Our Work

Plaza Midwood Contemporary Garden

Name: Plant Man
Telephone: (704) 219-0160

A backyard that failed from the ground up, torn out and rebuilt with the kind of construction underneath the material that actually holds up, plus a set of design details Elton considers some of his proudest work.

At a Glance

Location

Plaza Midwood, Charlotte, NC

Project Type

Full tear-out and rebuild of an existing backyard, not new construction

Duration

Approximately 3 months, completed approximately 3 years ago

Total Investment

Approximately $150,000-$180,000, including the tear-out and site prep

The Problem: Why a Rebuild, Not a Repair

The backyard had been professionally installed roughly 5-6 years earlier, at an approximate cost of $80,000, and it failed. Improper base construction beneath the original travertine allowed moisture to collect, which led to frost heaving, and the stone displaced and cracked as a result. Elton and the client determined a full tear-out and rebuild was the right call rather than patching a problem that would keep recurring. Tear-out and site prep ran approximately $55,000-$70,000, included within the total project investment above.

It's a direct, real example of why what's built beneath a material matters as much as the material itself: the kind of thing that doesn't show in a finished photo but determines whether the finished photo still looks right in five years.

Major Features Built

Full hardscape rebuild in dimensional Silver Pearl limestone, laid on a 1/3 stagger
Floating limestone planters: developed in the field mid-construction to add vertical dimension, in cantilevered and breezeway/skyway configurations, elevated approximately 5 inches on dark-tile-faced pedestals and underlit for a nighttime floating effect. This is Elton's proudest detail on this project.
Floating Ipe bench with concealed fasteners
Concealed channel drainage: including a roughly 1-inch drainage gap beneath a cantilevered step, designed to visually disappear against the dark material and shadow
Recessed strip lighting under walls and steps
Pool waterline tile changed from blue to black slate, matching the slate also used in the spa
Stucco wall integration: the property's existing long stucco wall tied into the new material palette through coordinated tile veneer
Black Mexican beach pebbles and stone steppers on the pool's upper side

Gallery

The original backyard's cracked brick steps and displaced stone during the tear-out, before the rebuild began — The failed original, mid tear-out

The pool and spa shell stripped to bare concrete during the rebuild, with new dimensional stone coping staged nearby — Pool & spa shell during the rebuild

Close detail of the new dimensional limestone coping meeting the pool's black slate waterline during installation — Coping & waterline detail, underway

Wide daylight view of the finished pool and spa's black slate vanishing edge and limestone patio — Pool & spa, black slate edge

The finished pool and spa seen from the corner of the patio in daylight, with the floating Ipe bench along the wall — Pool, spa & bench, daylight

Close detail of the floating Ipe bench with concealed fasteners, mounted against the dark stone-veneer wall — Floating Ipe bench, detail

Checkerboard limestone paver and planting-pocket pattern beside the finished house and covered patio — Checkerboard paver & planting pattern

The floating limestone planter steps and patio underlit at dusk, with the covered porch glowing beyond — Planter steps, underlit at dusk

Wide dusk view of the finished pool, spa, and Ipe bench, with recessed lighting glowing along the walls — Pool & spa, wide view at dusk

The floating limestone planter steps underlit at night, with the pool and spa glowing blue behind them — Floating planters, underlit at night

Key Materials

Silver Pearl limestone, black slate, black Mexican beach pebbles, and Ipe wood. (The limestone's possible origin has come up in conversation but is not independently confirmed, so it isn't stated as fact here.)

An Ongoing Relationship

The same client later brought Plant Man back for a separate front-entry, courtyard, and driveway project, a factual continuation of the working relationship, not a quoted endorsement.

Related Services

Patios & Outdoor Living
Flagstone, used for the dimensional limestone rebuild
Landscape Lighting
Landscape Design + Build (stonework)

This project is part of Plant Man's work in Plaza Midwood. See The Plant Man Process for how a project like this begins.

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