Humboldt Mid-Century
Modern Landscape

Converting an overgrown, unsightly, and underused yard into a functional outdoor oasis requires careful planning, skilled design, and the harmonization of multiple elements. But when done correctly, this type of project can be awe inspiring. 

Grasstains was tasked with such a project in Humboldt, a neighborhood in Northeast Portland where an eye-catching mid-century modern ranch home was lost among a yard that had challenging topography, an abundance of unkempt plants and shrubs, and seemingly no design for function or use. 

To satisfy various objectives for this project, we worked with a collaborative partner, Melissa Mendrois of Landline, who created the blueprint for a series of outdoor spaces that each serve a specific purpose. Curb appeal was a priority for the front yard, but sloping land presented landscaping challenges because of rain run-off, so the Grasstains team built a practical but attractive rain garden.  In areas where irrigation was difficult to access grasstains found efficiency in cost by developing plantings that could persist without irrigation using drought-tolerant succulents and other native plantings. Privacy was a second objective for the front, so our team of landscape construction experts who specialize in garden carpentry services built a minimal and modern fence that fit in with the new landscape without fully blocking the view of the home.

For the back yard, we provided a combination of outdoor living design and build services to create two separate spaces designated by differing ground cover, one for small gatherings and relaxation, and another that could be seamlessly integrated with the first to accommodate larger get togethers. The foundation was laid with hardscape designs, and garden structures like benches and decorative screens, and enhanced by outdoor lighting and flattering but easy to manage landscape plantings. The result was a complete transformation - from a soggy, unused yard to natural and modern looking spaces that allow flexibility for any activity.