The Pinehills Outdoor Living Retreat
An Elevated Outdoor Living Space in Plymouth, MA
Landscape Design & Build | Natural Stone Patio | Fire Pit | Plantings & Front Yard Landscaping
Timeline: 5-8 Weeks
Setting: Modern farmhouse, Plymouth, MA
The Goal, and What the Site Required
The homeowners had a beautiful modern farmhouse and a backyard with potential, but no clear purpose yet. They wanted a space that worked like an extension of the house:
Somewhere to gather around a fire on cool nights, a proper spot to host a summer dinner, and a landscape that looked intentional in every season without demanding a weekend of upkeep.
To make that work, the design had to create distinct zones for relaxing and dining without carving the yard into boxes. Grade and drainage had to be addressed from the start so the hardscape would hold up well beyond the first season. Every material and planting choice also had to strike the right balance between polished and natural. Too built-up would feel out of place against the home’s clean white exterior and stone entry, while too little structure would feel unfinished.
The Approach
We designed the backyard around two connected zones, joined by flowing planting beds.
The Circular Fire Pit Lounge
The circular fire pit lounge anchors the space. A round natural stone patio, central stone fire pit, Adirondack chairs, and curved planting beds create a symmetrical gathering area that feels softened, grounded, and connected to the yard.
The Dining Patio
Nearby, the dining patio holds a full outdoor dining set with easy access from the house. A secondary seating area extends the zone, giving the homeowners space for dinner, drinks, and conversation without breaking the flow.
Irrigular Flagtone
Irregular flagstone connects the two areas with soft, curving edges instead of hard geometry. Against the woodland backdrop, the stone feels natural, established, and right for the home’s architecture.
The Details That Tie It Together
Organic Geometry
Curving bed lines and flowing flagstone edges guide movement through the space without hard boundaries between zones.
Layered Plantings, Crisp Edges
Ornamental grasses, perennials, shrubs, and evergreens carry color and texture spring through fall, then hold structure through winter. Clean turf edges frame the patios and keep the design feeling finished.
Material Echoes
Accent boulders tuck into the plantings at key transitions, grounding the design and echoing the stone on the home’s entry facade.
Front-to-Back Consistency
Framed planting corridors from the driveway to the front door carry the same design language to the curb, keeping the property polished from every approach.
The Result
The backyard now works the way the homeowners pictured it.
The fire pit draws everyone in on cool evenings. The dining patio hosts summer nights that run long. The plantings give the yard something to look at in every season, and the flagstone ties it together so the space reads as one intentional landscape rather than a series of add-ons.
The house finally has a backyard worth walking into, and the family has a single partner for the maintenance that keeps it looking this way.
Investment
Projects at this level typically run $55,000–$75,000, with the majority going to hardscape and stonework, supported by plantings, site prep, and grading.
Picture Something Like This?
If your backyard has potential but no clear plan, we’d love to help you shape it into a space that feels connected, usable, and complete.
Serving Middleborough, Plymouth, Kingston, Duxbury, Hanover,
Norwell, Pembroke, Bridgewater, and Surrounding Areas