Her interior design approach is not just to create spaces - but to craft
personalized experiences that start with the homeowner’s own style and inject a touch of the unexpected.  The gardens reflect this vision.

The home had a lovely framework of trees and shrubbery which Elizabeth and her partner used as a starting point for the hardscaping and perennial plantings. 

 

As you approach the house, gaze up at the lordly catalpa and sycamore trees that have likely seen much of the town’s storied history. In fact, this house, named ‘Innisfree’ is said to have been so named after an 1889 poem by W.B. Yates which describes an uninhabited island off the coast of Ireland which represented moments of tranquility by the lake for the writer.

 

In the front gardens, notice the mix of Annabelle and Limelight Hydrangeas, Euonymus and the magnificent Japanese Maple (Bloodgood).  You’ve likely missed the flowers on the Dogwood, but you’ll surely see the Astilbe, Coral Bells, Viburnum, Hosta and Lily of the Valley lining the gardens like a carpet of lush green. Elizabeth adores pinks of all tones, and you’ll see plenty of this colour range in her gardens.

After passing by the cement swan at the side of the house, wander easily to the back where the drama of the lake begins. There are fire, water, and earth in the pool, firepit and lake views which host a variety of plantings. Note the Japanese Maples, more Hydrangea, majestic Roses and Liguria.

 

After gawping at the lounging areas, the pool, the pergola and modern fire feature, wander over to the edge of the garden near the lake and peek.  Here, you will find a glassed in ‘living room’ which has been wired for heat and light making it a true escape from the world as you take in the musings of the lake at your toes. This is the most elegant and wonderous of surprises on this property which Elizabeth enjoys with a glass of wine and a book with just sky and water in view.

 

Elizabeth prides herself on her ability to understand her clients’ tastes and proclivities.  She seeks to create spaces that reveal their true inner selves. This incredible property, with its nooks and crannies and places to just be present, we suspect, celebrates Elizabeth’s true self. When you add that to the playful aspect that is part of this elegant woman, you can see why she would be overjoyed at the prospects of a two-foot wide, ten-foot-long tree  that washed ashore.  Elizabeth deigned it a potential couch and was scheming ways to convert this special find when she checked on it days later only to discover that it had washed right back out with the tides never to be seen since.

 

It’s that sense of unexpected fancy that really connects Elizabeth to her NOTL gardens. We are so fortunate to see this personified and celebrated in her home. Thank you, Elizabeth, for inspiring us.

 

Written by: Wendy Walters