Gardens & Landscapes

Gardens for Modern Houses: Design Inspiration for Home Landscapes

Modernist-style architecture remains one of the most popular in housing markets all across the US, and this volume explores the full range of what’s actually possible when plants and hardscape are considered as critical elements of the indoor-outdoor lifestyle the movement promotes, with ample inspiration for homeowners and fans of midcentury-to-contemporary home design.

A distinct garden design philosophy emerged along with modern architecture, intended to complement it in specific ways. Much of this is unknown to today’s homeowners, however, and is explored fully here as interpreted by today’s leading garden designers. Hundreds of gorgeous contemporary photos and in-depth plant information will give garden-enthusiast readers inspiration and the tools to re-create the planting schemes shown within, bringing high design home in accessible and practical ways and truly showing how a landscape can enhance both a house’s architecture and the quality of its inhabitants’ lives.

The thirty-five featured gardens are from across the US and created by today’s leading landscape designers including Reed Hilderbrand, Mia Lehrer, Wagner Hodgson, Marmol Radziner, Judy Kameon/Elysian Landscapes, Raymond Jungles, and Terremoto. Several homes are owned by celebrities, including Mandy Moore, the founders of Vince clothing, and others.

About The Author

Beth Dunlop is one of the country’s most noted architectural writers. She was the Pulitzer-nominated architecture critic for the Miami Herald for more than twenty years and the editor of Modern Magazine from 2011 to 2017. She is the author of numerous books including Addison Mizner, Arquitectonica, and Florida's Vanishing Architecture. Her writing has appeared widely in architecture, design, and travel magazines. She has won many awards including a medal for writing and criticism from the American Institute of Architecture. She lives in Miami.

  • Publish Date: April 29, 2025
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Category: Gardening - Garden Design
  • Publisher: Rizzoli
  • Trim Size: 11 x 8-1/4
  • Pages: 320
  • US Price: $55.00
  • CDN Price: $75.00
  • ISBN: 978-0-8478-4692-4

Reviews

"Across more than three hundred pages of historical, architectural, horticultural, and sociological content, Gardens for Modern Houses offers readers bountiful information on a design philosophy and lifestyle that continue to bear new blossoms, and inspiration for how to preserve the beauty and bounty nature lends freely. Perhaps most importantly, it shows that adding modern design value at home can be yours for the price of dirty hands and elbow grease." — The Magazine Antiques

"Mid-century modern and contemporary architecture remain among the most in-demand home styles across the United States. But what about the outside? This 320-page new book by Beth Dunlap explores the full range of what’s actually possible when plants and hardscape are considered as critical elements of the indoor-outdoor lifestyle. More than 30 featured gardens across the U.S. include some by leading landscape designers and some owned by celebrity fans of the style, including Mandy Moore, the founders of Vince clothing and others. Contemporary photos and in-depth plant information are designed to give garden and architecture enthusiasts inspiration and tools to re-create the illustrated plantings and show how a landscape can enhance both a house’s architecture and the quality of its inhabitants’ lives." — Detroit News

Author Bookshelf: Beth Dunlop