Landscape artist Stuart Webster transforms this large backyard into an elegant weekend for a busy couple.
It’s easy to see why Montreal interior designer Scott Yetman and his husband Jean Michel Lavoie named their country home Sans Souci. The house, a 1950s bungalow, sits on six acres in Knowlton, Quebec, which includes an oval-shaped pool, a tennis court and extensive gardens. Scott transformed the house from gold brick with large bay windows to a classic white and bright black structure. The couple now uses it as a weekend getaway from their busy careers in the city, as well as to entertain family and friends.
For the land, they enlisted the help of landscape architect Stuart Webster. “The gardens were treated in the same way as the house redesign,” Scott explains. “We sought out Stuart for his European architectural approach to garden design.” The plan, which landscape architect Eva Novoa helped Stuart design, included a mature cedar hedge that surrounds the 1.5-acre backyard. A sweep of hydrangeas planted in front of the hedge further encloses the space and adds lushness.
The oval pool in the center of the courtyard also provided much of the design direction. “The landscaping is centered around the pool,” Stuart explains. “We expanded its form, both structurally and visually.” Curved flowerbeds and a pea gravel path mimic the roundness of the pool. Even the grass around it is mowed so that it has the same circular pattern. “We’re kind of crazy about grass!” says Scott.
In another corner of the yard, Stuart designed a vegetable garden to grow vegetables and herbs, as well as flowers for cutting. And at the back of the house, a large covered terrace offers a breathtaking view of it all and provides a great place to relax and entertain. No worries indeed.
By: Jennifer Hughes of Style At Home