At age 17, Matt Mosher decided to start his own landscaping business, which is now called Mosher Design Co. and specializes in high-end residential and boutique commercial landscape architecture projects. “I knew nothing at the time, but with hard work, perseverance, educating myself, and mentors, I’ve built a business that focuses on highly specialized unique spaces,” he says.
The Royal Oak-based company recently completed a project in Bloomfield Hills that enhances the renovation of a traditional Mid-century home with a reimagined backyard space that Mosher says “blends modern with Mid-century Modern flair, respects the history of the lot, and keeps with the house’s architecture.”
He explains that the inspiration for a landscape design project focuses on the client and the style of the home. “I like to get into a client’s head, and I pay attention to the things that are important to them, both inside their home and outside, to blend the two.”
For this project, a focal point is a Buddha sculpture the homeowners found and wanted included in their new backyard design. “It’s a peaceful sculptural element that’s symbolic of calmness,” Mosher says. “It was important that the eye should land on this interesting element that reflects the clients, so we had to frame it properly.”
As part of this landscape project, Mosher was committed to salvaging an existing inground pool that the homeowners originally wanted replaced. “I felt that the pool was a sculptural piece and complemented the house. It was in rough shape, but we were able to restore it.”
According to Mosher, the landscaping around the pool area highlights three primary perennial elements: flowering onion, hameln fountain grass, and little Quick Fire hydrangea. The plants are intended to break up the hardlines of the pool area and, along with stones, soften the overall image.
“It’s always a challenge with a renovation like this, as you’re dealing with existing elements such as the floor height of the house, which affects the view, and the placement of the pool, which is such a strong architectural piece,” Mosher says. “Then you need to balance these elements to allow the design to flow correctly to the eye.”
Unsurprisingly, Mosher’s favorite part of the project is the restored pool area. “The pool is great. I especially appreciate that the client allowed me to do what I would do if it was my house — salvage the original pool and edit down around it for a calm, clean, modern landscape that complements the renovated house.”
MORE INFORMATION: mosherdesignco.com
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