The garden makeover that will make you go eco-friendly now

Sep 26, 2020 | Pin Interests

The 3d render of the small holiday house with two large windows, a large garden with a fireplace, and a dining area in the middle.

The makeover of the garden in Villa Feodora by Pin & Pin

 

Villa Feodora is one of the Pin & Pin’s most unique projects, and that is why it had to be treated carefully. The old family house has been tasked to update for a modern villa with traditional dalmatian elements, which will be used as a holiday home. 

We wanted to retain the original shape of the villa, but to ensure that the new exterior felt truly modern. Previously, Feodora didn’t make the best first impression. Feodora occupies a prime location on the island of Korčula, and not feeling welcomed in a house like that was simply not an option. The house was plain white, with very small windows, while the garden was well maintained, but not worthy of the location. 

Korčula island has many spectacular untouched natural wonders, and Feodora was positioned in one. That is why we decided to create a unique setting – modern, minimalistic, yet respectful to the environment. The idea for the garden was to create a cozy setting for family and friends that mimics a typical indoor living room. Also, we wanted to erase the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, which is why we removed the small windows and replaced them with a Juliette balcony (on the second floor), and doors (on the ground floor) to the exterior. This would make the house appealing from all the corners, while the garden would become an integral part of the entire scenery.

 

The side image of the old white holiday home with a plain green lawn.

Villa Feodora before the complete renovation.

 

Before the operation of reconfiguring the garden, we wanted to add more entertainment space. That is why we ended up with a rectangular infinity pool with a clear redwood, and plenty of space for alfresco dining, and hanging out with family or friends. Once just an empty space with a nonfunctioning barbecue, the nearby dining area can now be used by the family at any time of year. With Korčula’s warm Mediterranean climate (warm throughout most of the year) it was a perfect choice. 

 

Removing the large lawn

Korčula is an island, which means you have to be very respectful of the water usage. This is why we decided to turn the majority of the lawn into several spaces where guests can dine or hang out. Some parts of the lawn were retained, while the other parts were turned into the pathways, for which we used decomposed granite and gravel.

 

The aerial image of the Mediterranean villa with a garden full of Mediterranean plants and a large swimming pool.

Villa Feodora after the complete renovation.

 

The view on the terrace with a decking made of red wood, and the infinity pool with a view on the sea.

The spectacular view on the sea from the garden.

 

The view from the terrace with a fence on the large garden with mediterranean plants, and a swimming pool.

The view from the terrace on the first floor.

 

The white chair in front of the glass doors which have the view on the garden with a pool.

The door from the master suite leads directly to the garden.

 

The wooden dining table with three benches in the middle of the garden. The dining area has the direct view on the sea.

Alfresco dining in the villa Feodora.

 

Minimalistic landscape

Another important consideration in the landscaping was to under-plant and give plants room to grow to full potential. So often, people are impatient and they end up buying too many plants and wasting money. That is why we worked with local landscape experts to coordinate the villa’s landscape. Many of the plant selections were driven by species common to the area of the island of Korčula. We kept it minimalistic but also interesting with two olive trees and grasses between the wooden deck and stone path, which gave the landscape a nice backdrop. Around the house, we chose the combination of cypress and lemon trees.