Paradise Found.
I was so inspired by the latest issue of D Home , I set out to find the best outdoor living spaces in my neighborhood. It took all my strength to keep from diving into summer…
Pictured is the exquisite back patio of Carl Youngberg and his partner, DavidMcNair. It is truly remarkable. This lush space is nestled on a quiet tree lined street in, of all places, Richardson. I absolutely LOVE what they have done.
Both Carl and David are masters of “found objects.” They can be seen on their morning walks sometimes lugging discarded doors, shutters, and other pieces of forlorn architecture. I always wonder what they are doing, and in fact, several cast offs from the Dream House live happily in this serene setting. I think of it as the ultimate in recycling.
David is quite the electrician. He’s rewired old chandeliers and fixtures to low voltage (”green”) landscape lighting. Under this gentle green canopy, ambiance abounds. The closest thing I have ever experience is a patio in the heart of the French Quarter.
Last year, they compiled shutters and vintage doors into a green house, and viola! They winter over most of their ornamentals. This year, they have used architectural columns and with yet other shutters and doors to create a scene ripped from the heart of Bourbon Street.
Oversized mirrors flank this garden haven, giving it a cozy golden glow in the evening. Carl has arranged and punctuated it with elegant statuary, and containers overflowing with seasonal color.
I can’t wait until the first block party!
4 Comments to “Paradise Found.”
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What did you do? Swoop in and out of your neighbors’ yards? Ring and run? While they’re opening their front door, you’re dashing off to the back yard, snapping shots of topiary and water features?
Your neighborhood is going to go from a standard Watch Program to an Amanda Lock-Down Program.
Their backyard is AMAZING at night!!
Next time you’re out on a mission to find a glass of wine in your neighborhood, you need to take your camera back to Carl and David’s fabulous home. They have been working day and night on the garden, and it’s now twice as breathtaking.
And make sure they show you the “lurid” grape lights.
Carl is a friend of mine and he shared this D Home article with me after we met for lunch yesterday. I had to tell him the photo of his yard (which I agree is fabulous) actually tickled my funny bone as well. A friend of mine had a bust similar to the one shown in the photograph which he displayed in his apartment window for years and years. It then became sort of a running joke because the “bust of Apollo” (as it was affectionately named) started showing up in the strangest and most unexpected places – bars he frequented, friend’s houses, college classrooms, and so on. Eventually, it went to live in the attic at my brother’s house, where it was discovered in a late-night hunt for a leak in the roof.
So, I had to giggle because the last appearance the bust of Apollo made was at this friend’s wedding earlier this year and it has since disappeared. So, I told Carl I was glad to know Apollo had gone to live with him and thanked Carl for a good (albeit unintended) laugh.