Set at the end of a long access drive, this private residence had become overwhelmed (and the front door hidden) by the original landscaped area. The Owners undertook this project with the goals of opening up views into the home and out into the surrounding woods, adding a sense of arrival, and to develop a landscape that reflected their casual lifestyle. Visitors and family members now enter the property through an informal gate of granite pillars, low stone walls and plantings. Widened steps invite visitors to the front door, and the front lawn spans to low stone walls retaining a native-planted hillside, offering a colorful buffer to the woods beyond. Granite ledge exposed during construction was uncovered and has become a focal point from both the entry drive and the home. The new light-colored flagstone and covered lounging area has is transformed the pool’s former concrete decking into an outdoor entertaining space. Rough cut granite stairs strengthen the connection between the upper backyard to the lower lawn, which is used for summer and winter sports.