This project earned Landscapes by Randy Lee, Inc. a Gold Award for Residential Design/Build in the 2023 Awards of Excellence.
Along the waters of St. Petersburg, Florida, sits a stylish home that underwent major renovations during COVID, including the addition of a modern landscape. Before the project began, the owners wanted to upgrade the existing home and make it more desirable for future generations. While starting from scratch was an option, they made extensive remodels to keep the existing house. And to bring their vision to life, they worked with Landscapes by Randy Lee, Inc., based in St. Peterburg.
From beginning to end, the project took nearly two years to complete.
“I had five team members working on the project, and I had my subcontractors complete the pool, irrigation, LED lighting, and sod work,” says Randy Lee, the owner. “As we finished the construction and pool, the 1⁄2-acre site was graded, then large trees, palms, and boulders were installed, along with irrigation. The next step was completing the driveway, which took about eight weeks, then we added the sod, landscaping, and over 150 LED lights.”
One reason for the extended timeline was the FEMA flood rules and the slow process of getting the property permits.
“The rules are complicated and different for a new build versus a remodeled project,” Lee says. “They tell you when, where, and how much you can build. And on this project, we had to do two separate permits because of FEMA, which meant two separate landscape phases.”
A key goal of the design was to provide a contemporary look throughout the site, beginning at the front of the home.
“We created a 60’ custom-designed driveway that was formed using brick, travertine, and artificial turf,” Lee says. “Initially, the driveway started as a circular design, but it had to be changed because of impermeability issues, which worked out well since I liked the end result better.”
Lee shares another design element, “Another major focus was the house itself – we had a piece of art we were allowed to design around.”
Other areas of the front include islands of trees with variegated agave and groups of boulders. Along the fence, you’ll find Asiatic jasmine ‘Minima,’ which provides a groundcover in the narrow beds on either side of the driveway. Near the front entrance is a trio of mast trees that provide height and soften the entrance. Ground lighting illuminates the walls, boulders, trees, and fence pillars at night.
“Throughout the property, we decided on architecturally significant plantings,” Lee says. “And we continued that look with the addition of large boulders and a monochromatic color scheme.”
Behind the house, a spacious back patio features stunning views and a 50’ infinity-edge pool that drops into the intercoastal waterway. While the result was impressive, getting to that point was challenging and expensive.
“The pool wouldn’t dry out, so we had to use a 24-hour commercial pump,” Lee adds.
To fill the 52’ x 14’ pool and the spa, they needed 100 yards of concrete. Once the concrete was added, they were able to finish the interior, while adding tile and decking.
Across the property, over 400 seasonal flowers were added, along with customized planters.
Some of these plantings were installed around the pool, including geraniums used in pots and the beds toward the far end of the pool.
As the results came to life, the owners were amazed by the transformation.
“The clients were stunned that we could create a soft but sophisticated design for their new home,” Lee says. “They feel as if they get to live in a piece of living art, and many cars continually stop to take pictures of the project.”
This project has also been rewarding for Lee and his team.
“The best part has been the feedback from the NALP, the clients, and the other contractors,” Lee adds. “When people tell you they have never seen such a cool and beautiful landscape project. This project just “felt right,” and I knew it was a winner.”
Interested in participating in the Awards of Excellence? Enter your projects by July 29, 2024.
This article was published in the July/August issue of the magazine. To read more stories from The Edge magazine, click here to subscribe to the digital edition.
