Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1101832
48 SPRING 2019 U NIQUELY SITED ON A LONG, NARROW LOT IN THE heart of Newburyport's downtown district, the house belonging to landscape designer Amy Fleischer and her husband is nothing short of inspired. The couple purchased the distressed property some- what spontaneously, with a total renovation in mind. With help from landscape architect Trent Lloyd, they devoted themselves to transforming the humdrum home and oddball site into a garden oasis. Fleischer and Lloyd—principals of Lloyd Fleischer Landscape Design—have been collaborating for over 10 years. They share a passion for "design that connects people to their own personal slice of nature," which means this property fell into the right hands. Though the 1800s house doesn't have known histori- cal provenance, it's thought to have been a small barn or outbuilding belonging to one of the large neighbor- ing homes. "There were no significant architectural features—it was very nondescript," notes Fleischer, adding that when the contractors started gutting the house, they found some unusual structural elements. Also unusual was its elevation—nearly five feet above inspire The clear vertical- grain cedar fence follows the lines of the interior of the house. grade. That gap between structure and ground proved pivotal when it came to designing the landscape. Set 60 feet back from the street, the house occupies a unique site in the densely populated neighborhood. At the back of the house, the challenge was to create