Designing a 15-acre estate is both a formidable challenge and a great joy. There may be constraints but also enormous freedom-to think grandly in terms of swooping hills and gentle valleys, and to sculpt the landscape as though it were potter's clay.

At this Barrington property, the owners were seeking enhanced beauty from their surroundings, but they were concerned as well with the good health of their land. Van Zelst, Inc. responded by first addressing the issue of the overgrown woods which grew along the quiet stream that was a part of the region's flood plain. Eight acres of non-native buckthorn were carefully removed in order to open up sight lines and improve the growth of the remaining trees. Twenty-five mature conifers and deciduous trees were transplanted.

Vast numbers of bulbs and perennials were then introduced to create a meadow. New paths were designed to take advantage of the lay of the land and to create new views and focal points.

While the meadows and woods of the outlying areas are an example of what David Van Zelst terms "organized informality," the spaces near the house carefully reflect its more formal architecture. Bluestone is used throughout-beginning with the preexisting patio, extending into the French-inspired gardens, and then to the swimming pool, which replicates both the patio's curved lines and the clipped yew hedges surrounding the gardens. For the owners, the result is a pleasing blend of casual living and grandeur.