featured property Belmont Carriage House

Belmont, MA | This historic Belmont home and carriage house studio presented a nuanced design challenge: preserve sweeping views of the Boston skyline while creating the privacy, comfort, and structure needed for everyday family life. Our approach balanced openness and enclosure through layered perennial gardens, clipped hedging, and carefully placed evergreen screening. Hemlock, spruce, and arborvitae define the property edges on three sides, while a clipped yew hedge reinforces privacy without sacrificing light or long views. Mature trees were introduced to establish an immediate canopy and give the landscape a more grounded, settled presence.

Movement through the property is organized by subtle shifts in material, grade, and planting. Brick walkways, granite steps, low walls, and natural hedges guide visitors through a sequence of outdoor rooms that feel distinct yet connected. At the heart of the design, a checkerboard lawn and stone walk create a strong visual axis while introducing a quiet garden moment within the broader landscape. Nearby, a brick and bluestone patio connects the main house to the carriage house and provides a gracious setting for dining, lounging, and entertaining.

Seasonal planters, layered shrubs, and flowering perennials soften the hardscape and bring texture, color, and rhythm throughout the growing season. A permeable gravel driveway improves drainage while reinforcing the property’s understated, old-world character. The result is a landscape that feels refined, private, and highly livable, with each element working together to support both daily use and quiet enjoyment.  

Location: Belmont, MA (02478)
Features: bluestone patio, brick walkways and walls, checkerboard lawn, gravel driveway, privacy screening, layered perennial planting
Project Type: historic carriage house landscape
Services: landscape design, construction, seasonal planting, maintenance
Landscape Design: a Blade of Grass