California Casual Landscape Designs
Luxury Bay Area residential landscape architecture by Montgomery Robbins, Inc., featuring a hillside vineyard setting with a stone-clad outdoor pavilion, bi-fold glass doors, and an expansive bluestone terrace. The design includes a circular modern fire pit surrounded by navy Adirondack chairs, terraced planting with lavender and vineyard vines, and panoramic views that reflect Northern California’s relaxed, high-end “California Casual” outdoor living style.

Landscape Architecture has seen many movements and style trends that influence the aesthetic of designed outdoor space.  The variety of definitions of beauty is one thing we love about our work, and we are always looking forward to what is coming next.  Northern California has always had its own unique look, and it is one that is constantly evolving.  In recent years, we have seen California’s casual, vibrant, and varied aesthetic combine with low-water landscape wisdom to influence design style.  We are embracing these elements in our designs as the future of the California Casual landscape.

Casual Elegance: A California Staple
Meandering flagstone garden path designed by Montgomery Robbins, Inc., a Bay Area residential landscape architecture firm, featuring natural stone paving bordered by lush, drought-tolerant grasses, flowering shrubs, and mature trees. This Northern California garden walkway showcases the firm’s signature “California Casual” aesthetic—blending organic form, texture, and native planting for a serene, sustainable outdoor experience.

Soft flower borders and gravel paths, flowing grasses meet clean hardscape, strong architecture, and sublime landscape lighting.  Elegant but unquestionably welcoming, the California landscape invites good times without the pressure of formality. A gravel path edged with soft plantings leads to an olive-encircled garden retreat in this California-style garden. Textures and colors combine effortlessly for a dramatic entrance.  The low water bill makes this landscape all the more appealing!

Hillside vineyard landscape in Northern California designed by Montgomery Robbins, Inc., featuring a terraced stone retaining wall, elegant white pergola, and bocce court overlooking a luxury outdoor pavilion. This Bay Area residential landscape architecture project blends natural stonework with formal design elements to create a refined yet relaxed “California Casual” setting that celebrates the region’s vineyard topography and outdoor living lifestyle.
MEDITERRANEAN INFLUENCE

California has long been influenced by Mediterranean culture, and our natural Mediterranean climate also influences our gardens and our style choices.  Plants from the Mediterranean climates of the world (including coastal Australia and South Africa) thrive naturally here.  Unique in their forms and with their own definition of beauty, these plants are coming to define the new California garden style from San Francisco to Sonoma.

Elegant wrought iron garden gate framed by dark wood fencing and ornamental grasses in a custom Bay Area residential landscape by Montgomery Robbins, Inc. The design showcases Northern California craftsmanship with detailed metalwork, structured plantings, and a welcoming pathway that reflects the firm’s signature blend of sophistication, privacy, and “California Casual” outdoor living style.
NATIVE PLANTS

Native plants have been popular in Bay Area gardening for some time, but they are gaining popularity in Landscape Architecture as we improve our understanding of their potential.  While many California natives enter summer dormancy, others stay presentable throughout the year.  When combined with other Mediterranean plants, they can add wonderful structure, color, and authenticity to a California garden.

The rich color of California Fuschia is a stunning addition to a sunny border, and pairs beautifully with native succulents, grasses, and others.

Modern backyard pool design by Montgomery Robbins, Inc., a Bay Area residential landscape architecture firm, featuring clean travertine decking, contemporary lounge chairs, and lush privacy plantings of redwoods and evergreen hedges. The serene Northern California setting captures the firm’s signature “California Casual” style—combining luxury, simplicity, and connection to nature for refined outdoor living.
OUTDOOR LIFE
Sophisticated outdoor kitchen and dining pavilion designed by Montgomery Robbins, Inc., a Bay Area residential landscape architecture firm, featuring natural stone walls, wood accents, and sleek black countertops with pendant lighting. The Northern California design blends indoor and outdoor living with retractable glass walls, modern finishes, and vineyard-inspired details that reflect the firm’s signature luxury “California Casual” aesthetic.

Here in California, we embrace outdoor living as a lifestyle!  Perhaps the greatest influence on the new California Landscape is our desire to inhabit it as much as possible.  From the recent trend in backyard bocce and outdoor entertainment to the time-honored California tradition of homegrown food and wine, the landscape is part of our everyday life.  Landscapes are our passion, and we are grateful for the chance to be part of the experience of helping our clients love their leisure.

Sustainable raised vegetable garden designed by Montgomery Robbins, Inc., a Bay Area residential landscape architecture firm, featuring custom redwood planters, trellised grapevines, and a basket of freshly harvested produce including carrots, beets, and zucchini. This Northern California garden design reflects the firm’s commitment to edible landscaping, outdoor wellness, and the “California Casual” lifestyle that blends beauty, functionality, and sustainability.

Wanting a change for your landscape architecture? Look no further! Contact our studio for a complimentary consultation!