An Urban Retreat

Written by Blair Farris
Photography by Raymond Grubb

When the new owners purchased their Charleston-style house, they were not daunted by the small lot with far reaching vines, overgrown trees and shrubs, lack of privacy and seemingly little space to accommodate their long, programmatic wish list. After living in New York and London, the couple was ready to call Charlotte, N.C. home again and move back to the neighborhood where the husband grew up. They called on their old friend, Charlotte-based garden designer, Laurie Durden. Laurie collaborated with her clients to create an urban retreat for their family of six, with four growing boys and a dog.

“There were many practical requirements to tackle, including additional parking, privacy in the front and back yards, a swimming pool, play space for their lacrosse-playing boys, entertaining space, and a garden for the owner to grow the flowers she loves so much. We used every inch of the property to accommodate nearly everything on their wish list. I think we were all little surprised by how much we could include in the plan and by how spacious the property felt,” commented Laurie…