Our favorite stairs are the ones that are part of the garden, nestled right in to something green. We found ten we like by members of the Remodelista + Gardenista Architect/Designer Directory—some are stone, some are wood, all are nicely settled in:
Above: Greenwich, CT-based Doyle Herman Design Associates designed this landscape—complete with neatly trimmed topiary—to complement a grand historic property. See more from the designers in The Grandes Dames: 10 Stately Gardens from the Gardenista Gallery.
Above: This 2.5-acre residential landscape in Geyserville, California was overgrown and blocked views of nature beyond. Andrea Cochran Landscape Architects made room for the views and established a fluid landscape beginning at the home's entryway. Photograph by Marion Brenner. For more, see Garden Visit: Andrea Cochran's Courtyard Vignettes.
Above: At this former prune packing facility (now a mixed-use complex) in Northern California, Andrea Cochran established a series of landscaped "piers" to protect the main buildings from flooding of the nearby river. Photograph by Marion Brenner. For more, see Stone Edge Farm: A Peaceful Retreat in Northern California.
Above: Stephen Stimson Design Associates faced technical challenges connecting disparate pieces of a sprawling wooded property on Mount Desert Island, Maine. A series of game trails now links rocky outcrops and shaded forest with auto courts and lawns for the family's enjoyment. For more from Stimson, see Architects' Roundup: 10 Contemporary Farmhouse Gardens.
Above: An informal wooden staircase meanders toward the coast in a landscape by Bernard Trainor + Associates from Landprints: The Landscape Designs of Bernard Trainor. Photograph by Jason Liske courtesy of The Style Saloniste. For more, see Landscape Architect Visit: Bernard Trainor's Most Beautiful Swimming Pool.
Above: A strong interplay between the natural and man-made exists on this four-acre Martha's Vineyard landscape by Stephen Stimson Associates. Photograph by Roger Foley. See more from the designer in Let Twilight Linger: 10 Early Evening Gardens from the Gardenista Gallery.
Above: San Francisco-based landscape architects Pedersen Associates created this heavy stone stairway leading to a converted garage behind a Mill Valley, California house. Hear more from the designers in Expert Advice: 10 Best Low-Maintenance Houseplants.
Above: Architect Jonathan Feldman built a stone staircase into the wooded hillside between two Mill Valley cottages—one for yoga and one for art. Photograph by Joe Fletcher. Read all about the cottages in Feldman Architecture: Cottages in the Mill Valley Forest.
Above: Landscape architect Robin Key has been restoring parts of her Londonderry, Vermont property for years, including an 1806 farmhouse and an apple orchard. Extensive stone walls and stairs wind through the property, built entirely from stone collected on site. Photograph by Peter Mauss. For more from Robin Key, see Lush Life: A Townhouse Garden in Manhattan.
Above: Robin Key Landscape Architecture created several terraced areas with stone retaining walls and stairs to link a residential vacation home in Connecticut with its sports areas and outbuildings. Photograph by Francine Fleischer. For another image from this project, see Architects' Roundup: 10 Emerald Green Gardens.
For more garden inspiration, see Dry Garden Roundup: Best Drought-Tolerant Designs from the Gardenista Gallery; Garden Roundup: 10 Signs of Spring from the Gardenista Gallery; and on Remodelista, RADD Roundup: Concrete.
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