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Earlier this year, Exterior Worlds
was contacted by the owner of an Arabian horse farm located in
New Ulm, Texas, just outside of Houston proper. This man is
known throughout the world, and clients visit his estate
frequently to buy the horses he is famous for breeding. He
wanted to create a special vantage point that would better help
his clients get a better view of the horses that they travelled
so far to consider buying. After consulting with him, we all
agreed that the best addition to his property would be a
two-section a French courtyard that would create a relaxed state
of mind on the one hand, and offer a magnificent view of the
landscape and the horses on the other. Since his home sits atop
a hill that overlooks the prairie where the horses run, such a
setting would be ideal for both personal visits and business
negotiations with travelling clients.
The genius of this French courtyard design lies in the fact that
it is actually two courtyards in one. The courtyards are
slightly from one another, but are connected by a limestone
pathway that bisects the center of both sections and runs all
the way to the back of the home. A formal
vegetable garden lies
just to one side of one section, and the side of the hill drops
down to the valley below just to the side of the other section.
We designed the first section of the French Courtyard with
tranquility and contemplation in mind. To give the area a sense
of repose and formal seating, we built two stone benches on
either side of the gravel walkway, and built a limestone wall on
the far end as a terminus for the entire structure. We installed
a
wall fountain in this location constructed from an antique
spout and an antique limestone trough. The fountain is operated
by a silent, remote pump that masks its mechanical nature and
allows visitors to only hear the soothing sounds of the flowing
water. This creates an aura of serenity for people sitting to
either side of the fountain, and adds to the aesthetic of the
formal vegetable garden that lies just to one side of the
structure.
We then built the second section of the French courtyard
conversation and comfort foremost in mind. Because the owner
makes his living by selling Arabian horses, a view of his
magnificent herd is crucial to the success of his business
cycle. This was the primary motivation for building this portion
of the courtyard as an observation point that would allow for a
scenic overlook of the herds grazing below, and discussion of
the attributes and value of each horse in the herd. We wanted
these negotiations to flow more like conversation than
hard-driven business deals, so we deliberately created a very
austere setting for the host to entertain his guests. The patio
was not paved, but rather built out of limestone chips identical
to those used in 18th Century French gardens. We further
expanded this historical theme by decorating the patio with an
antique table and chair set that established a very strong Old
World sensibility that was strongly suited to the discussion of
the finer things in life.
Both parts of the French Courtyard are enclosed by an iron fence
that creates a sense of seclusion and separation from the stress
factors of the outside world. We wanted to magnify this sense of
spatial separation with a separation for time as well, so we
decided to make the fencing appear antique to match the
furniture. We used some special painting methods to color the
panels, and then let them rust a bit to make them mimic 18th
Century ironwork. We also added some of the organic basics of
French garden design to the courtyard by planting boxwoods and
clipped hedges around the fence, patio, and stonework.
Among the more notable features in this French courtyard are its
skillful blend of contrasting shades of light and dark colors,
and the multiple points of view it offers both visiting clients
and friends. The limestone path that bisects the two portions of
the enclosure is made from a much darker color of limestone than
the surrounding patio limestone. This lends a very strong
feeling of symmetry that balances all of the many organic and
inorganic elements of the surrounding garden, and provides an
ideal aesthetic environment to host either a formal (albeit,
very relaxed business meeting), or to entertain a few close
friends and relative who drop by to chat for a few hours in the
beauty of the garden.
For more the 20 years
Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's
fine neighborhoods.
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