Good Design by Judy Brown

Good Design

“Less is more.”  Architect Mies van der Rohe in 1950 coined this term to describe minimalist design.  This has become a trite remark.  The idea, however, is brilliant & timeless.  It is also one of the hardest to achieve.  Why? 

What type of design are we talking about- architectural, interior, engineering, the fine arts, music, landscape architecture?  All these disciplines use many of the same basic design principles, simplicity being a critical component. 

“We’ve all experienced simplicity in our hearts, homes & history.  The utility of a perfectly balanced kitchen tool, the grace of Fred Astaire, the serenity of a Japanese garden, the pull of a Maya Angelou poem, the contours of an Eames chair, or the drama revealed in just 272 words in the Gettysburg Address.  The simple elegance of these creations & talents ignites our imagination.”  - from the book, Simplicity by Bill Jensen 

So, how do we begin to achieve this design where “less is more?”  The answer is simple; hire Judy Brown, Registered Landscape Architect to be your designer.  Judy would love to transform the cacophony of your property into the elegant & even serene design you deserve. 

Let’s understand the reasons why most people have such graceless landscapes.  Does elegant mean more money?  Not necessarily.  The locations, shapes and choice of materials of the patio, deck, water element (pool, pond, or fountain) and plantings must all play together in a cohesive and flowing way.  Http:/wikepedia.org explains that architects express this minimalist idea with careful consideration of the void spaces in a design. 

The difficulty in keeping with a clean, uncluttered landscape is, in part, because we have so many choices for the materials, especially in the planting design.  More varieties of plants grow here than anywhere else in the country.  The Mid-Atlantic region allows many northern as well as southern plants to survive.  Our only restrictions are the poorly drained clay soils & the deer!  What happens when we walk into the garden center? (Meadows Farms, of course)  We are totally overwhelmed with the variety and amount of choices.  “And look, Honey, those flowers are beautiful!  And these others are on sale!  Let’s get one of this & two of those.”  Does that sound familiar?  There begins the start of the unorganized & busy-looking garden.  (Yes, you can blame Meadows Farms- to some degree.) 

Judy Brown would love to transform your space that you have struggled with for years, into a creative beauty.  Does a beautiful outdoor room mean more work to maintain?  Absolutely not!  The first thing a client tends to share is that they are looking for a low maintenance design.  Following the “less is more” concept, Judy believes that low maintenance simply becomes an inherent part of the design.  For an appointment, please call 703-327-5050 x 0 and ask for Judy Brown to be your designer.  We look forward to working with you.