Sue Amosson of West Des Moines has long been known for her warm decorating style inside her Colonial-style home. Now, though, she’s pushing out the walls with a relaxing screened porch and welcoming landscape areas that add pizzazz and pops of color to her corner property.
In the “one thing leads to another” category, two years ago she added the porch where a deck used to be. “I wasn’t really using the deck, and it served no real purpose,” she says. “I just knew I would get much more use from a screened porch. Truly, it has just become an oasis. I love it.” With the plan by her son, architect Aaron Amosson of New Haven, Connecticut, and the expertise of Lou Lyle, the porch took shape. Aaron incorporated skylights to capture more light because the porch is on the north side of the house.
Sue had some indoor-outdoor furniture—love seat, two arm chairs, a coffee table—in brown wicker-looking resin that she wanted to keep. “I decided to team the brown with shades of green to tie the porch to the closeup view of nature right outdoors.”
Because of the placement of the house, which Sue and her late husband, Ron, built 18 years ago, there isn’t a big backyard. “That left the east and west side yards,” Sue explains. “I really just wanted something pleasant to look at. Near the porch, there was just a small space, wasted really. The trees had matured and had overgrown the area a bit, and grass wouldn’t grow. I really thought the only thing to do was have flowers and a small path.”
Creating a View
On the west side of the house, she wanted to create an interesting view from the inside of her den-reading room. “I like to sit in that room and look out, particularly in the winter. I just wanted some interesting scenery on the side yard.”
Enter Nathan Tackett and Rob Owen of Landscape Solutions of Iowa, referred to Sue by a friend. “They certainly taught me how much impact a small space can have.”
Explains Owen, “It all started with a brainstorming session, plus we like to see how the homeowner lives, as to what style she likes. Sue appreciates tradition, but she also adds a little funkiness and fun. Developing a small space is so interesting. In this case, the spot by the door of the porch didn’t have
a lot of room to go horizontal, but that didn’t prevent us from a vertical approach. Sue was willing to step things up a bit and go to the next level, to think outside the box.”
After pruning trees to open up the space, Owen took a circular approach with brick pavers in a focal concentric circle for the base point of the space and flagstone slabs for walkways. He calls it a soft organic look. “Sue didn’t think she wanted it or that there was room, but I thought she would enjoy a small bistro table and chairs there. Now she uses it for morning coffee often, she says.” He likes to think that landscape plans connect people with their spaces.
‘Historic’ birdbath
For colorful accents, there are tall planters positioned on stone slabs. The pots are filled with coleus, ornamental grasses, and annuals such as impatiens. Bright metal flowers add a touch of whimsy around the yard, and shade-loving hostas add various shades of green. Lanterns hung in trees add a lovely glow at night. One special piece is a birdbath. “Ron got the base, which is a baluster of the Capitol, when there was a sale of some architectural pieces. He worked in state government for many years, so that means a lot. We had the top made for it, and it makes a perfect birdbath.”
The whole area has been a lovely surprise for Sue. “My sister calls it ‘jewelry’ for the porch because it adds so much and is such an extension of the new living space.”
The other side of the landscaping project is equally special for Sue, who retired last year as a business coach for Principal Financial Group, where she worked for 22 years. Owen designed a slightly curved low wall, which he refers to as a “remnant,” reminiscent of a piece of wall that might have remained from an older structure. He used weathered-looking bricks called Weston Stone to achieve that look. Sue wanted a bench built into the wall, and that worked out beautifully. On each end of the wall, she has huge urnlike pots with striking plantings.
“Seriously, sitting inside and looking out here when it snows is so beautiful,” Sue says. For her fun touch, she has added colorful ceramic orbs or balls in bright colors. Because people generally look out at this area from inside, she coordinated the reds and greens from the reading room into the selection of the outdoor gazing balls. An artful birdhouse and a new piece of sculpture make the setting anything but static. For a practical application, a gentle slope in the yard allows the area to work as a dry streambed for drainage.
The next project will be modular pathway in the front of the house—again, traditional with a twist. Sue enjoys working with Landscape Solutions of Iowa. “Their creativity has made my yard beautiful and special.”
Garden style
The dual landscape projects enhance the ambiance of the porch, and Sue says she practically lives out there. “With no bugs and with cable and stereo, it’s perfect for entertaining, which I love to do. Sometimes instead of going out to dinner, I just invite my friends here. We enjoy some wine or grill salmon and enjoy visiting.”
Sue carries out the garden style on the porch with large ferns, oversize lanterns, and nature-inspired accessories. The love seat and chairs have khaki cushions with green striped piping. Pillows have ferns and bees on them. A ceiling fan makes the air circulate, and an outdoor chandelier hangs over the iron table and chairs.
A sign above a door says it all: “What happens on the porch stays on the porch.”
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