of deep imagination, this unexpected collection of textures, features and materials, carries far more than the random sedan: It embodies the entire aesthetic of the equally inspired home it leads to. This driveway is designed. There is grass. There are pavers. Lights. Fountains. There is a moat. People! A moat. You must cross it, on custom ramps, to reach the gorgeous garage. When the homeowners decided to remodel this solid circa-1946 specimen of Paul H. Kirk architecture — with Rainier Custom Homes and architect Darrin Petersen (Bjorn & Poulsen Fine Home Design) — they really did not want “the whole house to look like a garage” from the street. Now, even the garage doesn’t look like a garage from the street. 

This new detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) is connected to the century-old main house in Ravenna via a new deck, with cable-railing stairs leading to the sunken patio, where sliding glass doors open to a guest bedroom/workshop and bath. There’s a 200-degree view from the top deck, accessed by an awesome yellow popup loft space. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times, 2019)


10. DADU to the Rescue
Oct. 12, 2019; Ravenna
This mighty little DADU has saved the day, in so many ways. Before it existed — before its existence even was conceived — a family of four (plus two pets) was contending with seriously confined quarters in their century-old Craftsman bungalow. Every option seemed too complicated, too disruptive, too not quite right. To the rescue came Living Shelter Architects, along with Mighty House Construction and Entero Design, with an especially inspired out-of-the-bungalow idea: a detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU). It made sense, and it also could make history: This backyard cottage is designed to be one of the first carbon-neutral DADUs in the country, says Living Shelter founder and principal architect Terry Phelan. The 620-square-foot DADU is a mini-marvel of energy- and space-saving ingenuity, plus gigantic fun: A custom foldaway staircase leads to an upper-level light-shelf/loft space and a rooftop deck with spectacular views. 

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels in the second-floor master suite and the adjoining bedroom of The CLT House in Madison Park, designed by architect Susan Jones, were routed with a design Jones created to evoke the knots in the wood, allowing for increased light, and privacy from the alley below. (Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times, 2016)


11. Gorgeously Green
Jan. 15, 2016; Madison Park
Architect Susan Jones of atelierjones LLC said this home was the first permitted building in Seattle, and one of the first multistoried structures in the country, to use cross-laminated timber (CLT), highly energy-efficient, layered engineered wood panels oriented at right angles and glued into bigger, stronger structural panels. All told, 67 prefabricated CLT panels were delivered from British Columbia; they act as both structure and interior wall finish. The home’s exterior is strikingly charred shou-sugi-ban Douglas fir; inside, it’s luminously light and open. The white pine CLT is raw, textured and only slightly whitewashed, and upstairs, sunlight slices through two CLT panels where the manufacturer carved a design Jones created to evoke the wood’s pine knots; the result is both natural and somewhat nautical. “The first thing is to let the wood speak for itself,” Jones says. “We wanted to express the volumes of the wood, to let the grain move with the space — not decorate it, just let the light fall across it.”

The dramatic floating staircase of this Washington Park home rises in the grand entry hall, with French limestone floors and a textured steel wall crafted by Decorative Metal Arts. “The challenge to design the stairs was to keep them as open as possible through the window,” says project manager Michael McFadden of Stuart Silk Architects. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2017)


12. Elevated Stairs
Oct. 19, 2017; Washington Park
In a gleeful expression of collaboration, Stuart Silk Architects (principals Silk and Mike Troyer, and project manager Michael McFadden) teamed with builder Schultz Miller, interior designer Amy Baker and a passel of craftspeople to create this gleaming, gabled, contemporary-yet-traditional waterfront home. The blended delight continues right inside with a dramatic staircase backed by a towering, textured steel wall crafted by Decorative Metal Arts. Says Silk: “We always wanted a center spine of steel, so the stair was floating and kind of wrapped up and around that. The embedded stair detail is pretty memorable. That was, I thought, a really great way to bring another level of detail to the wall.”

A glass dividing wall crafted by Glassworks “screens the dining area from the entry” of this Kirkland home, says architect Rick Chesmore, who custom-designed the Oregon black-walnut table under a cloud ceiling that “screens mechanical equipment and brings the scale down.” (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2017)


13. Cutting-edge Glass
April 7, 2017; Kirkland
The glass masters at Glassworks, a Seattle company that designs and creates custom architectural glass, crafted a massive wall that elegantly divides the dining area and the entry of a cool and contemporary home designed by architect Rick Chesmore of Chesmore|Buck Architecture. “That wall … you wouldn’t have thought: ‘What keeps it there?’ ” says Steve Shahbaghlian of Glassworks. “The only thing for us was: ‘Can we do that?’ We came up with the idea and took exact measurements. Everything’s very specific.” 

A can’t-miss mariners compass anchors the beautifully curved library of this Hood Canal home. “Since there was only one place for books, we wanted it to be special,” says architect Greg Belding. “The house is a box with a few angles; it felt right to have a circular element — different and special.” (Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times, 2016)


14. Which Way Is Up?
Nov. 11, 2016; Hood Canal
There are two mariners compasses embedded in this views-for-nautical-miles waterfront home along Hood Canal. One is big and bold and plain as day: the tiled focal point on the floor of the exquisitely circular library. (The other is easier to miss, on the stone porch.) “We wanted a place to discover, especially for the kids,” says architect Greg Belding of Rice Fergus Miller, who teamed with Steve Rice. So the lower shelves in the cozy library hold kids’ books and a stuffed animal near an heirloom rocking/reading chair. A ship’s ladder rises to a streetside loft, with a metal-spring bed from the site’s original cabin, a porthole for waving a flag to Grandpa as he works in the hobby shop/garage across the street, plus sleeping bags tucked into a hidden storage nook.

The pool on the lower level of the historic Bordeaux House on Capitol Hill “was existing, and a pretty big topic of conversation,” says Kim Clements of JAS Design Build. “The kids wanted to keep it. We thought: ‘What would Teddy Roosevelt have done? Let’s have some fun.’ We added the new ‘No Diving.’ ” (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2019)


15. C’mon In/Down for a Swim!
Oct. 5, 2019; Capitol Hill
When the team at JAS Design Build — including creative director Kim Clements, project architect Nick Robertson and designer Kaitlin Tripp-Addison — updated the majestic 1904 Bordeaux House, the overall mission was to bring its 20+ rooms to a more personal scale and to honor the legacy of all the families who lived here before — along with the existing pool on the lower level. This historic home encompasses 8,000 square feet over five levels, so it takes 50 cardio-hardy steps to ascend from the main-level kitchen to the tippy-top-floor media room — and that’s not even counting the other stairs down to this fabulously fun pool room. And those stairs really count. Because: fabulously fun pool room.

The entry stairway in this stone home on Lake Washington “started from a picture of a staircase in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel,” says architect Tom Kuniholm. “Nathie (Katzoff, of NK Woodworking & Design) did the sketches, fabricated and tooled it. He had to make each piece differently, the curve is so tight.” (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2017)


16. A Grand Entrance
March 24, 2017; Bellevue
Informal and formal, Old World and state-of-the-art, this luxuriously romantic stone home on Lake Washington succeeds grandly on many levels — literally, many, many levels: “three floors with half-levels in between, to get the hillside to work with the house,” architect Tom Kuniholm says. All those levels require a lot of stairs, as you might imagine — with one almost-unimaginably OMG stairway in the entry: locally milled walnut treads, risers and stringers bracketed by meticulously hand-wrought iron. “It’s the tour de force,” says Kuniholm. That could be an understatement. “All the steelwork is hand-forged, with a hand-shaped, carved railing,” says artisan fabricator Nathie Katzoff, of NK Woodworking & Design. “Each piece is unique in geometry and 100{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48} custom.” The elaborate handrail is held together by just two or three fasteners, he says; otherwise it’s all wood joinery. “It’s really traditional, 2,000-year-old techniques. It was a fair amount of work.” That could be another understatement. Katzoff crafted the staircase in the shop and installed it in pieces. All told, he says, it required 3,000 hours of labor. 

In the brilliantly luminous kitchen of The Elliott Bay House, beech cabinets showcase a custom CNC-milled pattern freehand-sketched by architect Nils Finne; he calls it “imaginary landscape”: river valleys with mountain topography between them. Three sets of free-form, sensuously curved steel lighting bars, drawn “all in one piece” by Finne and crafted by Landbridge Lighting, are set in recessed beech panels in the ceiling to unite the kitchen and adjacent dining area. (Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times, 2016)


17. Hands-on Craftsmanship
May 5, 2016
On one hand, architect Nils Finne embraces state-of-the-art design machinery, like super-sophisticated CNC routers and extra-large industrial water-jet cutters. On the other hand … well, the other hand is kinda busy sketching those designs, thank you very much, with a good old inkbrush, on good old paper. In one giant design high-five, it all comes together in the touchable, true craftsmanship throughout The Elliott Bay House. “The human hand drives the machine,” says the namesake of FINNE Architects — and crafted modernism results. “Crafted modernism brings back the idea you can use natural materials and machine them to suggest natural patterns. Technology allows us to bring a level of craft to the design of the home that is unheard of.”

The master bedroom and great room of “City Cabin” glow from the secluded Seattle backyard. “Siting the 2,400-square-foot house on the northwest corner of the lot maximizes garden areas on the south and east sides,” says architect Jim Olson, of Olson Kundig (OK), who worked with OK project manager/architect Renee Boone, OK interior designer Christine Burkland, landscape designer Brandon Peterson of The Palm Room and Dovetail general contractors on this super-sustainable urban retreat. “The home’s staggered footprint allows for more glazing, which increases sun exposure and garden views from every room.” (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2017)


18. An Oooh and Ahhh Oasis
Dec. 1, 2017; Seattle
Design principal Jim Olson, of Olson Kundig, and the homeowner have been friends-that-feel-like-family most of their lives, and this glorious super-sustainable retreat in Seattle — Olson calls it “City Cabin” — certainly benefited from interpersonal inspiration. The owner envisioned sun-worshipping clerestories and windows, along with a nothing-fancy-please common area, two separate bedrooms and a private connection to nature — all on an ordinary city lot. So Olson maximized the anything-but-ordinary home’s 2,400 square feet, working to “get as much as you can out of as little space,” he says. Its fabulous, functional design organizes around a brilliantly bright, high-ceilinged great room, with two extending wings (one the master suite, and the other a guest room and storage) and soothing garden views from every single room.

The intricately carved original door to this 1929 Capitol Hill home was solid mahogany (except for a Speakeasy door) and solidly dark. The new handmade door keeps the mahogany and the original shape, but adds glass. (Benjamin Benschneider/The Seattle Times, 2016)


19. Quite a First Impression
Oct. 7, 2016; Capitol Hill
“This brick is special,” architect Eric Gedney says of this classically elegant 1929 home. “The character of it is so strong.” As Gedney expanded, preserved and updated the home, artisan mason Todd Taylor of Ernest Construction counted bricks to see how many could be salvaged or restored. Bricks were removed, matched and reinstalled, and now original bricks, found bricks and re-created bricks coexist, seamlessly. At the entry, the intricately carved original door was solid mahogany (except for a Speakeasy door) and solidly dark. The new handmade door keeps the mahogany and the original shape (and the dramatic brick frame), but adds glass. “There’s a lot to figure out in its character,” Gedney says. “Do you know it’s not original? No.”

The livable lunar lander designed and built by naval architect Kurt Hughes on the banks of the Columbia River near Beverly, Washington, shines, somehow especially appropriately, during the Aug. 21, 2017, solar eclipse (which was near-total, 96{6d6906d986cb38e604952ede6d65f3d49470e23f1a526661621333fa74363c48}, in this photo). Hughes’ lunar lander features familiar geometric shapes. “I think every lunar lander was different,” he says. “Obviously, I’m just exploiting the form, but no one has looked at it and said, ‘That’s not accurate.’ It’s far back enough in history, people think: ‘He must know what he’s doing.’ ” (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times, 2017)


20. An Excellent Use of Space
Dec. 8, 2017; Central Washington
Houston, we have a project. Technically, it is not a starship, but it certainly has proved quite the enterprise. Its DIY commander, naval architect Kurt Hughes, systematically designed and built this livable, lovable lunar lander, securely perched on an acre of peaceful riverfront terrain. It is out-of-this-world spectacular. And this is no tiny house that vaguely resembles something space-y, fellow Earthlings. This is a “retrofuturist” and officially permitted lunar-lander tiny house (total weight, less than 3,000 pounds; total square footage, 250). It kind of stands out. “There are four sides and four truncations — it’s technically a hexagon,” Hughes says. “The intent is that it’s cool from every side.” Mission accomplished.

Bonus Bathtubs!
I must be drawn to baths (ha!), because each of these serene soaking sites is deeply seared into my memory.

1b (for bathtub!). June 27, 2018; Mercer Island.
Interior designer LeeAnn Baker, LeeAnn Baker Interiors, with architect Craig Stillwell of Stillwell Hanson Architects and Joseph McKinstry Construction Company.

2b. Oct. 25, 2018; Ellensburg.
Principal designers Jeff Bates and Trevor Lunde (GLY Construction); builder: Town & Country Homes; landscaping: Central Valley Nursery; interior design: homeowner.  

3b. Sept. 15, 2016; West Seattle.
Architect Tom Lambright (Lambright Design Group).

4b. Nov. 16, 2019; Clyde Hill.
Principal architect Paul Michael Davis and a team from Paul Michael Davis Architects, Boom Builders, art adviser Lele Barnett and Dan Di Zazzo Landscape Architecture.

5b. Oct. 25, 2018; Mazama.
Architecture: Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects, principal architect, and Matthew Radach, project architect; general contractor: Impel Construction; landscaping and plantings: Goat Wall Landscaping; interior design: homeowner.


Sandy Deneau Dunham
writes about architecture and design for Pacific NW and is associate editor of the magazine. Reach her at sdunham@seattletimes.com.