Simply Elegant: A Series of Garden Rooms

In Danville, California, Jack and Shelley Bays wanted variety, seasonal color, and foliage to soften stark walls. Landscape architect Mathew Henning and designer Heather Anderson removed the lawn and created a series of garden rooms visible from indoors and out. A refined gray slate patio replaced a tired fountain and tile. A small pond with iris and water lilies provides a focal point. A low stone wall doubles as seating, backed by flowering spiraea and coral bells in spring. A semicircle of 'Akebono' flowering cherries softens the neighbor's wall and shades the patio in summer.

DESIGN: Henning/Anderson, Oakland, CA (510/531-3095)