Our Approach to Landscape Design

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Our Approach to Landscape Design – Centered Around You

At Harmony Design Northwest, we believe your landscape should be as unique as you are. Our design process begins with a deep understanding of how you want to live, feel, and interact with your outdoor space. From rural properties to urban lots, and from expansive outdoor living spaces to Certified Backyard Habitats, each landscape design is meticulously customized to your specific needs and aspirations, ensuring that every project is as distinct as you are. We take the time to learn not only how you envision using your yard but also how you want it to reflect your personal style and complement your home’s architectural character. In addition to personalizing each design, we are experienced in meeting HOA guidelines and city and county permit requirements. This ensures that your design not only aligns with your personal style but also complies with community standards and local regulations for structures like covered patios and outdoor kitchens.

Our CAD-drafted designs are the result of a thoughtful blend of creativity, expertise and a deep understanding of landscape design principles. We draw inspiration from your personal aesthetic, your home’s architecture, the surrounding environment, and our knowledge of the Pacific Northwest’s changing climate to create landscapes that enhance your lifestyle and bring lasting value to your home.

STEP 1

Consultation

Landscape Design Consultation – We Meet at Your Home

Our one-hour landscape design consultation is an essential first step in creating a landscape that truly reflects your vision. While this session does not result in a final design, it is crucial for developing a customized landscape design proposal tailored to how you want to use and enjoy your outdoor space.

During this visit to your home, we will walk through your existing landscape, discussing opportunities and challenges specific to your yard. We’ll share ideas, exchange insights, and explore potential design solutions together. This time also allows us to understand your aesthetic preferences and lifestyle needs, helping us create a landscape design that is uniquely suited to your goals.

This personalized consultation helps ensure that the landscape design we propose aligns perfectly with your vision, setting the foundation for a successful project that enhances both the beauty and functionality of your outdoor space.

 

STEP 2

Proposal

Our Landscape Design Proposal Process – Tailored to You, with Fixed Fees

After our initial consultation, we’ll take everything we’ve learned to create your landscape design proposal, detailing the key elements we’ve discussed, from outdoor living features and hardscaping to plant preferences and elements like water features.

We believe in complete transparency, which is why our design services are offered on a fixed-fee basis, with post design services such as contractor coordination and plant layout offered on an up front hourly basis. You’ll receive a clear breakdown of your investment upfront, so there are no surprises.

Here’s how our process benefits you:

  • You Are Heard: We carefully listen to your needs during the consultation and reflect those in a custom proposal that aligns with your vision and lifestyle.
  • Tailored Solutions: Every element of the design proposal is personalized, ensuring that your landscape reflects your specific desires.
  • Predictable Costs: You’ll know exactly what your investment is from the beginning, without any unexpected costs.
  • Transparency: The proposal outlines the design scope, features, and fixed fee, giving you full confidence in the process and pricing.
STEP 3

The Design

Personalized Landscape Design – Bringing Your Outdoor Vision to Life

Our personalized designs start with a detailed 2D landscape design in an overhead plan view, just like a blueprint. To enhance collaboration, we create a Houzz.com Ideabook, sharing hardscape materials, plant choices, and inspiration photos. We invite you to add photos, helping us align our our visions. If further collaboration is needed, we include a concept stage to ensure your feedback is integrated into the evolving design. For projects that require detailed visualization, we offer 3D renderings help you experience the design in a realistic manner.

Our professional landscape designers are experts in:

  • Outdoor living design: Creating comfortable, functional spaces for cooking, entertaining, dining, and relaxing.
  • Planting plans: Tailoring plant selections to thrive in our changing climate, fit your aesthetic and environmental goals, and include beneficial, pollinator-friendly and native species.
  • Master plans: Designing comprehensive plans for large-scale projects that can be installed at one time or in phases.

We Make the Landscape Installation Easy Too

Contractor Referral

We’ve cultivated deep and trusting relationships with a select few of the best landscape contractors in Portland to provide a seamless and stress free design/build experience. A personal introduction makes it easy for you to connect.

Installation Check-Ins

It’s essential for the designer to check in at significant stages of the installation process to ensure that the design is being followed and that any changes made during installation comply with the integrity of the design.

Plant Placement

Plant placement is one of the most critical elements of getting the look and feel just right. Plans are always conceptual and often plants need to be arranged a bit differently in real life to get the perfect look and feel. This is where the designer’s eye is really important!