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A garden in Riverwoods, Illinois, was expanded across two neighboring properties into a 24,000-square-foot landscape shaped by the owners’ vision of the Italian countryside. The Outside Design Studio and En Masse Architecture & Design combined that style with the existing terrain, creating a greenhouse, kitchen garden, pergola and pavilion for everyday use.
A couple in Riverwoods, Illinois, has turned two neighboring properties into a 24,000-square-foot garden inspired by the Italian countryside and shaped around the site’s woodland terrain. A report by Homes and Gardens describes how The Outside Design Studio and En Masse Architecture & Design joined paths, planting, a greenhouse and working garden spaces into a landscape meant for daily use as well as quiet retreat.
The owners had tended their original property for more than 30 years before buying the neighboring parcel as they entered a new stage of life. Their goal, according to the report, was a home and landscape surrounded by greenery, with garden views framed from the windows. Adding the second property expanded the garden and gave the design team room to organize distinct spaces without separating them from the existing landscape.
Chicago-based The Outside Design Studio worked with interior architect En Masse Architecture & Design. The design extends the driveway into a looping route through the grounds, following the surrounding terrain, and uses bluestone throughout. Existing boulders and bluestone thresholds informed the material choices; details on beds, fences, gates and a pergola also carry cues from the main house.
Planting combines seasonal color with structure. The report names Hydrangea macrophylla, Allium ‘Summer Beauty’ and Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ among the selections. A pergola built from cedar matching the home’s entry frames an Italian terracotta planter. Nearby, gravel and subtle fencing define a kitchen garden with vegetables, fruit and raised beds. A modern greenhouse serves as a propagation and potting workspace, while the pavilion provides tool storage and a place to sit after gardening. The landscape construction was by Pappas Company; photography was credited to Scott Shigley and John Boehm.
A Garden Designed for Daily Use
The project’s significance is in how it treats a residential garden as usable living space, rather than a view alone. The greenhouse is designed to support seed propagation and potting, but the report says it can also host candlelit dinners connected to the kitchen. The pavilion similarly combines practical tool storage with a sitting area furnished with French bistro tables and wrought-iron chairs.
For readers considering a garden redesign, the reported scheme offers a specific example of tying separate functions together through materials and routes. The looping driveway, bluestone details and repeated cedar connect spaces across the expanded property, while the planting and paths are described as responding to existing landforms. The Italian references appear through selected details and the owners’ desired atmosphere; the design is not presented as a replica of a rural Italian landscape.
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Two Properties, One Garden Plan
The project grew from a property the owners had cared for for over three decades. Instead of redesigning only that garden, they purchased the neighboring parcel and incorporated it into the landscape. The combined area, reported as 24,000 square feet, became the basis for a plan that could accommodate ornamental planting, food production and outdoor structures.
The source describes a collaboration between landscape and interior architecture practices. The Outside Design Studio shaped the landscape, while En Masse Architecture & Design designed the greenhouse as both a horticultural workspace and an extension of the home’s living areas. Pappas Company handled landscape construction. The report does not provide a project completion date, construction budget or detailed maintenance plan.
“The expanded site, now 24,000 sq ft, became the foundation for a private outdoor sanctuary; a garden idea that feels both cultivated and wild.”
— Homes and Gardens’ report on the project
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Project Details Not Reported
The source does not state when the project was completed, how much it cost, or whether the garden is open to visitors. It also does not provide the owners’ names, a detailed planting plan, or information about how the garden’s plants and structures are maintained through the seasons.
The Italian countryside connection is presented as the owners’ design inspiration, not as a claim that the property reproduces a specific Italian place or garden tradition. The report describes the design and its features but does not include independent evaluation of how the landscape performs over time.
walk-in greenhouse for seed starting and potting
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No Public Opening Announced
The report provides no announced public opening, future event or next project milestone. For now, the confirmed information is a published account of the design, its collaborators and the features included on the private Riverwoods property. Any further details about access, upkeep or changes to the garden would depend on information from the owners or project teams.
Italian terracotta outdoor planter
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Key Questions
Where is the garden?
It is on a private property in Riverwoods, Illinois, according to Homes and Gardens.
How large is the expanded garden?
The report gives the combined site area as 24,000 square feet. The owners expanded their original property by purchasing the neighboring parcel.
Who designed the landscape?
The Outside Design Studio collaborated with En Masse Architecture & Design. The report credits Pappas Company with landscape construction.
What features are included?
The garden includes a looping driveway, bluestone details, a cedar pergola, a vegetable and fruit garden, a greenhouse and a pavilion. The greenhouse is intended for potting and propagation as well as dining, according to the report.
Can the public visit the garden?
The source does not say that the garden is open to visitors. It describes the site as the owners’ private outdoor sanctuary.
Source: rss
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