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A Riverwoods, Illinois, property has been expanded into a 24,000-square-foot garden combining an Italian-countryside aesthetic with the site’s existing woodland features. The Outside Design Studio and En Masse Architecture & Design planned paths, planting areas, a kitchen garden, greenhouse and pavilion for both gardening and everyday use.
A garden in Riverwoods, Illinois, has grown to cover 24,000 square feet after its owners bought a neighboring property and incorporated it into the landscape they had tended for more than 30 years. In a report, Homes and Gardens describes a design by The Outside Design Studio and En Masse Architecture & Design that pairs Italian-countryside references with paths and planting shaped around the wooded site.
The owners wanted a home and landscape surrounded by greenery, with views framed from the house, according to Homes and Gardens. Adding the neighboring parcel gave the designers room to connect the existing garden with new outdoor spaces, including a vegetable and fruit garden, raised beds, a greenhouse and a pavilion.
The Outside Design Studio extended the driveway into a looping route through the expanded grounds. The plan uses existing boulders and bluestone thresholds as cues, and carries bluestone across the property. Garden beds, fences, gates and a pergola also take design details from the main house, linking the new landscape to the existing architecture.
Planting was selected for its structure, texture and seasonal changes. The report names Hydrangea macrophylla, Allium ‘Summer Beauty’ and Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ among the plants used to create form and late-summer color. A cedar pergola, made with the same material as the home’s entry, frames an Italian terracotta planter as a focal point beside the kitchen garden.
A Garden Built for Daily Use
The project treats the landscape as more than a view from the house. Its kitchen garden supports food growing, while the greenhouse is designed for propagation and potting as well as dining. A pavilion at the garden’s edge provides tool storage and a sheltered place to sit after gardening.
That mix of practical and social spaces is central to the design described in the report. The greenhouse includes custom metalwork, a stone sink and cast-concrete potting benches; it can also serve as a candlelit dining room connected to the kitchen. The result, according to the project description, is a garden intended to accommodate routine work and leisure without separating the two.
The project also shows how a strongly styled garden can be adapted to its site. Rather than relying only on decorative Italian references, the plan uses the property’s existing stone and terrain to connect its different areas. That approach gives the owners’ desired countryside mood a distinct setting in Riverwoods.
raised garden beds for vegetables cedar
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From Two Parcels to One Landscape
The homeowners had lived on and cared for the original property for more than three decades. As they entered a new stage of life, they envisioned a greener home and landscape. Their purchase of the adjacent parcel made it possible to expand the garden while retaining the established grounds.
The design brought together landscape architecture by The Outside Design Studio and interior architecture by En Masse Architecture & Design. Pappas Company handled landscape construction. Homes and Gardens credits photography to Scott Shigley and John Boehm. The source report presents the work as a private residential garden; it does not describe it as a public attraction.
“They envisioned a home and landscape enveloped in greenery, where every window frames a view.”
— The homeowners, as described by Homes and Gardens
greenhouse potting bench with sink
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What the Report Does Not Specify
The source does not give the project’s completion date, construction cost or the exact timeline for acquiring the neighboring parcel. It also does not provide details about the garden’s maintenance requirements, plant quantities or how the planting performs across different seasons beyond describing seasonal color.
The garden is on private property, and the report does not say whether visitors can access it. The homeowners’ names are not included in the supplied material. Its Italian-countryside character is a design description, not a claim that the site reproduces a particular Italian landscape.
Italian terracotta outdoor planter large
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No Public Opening Announced
The report does not announce a public opening, future event or further construction phase. The garden’s stated uses are tied to the homeowners’ daily life, including growing plants, tending the kitchen garden, dining in the greenhouse and taking time in the pavilion. Any change in access or plans would require confirmation from the owners or designers; none is provided in the source material.
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Key Questions
Where is the garden?
It is on a private property in Riverwoods, Illinois, according to Homes and Gardens.
How large is the expanded garden?
The report gives the expanded site’s area as 24,000 square feet. The source does not provide a separate measurement for the original parcel.
Who designed the landscape?
The Outside Design Studio worked on the landscape with En Masse Architecture & Design, which also designed the greenhouse as a workspace and living area. Pappas Company is credited with landscape construction.
What makes the garden Italian-inspired?
The report points to a terracotta planter, a pergola, and the homeowners’ vision of a rustic Italian-countryside feel. The design also uses the property’s existing bluestone and woodland features.
Can the public visit?
The source describes a private residential garden and does not announce public access or tours.
Source: rss
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