I feel blessed and honored to be named Home and Design Magazine's Portfolio - 100 Top Designers. Publication of the coffee table book will be released soon! Thank you to all who support and inspire me every day.

What an honor to again acquire the design and installation services from former clients. Designs By Elizabeth was in charge of all the exterior design and installation of our client’s home before the building process took place. It is important with new build projects to have a full design mapped out for every detail, so that when construction is in place, sleeves are placed for irrigation, lighting, pottery and fountains. We work with home builders and along with other aspects of construction contractors to make our clients dream a reality.

This beautiful New Orleans style custom home on Lake Conroe, reflects our clients love for entertaining with friends and family. Every detail from the front entry, with the low french fenced walls topped with Bevolo lanterns, exquisite Southern three-tiered fountain, natural stone driveway and lush planters invite visitors and leave quite an impression.

When visiting the back of the residence, you are stunned by the views, tiers, landscape, potted arragements, inviting custom pergola and below an expansive putting green and boat boardwalk and boathouse.

We love working with our clients! Especially ones as lovely as these.

WHAT WE DID

NEW ORLEANS COURTYARD

This newly constructed Memorial Home in the prestigious Spring Valley is the perfect spot for our clients to build new roots.  The Sample Family were raised in New Orleans and wanted to bring a bit of the French Market to their new residence.  As they love to entertain, we set out to add extra living space with an outdoor kitchen, pergola and rich travertine patio.  In addition, a seated Bench is the perfect low divider to frame our custom fountain space.

To Five the samples a screened-in courtyard feel, we planted Japanese Blueberry, Podocarpus, East Palatka Holly along the fence line.  This ensures that they can be maintained below the power line, keep a beautiful shape and not overwhelm the intimate landscape.  Lush evergreen blooming plant material anchors several planted arrangements that are filled with color.

With the addition of outdoor lighting and lighting integrated into the hardscape and fountain, the Sample Family now has a bit of the Big Easy year round, day or night to relax and enjoy.

Don't Forget....

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MANY VIEWS!

Starting a landscape design begins by taking in many views.  Make sure when planning a landscape, start in the interior of the residence and look out from every window.  Next stroll outside and find different areas to create unique focal points.  This can be a sitting area, a water or statue feature or a dramatic planting area to draw your eye.

Two water features too many?

Not if you individualize them

MAKING WATER FEATURES POP!

Our wall fountain is too dark and a bit too small o get a dramatic response on its own.  Take advantage of the situation and create a wall background, using existing brick and stone to bring a cohesive feel and create a dramatic impact.

Not every space requires a traditional fountain.  We chose three gorgeous large urns to use as disappearing fountains.  Transforming an ordinary small entry into a eye-popping welcome.  Lighting the fountains allows the Sample's to enjoy their exterior living space day or night!

WHAT WE DID

CREATE AND ENTRY

One of my favorite challenges has to be the Composto residence in the gated community of Kings River Estates.  They love the area of their home and had limited options of purchases within the very small community.  Although the residence is open, well-appointed and stunning on the inside, the outside had one major flaw; the home is imperfectly situated on the property lot.

The compost family has been our dear friends for years, and I more than anyone, realize how much they love to enjoy the company of friends and family.  As Italians (like my Greek roots), the Composto family has many friends and treat entertaining as a weekly event.  Unfortunately, the walkway to the entry was narrow and invariable closed off by parked cars in the driveway.  It didn't help that the gate imposing gate his the front door.

Pacing the street for quite awhile, I came up with a plan..  Pull back the fence line of a diagonal and build a low luscan wall with a custom open iron gate to keep their curious dog in hand.  And, most importantly, create a new and open walkway to the street.  To keep from replacing the entire courtyard stone, we lined the walkway with a matching stone that compliments the existing courtyard patio.  Summer, Fall and winter, this is a stunning landscape!

The homeowner's style, interior chic decor and bridge inspired this Japanese stroll garden; transforming a dull mismatched yard to a beautiful Japanese landscape.

Kaiyu-shiki or Strolling Gardens require the observer to walk through the garden to fully appreciate it. A premeditated path takes observers through each unique area of a Japanese garden. Uneven surfaces are placed in specific spaces to prompt people to look down at particular points. When the observer looks up, they will see an eye-catching ornamentation which is intended to enlighten and revive the spirit of the observer. This type of design is known as the Japanese landscape principle of "hide and reveal".

The red bridge was known as Guzei and it was supposed to represent the route blessed to take to salvation.

The bridge, particularly the bridge over water, represents crossing over from one world to the next, from the profane to the sacred, cleansing yourself to enter the pure world of nature.

In Zen symbolism red represents life force, preservation, the sacred, and red transforms the delusion of attachment into the wisdom of discernment. Thus the symbolism of the bridge is reinforced by it being red, i.e. sacred and transforming worldliness into wisdom.

Rare and gorgeous plants such as purple ground orchids (bletilla striata), blood lilies (scadoxis multiflora), prostrate plum yews (cephalotaxus harringtonia), phlox paniculatas, stokesia asters, manson gingers (kaempferia pulchra mansoni), and ginga aspidistras accompany elements of Japan such as sasanqua camellias (shi shi gashira and showa no sake), azaleas, nandina domestica and nana nandina along with grasses, ferns, hostas and irises for texture. Each plant was specifically handpicked for structure and design elements. Japanese boxwood will be kept hedged and short for a formal entry with a zen flow. Two large ponds now reflect the beauty of the natural elements of the strolling garden and provide a tranquil peace while listening to the flowing water.

Seven different specimens of Japanese maples were selected: Beni Kawa Japanese Maple, Waterfall Japanese Maple, Tamukeyama Japanese Maple, Red Emperor Japanese Maple, Fireglow Japanese Maple, Moonfire, Japanese Maple and Seiryu Japanse Maple (as shown here). Pom Pom junipers, Japanses Yew (Podocarpus) and Loropetalum Chinese give height and a formal element with a classic japanese style.

What a lovely couple and beautiful home, and unfortunately their landscape didn't showcase this gem. After two months from installation, the landscape has filled out and is now the toast of the gated community! Designs By Elizabeth is thrilled to be one of the first to use Southern Living's Sunshine Ligustrum. There is no comparison to the brilliant yellow that stays compact. Sunshine looks delicate, but hardly so! This tough evergreen is as hardy as boxwood. Look for the beautiful shrub next year when it is open for market!

what a blessing to have the opportunity to landscape and donate my time and services to saint Anthony the great orthodox church!  we started from a blank canvas and transformed this beautiful church and fellowship hall to a welcoming haven.  this landscape will always resonate near and dear to my heart as I watch it develop and give warmth to such an amazing community and faithful parishioners for generations to come!

I want to also extend my heartfelt gratitude to four seasons nursery for their generous discounted plant material donation to make this all possible.  they are truly a company for landscapers who care about the quality of plant material for their clients!  An extra thank you to all of our sources, such as Spring home and outdoor, shades of texas, southern living plants, a&a stone, ecorain irrigation who give top quality service that provide me with in unparalleled service that I will forever be grateful for!

This newly built home in Woodforest extends the ultimate outdoor living experience.  We created a custom outdoor kitchen that ties in the look of the home's interior British Colonial décor.  The large island is big enough to serve as a bar and buffet.  The kitchen is a reflection and compliments the interior kitchen with a stainless grill, double stove burner, sink, storage, outdoor refrigerator, and waste receptacle.  We chose this seating and table to maximize comfort and guests for the space.  Accenting the landscape with a beautiful patio, bench for additional seating, custom fountain,  outdoor lighting, television and speakers and potted arrangments makes the landscape enjoyable day and night!

Another fabulous client for Designs By Elizabeth.  This is a classic example of demonstrating the 'Year-round' beauty that we strive for at Designs By Elizabeth.  Our landscapes are always in bloom and have a different personality marked by each season.  As you will see from the pictures, the landscape is constantly blooming and displaying an elegant and vibrant show in the spring, heat of summer and the winter.  We incorporated an existing arbor to revive and establish a beautiful herb garden for the culinary-loving owners.  Each season, using sustainable and organic practices, delivers an abundance of herbs and vegetables.

We LOVE our fabulous clients and we love Frankel Building Group who produces such beautiful custom homes for us to landscape. This beautiful home was a clean slate to transform into a colorful paradise. Again we used Sunshine Ligustrum to add vibrance and to make the foliar colors of the complimentary shrubs and perennials pop!
Designs By Elizabeth is thrilled to be one of the first to use Southern Living's Sunshine Ligustrum. There is no comparison to the brilliant yellow that stays compact. Sunshine looks delicate, but hardly so! This tough evergreen is as hardy as boxwood. Look for the beautiful shrub next year when it is open for market!
A big thank you to Kirsch Landscape for the gorgeous turf grass. Their professional staff and attention to detail, leave us with stunning results!

This newly built home in Woodforest extends the ultimate outdoor living experience.  We created a custom outdoor kitchen that ties in the look of the home's interior British Colonial décor.  The large island is big enough to serve as a bar and buffet.  The kitchen is a reflection and compliments the interior kitchen with a stainless grill, double stove burner, sink, storage, outdoor refrigerator, and waste receptacle.  We chose this seating and table to maximize comfort and guests for the space.  Accenting the landscape with a beautiful patio, bench for additional seating, custom fountain,  outdoor lighting, television and speakers and potted arrangments makes the landscape enjoyable day and night!

What an amazing client!  We had a blank pallet to create this comfortable ranch style landscape that reflects our clients warmth, love of color and scent and her need to unwind after a each busy day as an executive in town.  The use of different textures and foliar colors creates a welcoming entrance to her restored ranch home.  Her love for her horses behind the residence is showcased with a beautiful iron stallion surrounded by beautiful shrubs, grasses and perenials.

We were thrilled to work with these clients! This backyard is divided between full sun and mostly shade. How do you pull it together into a cohesive whole? Use the right plant material that handles our tough freezes, brutal summers and stages of drought. A landscape needs to provide year-round beauty. We focused on foliar color and beautiful blooming shrubs that have different textures. Designs By Elizabeth is thrilled to be one of the first to use Southern Living's Sunshine Ligustrum. There is no comparison to the brilliant yellow that stays compact. Sunshine looks delicate, but hardly so! This tough evergreen is as hardy as boxwood. Look for the beautiful shrub next year when it is open for market!

Gorgeous Kingwood Estates home that needed a landscape entrance with a front walk. With a sloped grade, we curved a quaint entry walk to invite friends and family to enter.

Update on the landscape! This precious family was flooded during Harvey, and their home was flooded for over a week. The only surviving and maintained part of their beautiful home was the landscape. I was overwhelmed when I visited to see the landscape thriving months after such a devastating flood to the Kingwood area.