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Before & After: A Modern Landscape Fit for a Finca in Los Angeles

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Before & After: A Modern Landscape Fit for a Finca in Los Angeles

July 26, 2024

When Stephanie Wong and her partner, Daniel Watson, found their future home in Atwater Village back in 2021, they saw potential behind the concrete lot and dated details. “During the search, we saw so many quick flips with cheap finishes and cookie cutter design choices. Although the property needed work, we were glad to design it in a way that matched our personal vision,” Stephanie describes. It was their first renovation and first landscape project. The result is a thoughtfully updated 1920s Spanish-style property the couple dubbed Finca Glenfeliz.  Join us for a tour of the garden.

The building seen here is former two-car garage converted into a small studio the couple now rents for production through Peerspace. The etched terracotta pots at the entrance are from Plant Provisions. Photograph by Marc Gabor for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: The building seen here is former two-car garage converted into a small studio the couple now rents for production through Peerspace. The etched terracotta pots at the entrance are from Plant Provisions. Photograph by Marc Gabor for Finca Glenfeliz.

Stephanie works as Brand Director for ORCA, an LA-based landscape design and outdoor product studio founded by Molly Sedlacek. “The garden renovation was actually what brought me to work with ORCA in the first place,” she says. “I fell in love with the landscape design process. It truly is an art form.”

Shown here is a Catalina Ironwood tree, a California native found at Devil Mountain Nursery. As for the grass, &#8\2\20;we went with a native California no-mow mix which requires less water, feels more wild, and looks less manicured,&#8\2\2\1; Stephanie explains. &#8\2\20;We wanted this zone to feel like a meadow so we brought in a chunk wood stool from Angel City Lumber and natural stone.&#8\2\2\1; Photograph by Marc Gabor for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: Shown here is a Catalina Ironwood tree, a California native found at Devil Mountain Nursery. As for the grass, “we went with a native California no-mow mix which requires less water, feels more wild, and looks less manicured,” Stephanie explains. “We wanted this zone to feel like a meadow so we brought in a chunk wood stool from Angel City Lumber and natural stone.” Photograph by Marc Gabor for Finca Glenfeliz.
For added privacy from the street, they replaced the open wrought iron gate with a cedar gate. The gravel is Del Rio Pea Gravel and the path is made up of Utah Sunrise Flagstones from Bourget Bros. It&#8\2\17;s lined with two vegetable gardens that Daniel built of redwood and a mix of California natives and Australian species. Photograph by Marc Gabor for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: For added privacy from the street, they replaced the open wrought iron gate with a cedar gate. The gravel is Del Rio Pea Gravel and the path is made up of Utah Sunrise Flagstones from Bourget Bros. It’s lined with two vegetable gardens that Daniel built of redwood and a mix of California natives and Australian species. Photograph by Marc Gabor for Finca Glenfeliz.

For the first phase, Stephanie and Daniel worked with landscape designer Nola Eaglin Talmage at Field Sound who created the overall layout and plant palette while procuring hard-to-find materials like the flagstones, plants, and boulders. Inspired by the gardens of Mexico and the Mediterranean, the couple brought it in a warmer palette of pebbles, grasses, and stone. They demolished the concrete driveway that runs the length of the property from the street to the garage. From there they brought in bigger trees, boulders, laid flagstones, and pea gravel.

For the second phase, Stephanie and Daniel focused on the finishes themselves. Since joining ORCA, they’ve installed ORCA pavers to create a landing off the back studio and cladded the front porch in ORCA tiles to hide the cracked concrete. “The most rewarding part was seeing so much life in our garden after we removed the concrete and dying grass. I started seeing butterflies, bees, and birds creating a mini ecosystem in our backyard,” says Stephanie.

For the minimal outdoor shower, the idea was to feel immersed in plant life. They sourced two pieces of Deodar Cedar beams from Angel City Lumber and planted Acacia iteaphylla on either side. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: For the minimal outdoor shower, the idea was to feel immersed in plant life. They sourced two pieces of Deodar Cedar beams from Angel City Lumber and planted Acacia iteaphylla on either side. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
The shower is the Copper/Brass Outdoor Shower from ORCA. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: The shower is the Copper/Brass Outdoor Shower from ORCA. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
One corner sees a group of ORCA Adirondack Chairs in Steel (Rust) waiting for a future fire pit Stephanie and Daniel plan to add one day. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: One corner sees a group of ORCA Adirondack Chairs in Steel (Rust) waiting for a future fire pit Stephanie and Daniel plan to add one day. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
A view looking back at the main house where the addition of an Ipe wood deck extended the kitchen and primary bedroom allowing access to garden from both. The glass doors are framed in Douglas fir and the sconces are the Medium Dome Wall Sconces from Light Styles of Santa Fe. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: A view looking back at the main house where the addition of an Ipe wood deck extended the kitchen and primary bedroom allowing access to garden from both. The glass doors are framed in Douglas fir and the sconces are the Medium Dome Wall Sconces from Light Styles of Santa Fe. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
The green lounge chairs and table are the HAY Palissade collection. The outdoor table was a Rose Bowl Flea Market find made of wood reclaimed from old Los Angeles homes. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: The green lounge chairs and table are the HAY Palissade collection. The outdoor table was a Rose Bowl Flea Market find made of wood reclaimed from old Los Angeles homes. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
The house numbers are ORCA Custom House Numbers made from welded rod steel in a contemporary typeface. Stephanie and Daniel painted the house exterior and retaining walls themselves in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: The house numbers are ORCA Custom House Numbers made from welded rod steel in a contemporary typeface. Stephanie and Daniel painted the house exterior and retaining walls themselves in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
A grouping of Lyre Terracotta Planters from Rejuvenation stand in the entry. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: A grouping of Lyre Terracotta Planters from Rejuvenation stand in the entry. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
The ground cover seen here is Ceanothus griseus or &#8\2\20;Yankee Point&#8\2\2\1; paired with Sesleria &#8\2\20;Greenlee Hybrid&#8\2\2\1; grasses. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: The ground cover seen here is Ceanothus griseus or “Yankee Point” paired with Sesleria “Greenlee Hybrid” grasses. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
A wider view looking out from the garden to the street. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.
Above: A wider view looking out from the garden to the street. Photograph by Austin John for Finca Glenfeliz.

Before

A striking difference pre-renovation shows the dominate concrete driveway.
Above: A striking difference pre-renovation shows the dominate concrete driveway.
The nearly-empty side yard beside the now-studio, former garage.
Above: The nearly-empty side yard beside the now-studio, former garage.
Before the renovation, the property saw little to no privacy with low walls and an open wrought iron fence.
Above: Before the renovation, the property saw little to no privacy with low walls and an open wrought iron fence.

For more Before & After stories, see our posts:

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