A Wisconsin Yard Gets a Dream Modern Makeover

A landscape design firm turns an empty Wisconsin lawn into a peaceful, MCM-inspired backyard.

Reimagining the past is a mid-century homeowner’s ultimate goal—especially when a home is stripped of its original features.
For the homeowners of a 1950s ranch in Bayside, Wisconsin, all that was left of the existing home was the foundation, and the new structure was a modern interpretation of a mid-century home. After remodeling it to reflect their love of Mid Century Modern design, they decided to continue their style outside and began searching for an expert who could help them bring their vision to life for a modern Wisconsin yard.

Wisonsin Yard Before the Modern Makeover

The Perfect Fit for Creating a Wisconsin Modern Backyard

The homeowners hired landscape designer James Drzewiecki, design principal and owner of Ginkgo Leaf Studio. With a degree in architecture, James approaches landscape design differently than most.

paved dining area and fire pit in Wisconsin modern backyard — Because the weather in Wisconsin doesn’t allow year-round use of the outdoor dining area, James and his team opted to build a grill island for the table rather than a full kitchen. “We identified the cultured stone on the exterior of the house, and it was available, so we used it to build the grill,” he says. “It makes it look custom, because it’s an exact match to the house.”

“My team doesn’t come from a traditional background,” he points out. “We have a unique perspective on design. One of my horticulturalists and landscape designers, Hannah Paulson, has an art background as well. It’s a big factor in the reason we’re so successful with MCM style.”

While every business struggled during COVID, including Ginkgo Leaf Studio, one good thing that came of it was the expansion of the business to virtual consultations.

outdoor dining table with landscape designed for Midwestern climate — Incorporating plants that are native to the area is the best way to ensure they can withstand the climate. This grouping of plants includes (from left to right) hardy geraniums, Japanese forest grass, “Twist-n-Shout” hydrangeas, “Korean spice” viburnum and rocket ligularia.

“People have trouble finding a local landscape company that understands MCM design. And, because COVID made everything virtual, it opened up the idea that we could do this virtually. Now, we design all over the United States.”

However, this Bayside project was local, and when the homeowners came across James’ portfolio, they knew he would be a good fit.

Endless Potential for the Wisconsin Yard Modern Makeover

The previous owners had had the original backyard patio removed, so they started their renovation with a completely blank slate.

“It was pretty much an empty lawn. It can be difficult to home in on the direction you want to go in this situation, because the possibilities are limitless. But because mid-century architecture is strong and often dramatic, we look for details such as significant doors, windows and lines that can guide us in our design.”

Wisconsin modern backyard with fire pit — The ornamental grass, molinia, acts as a divider between the lounge chair and dining area. “The grasses don’t go all the way across, but they act as a transparent screen,” says James. “We do that in a lot of our modern designs. We like to take certain plants, such as boxwoods, and plant linear groupings where it’s clear they’re not naturally planted. This helps emphasize the architectural nature of the space.”

The homeowners also had a wish list to take into account: They wanted a dining area, lounging area, a fire pit with seating and a grassy space for their daughter to play.

“It gets chilly here at night, so a fire pit allows us to stretch our seasons,” James explains.

bluestone steppers and Summer Beauty plants in modern Wisconsin exterior — Bluestone steppers create a walkway among the slate chips, and purple allium “Summer Beauty” plants line the border for a touch of color and height.

pavers that extend the lines of an MCM home in Wisconsin — Evergreen trees were planted along the back of the property to provide privacy. “The neighbors added a deck that looked into the client’s backyard, so we had to add a bunch of trees and other plants to screen the backyard from the neighbor,” James points out. The stepping stones are meant to be a main exit for the client’s daughter to run out into the grassy area of the backyard.

The homeowners describe their style as “California modern with an Asian flair,” so James carefully chose materials that would help reflect their unique preferences. Colored poured concrete was used as the foundation of the outdoor spaces, bluestone pavers lined the paths, beach pebbles delineated zones, and slate chips provided the Asian flair.

outdoor patio in Wisconsin with lounge dining barbecue and fire pit areas — Colored concrete is the foundation for these outdoor living spaces, and runnels filled with beach pebbles form a pattern and define each patio space. “This first outdoor room was meant to be a true lounging area,” says James. “We don’t often recommend using colored concrete, because it tends to be too dark and rich. Nevertheless, this taupe color turned out nice and neutral.”

“It’s meant to resemble walking through a zen Japanese garden,” James says.

The result is a peaceful and functional Wisconsin modern yard that pays homage to its home’s past.

To learn more about modern landscape that stays true to its region in Midwestern zones such as Wisconsin, read on here for more of Jim’s professional advice. And of course don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!