LAND BY DESIGN

My husband and I bought a mid-century home in 2021. We hired Nigel the following year to help us create a landscape consistent with the architectural design of the home. There were several design challenges that I won’t elaborate on, but suffice it to say that this was not a straight-forward project. Nigel did an excellent job of listening to our concerns and our desires for what we hoped to attain in terms of function and aesthetic. The project was significant in scale and included: custom designed drive and patios, custom designed fencing, new stairs from the primary bedroom to an intimate hot-tub area, landscape lighting design, and extensive plantings that create flow, privacy, and beautiful views from different parts of the property.

Eighteen months ago our Denver yard and garden were totally demolished giving Nigel Staton a clear slate upon which to exercise his design and imagination. Our rather small back yard was transformed by the charming trompe l'oeil effect. Nigel gave us a beautiful garden with abundant color throughout the spring, summer and fall months. He was sensitive to our requests for certain flowers, shrubs, trees and colors; and we were introduced to glorious scents emanating from many of his own suggestions and subsequent choices. Upon seeing our back garden our six year old granddaughter exclaimed "It's just like fairyland"! Needless to say, Nigel also transformed our front yard flower beds. He gave considerable time supervising the new construction and installation of plants, shrubs and trees which combined have created an ethereal effect which is a joy to behold.

Nigel is one of the most thoughtful professionals we have ever worked with. He respected our vision and was able to create an astonishing landscape which delights all who experience it. People who walk by consistently comment and thank us for the beauty we have created. He took care to map the sun exposure and shade so that we always have something blooming. Nigel comes in on time and budget. He is a delight to work with!

I usually don’t take the time to write reviews– but I felt compelled to sing the praises of Nigel Staton from LAND by Design. •It was so easy to communicate with Nigel. He was ALWAYS available to answer questions, review a design dilemma or deal with last minute changes. •He stayed within the timeframe of the project, respected my budget and I felt as if all my ideas and questions were valued and considered. •Every single detail of the front, side and backyard design was given consideration and extensive thought. •His plant knowledge is extensive. •His design and lighting abilities are truly exceptional. Nigel transformed my small and awkward backyard space into a Zen Secret Garden with multiple living and dining areas, fire and water features and cutting-edge design ideas that pulled it all together. He truly is a genius! My front yard is simple and elegant and the side yard a is very cozy. He worked with so many existing challenges on my property and he made it all work. Also, I have to say, Nigel is possibly the nicest and most caring person you will ever meet professionally. Simply stated...a wonderful experience through and through!

I can’t say enough about the amazing transformation Nigel created for our backyard. We bought a new construction townhome in Golden that had an unlevel, grassy slope with a few shrubs in the backyard. Due to the slope, there was no way to put a table or chairs back there and enjoy the beautiful view of South Table Mountain’s Castle Rock. One of our neighbors had renovated their backyard so that there were tiers, making it usable and creating a lovely space to entertain. I called Nigel to see what he could do for us. We now have two decks, a beautiful game court (bocce ball, cornhole, horseshoes), a firepit and exquisite custom-made metal planters and gates. And we have peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs and beautiful flowers and plants that attract hummingbirds, butterflies and (harmless) bees. This renovated yard provides us with an extension of our home with the equivalent of another living room, dining room, and game court to entertain outside. The lighting he incorporated makes the space even more magical at night. We are proud to entertain in our yard and always get tons of compliments. Nigel is very knowledgeable, creative and a joy to work with. While weather can often hinder progress in Colorado, Nigel is responsive and excellent at communicating with his clients.

Working with Nigel and Land By Design has been a fantastic experience. We used Land By Design to finally complete the landscaping on the home we built over 10 years ago. Nigel was well worth the wait. We have used many contractors over the course of our home build and renovation projects and Nigel is by far the best listener out of all of them. Due to COVID and other issues, our project spanned a few years. Throughout all of it, Nigel thoughtfully listened to all of our ideas and input and brought our dreams into reality. Nigel has unparalleled knowledge of both design and finishing techniques and he turned our mud pit into a beautiful outdoor oasis. Our friends call it a vacation retreat. Nigel stayed true to our vision and ideas while adding his own magic and intricate details that we did not even know were possible. I can absolutely recommend Nigel in the highest regard without hesitation. He is extremely personable, responsive and easy to work with. He is an accomplished landscape architect with experience in a variety of home settings. In the rare case when he was unfamiliar with an element or idea we wanted, he took the time to research and learn. He spent time listening to our ideas and more importantly, getting to know our family and preferences to understand how we wanted to use the space. Then he designed and brought to life beautiful landscape architecture that is a reflection of us. I cannot say enough positive things about Land By Design to explain what a stellar job was done. Thank you for transforming our space Nigel, it is amazing because of you.

We are so grateful for the vision Nigel created for our backyard. From the beginning, we knew we were in incredibly good hands based upon his previous work with friends. His designs went beyond our hopes and his attentiveness to our goals were outstanding. He could tell when something didn't quite sit with us and was always able to find pragmatic solutions. Nigel and his team truly transformed our backyard to a place where we find comfort, peace and connection. Thank you! Alex and Jane

Loved working with Nigel. He took our initial ideas and created a plan that we can execute in stages which is exactly what we wanted. He was always open to our comments/adjustments. He really understood our wants/needs, our aesthetic, and us as people and helped us create the landscape of our dreams!

Having worked with Nigel over the last two years and seen our landscape project come to completion, I can confidently say that he is a phenomenal landscape architect. His designs are creative, aesthetic, and functional. He is very knowledgeable in a range of design elements, including plants, hardscapes, colors, water features, outdoor electrical, shading and sunlight. Nigel’s process and interpersonal skills are great. He is kind and listens well to his clients. He is also great at developing accurate visualizations during the design phase to help clients get exactly what they want. And finally, he is very active and helpful during the planting and construction phases, ensuring that contractors stay true to the vision. We love the space he designed and are constantly getting compliments on it from visitors. Overall, the space is like a little oasis of peace and tranquility, not an easy feat to pull off in the middle of a city! Overall, I give my highest recommendation to Nigel.

Nigel was a great designer and project manager. We worked with Nigel and his preferred contractor Jose. From a design aspect, Nigel listened to our needs and worked with us towards a design that checked all of our boxes. The backyard is truly an extension of our indoor living space. My wife and I are always looking for excuses to be out there. If we decide to continue improving our outdoor space, we will certainly be calling upon Nigel again.

Nigel can’t be beat! This past summer he redesigned my home landscape to reflect my values: water efficiency, bird and pollinator-friendly plantings, vegetable gardening, and low maintenance. I was also sorely in need of aesthetic appeal, and also wanted to create an outdoor living/entertaining space. Nigel blew me away with his creativity, professional knowledge and attention to detail and function. He did it all and more. Nigel and his equally talented team are great problem solvers of the inevitable design issues arise. They get extra points for their focus on efficiency and cost, and for keeping the site neat and clean at the end of each day. Finally, I can’t say enough about Nigel’s customer service ethic. E.g., when an out-of-state specialized product supplier disappeared during the pandemic, Nigel worked through the weekend to find an acceptable substitute product. He got the order fast tracked for delivery from the East Coast with minimal delay to the construction schedule. I love my gorgeous garden and my beautiful outdoor “home addition”. My next-door neighbor said it best: “Your garden has added incredible value to MY property, too!”

Immediately after seeing Nigel's portfolio, I knew he would be the perfect designer for our project. Living in the city, we have a small backyard between our house and detached garage that we wanted to maximize and turn into a functional 3 season space for us and our small kids. Nigel's commanding knowledge of space planning, versatile design abilities, creative solutions and material selection allowed us to do just that! Nigel spent many hours talking with us and going over various options and all the details to ensure we were getting exactly what we wanted and had the best design possible. He then took on the responsibility of assisting with getting proposals and taking us through the next steps Even after reading all the other reviews and comments, Nigel still exceeded my expectations of his abilities and commitment to his clients. I highly recommend him for ANY landscaping design needs, large or small.

Wow. Can't say enough great things about the amazing transformation Nigel did to my dumpy backyard. Moved into a mess of a place with all sorts of junk in the backyard. Bad gravel. Janky carport. Rusty chainlink fences. The whole yard was all chopped up. Nigel designed a really cool outdoor space that feels like an outdoor room. And not just some generic trendy space that looks like any new suburban patio, but fits the character of a 1930s house. A beautiful privacy fence. He regraded the whole property to drain properly, no small feat since I'm on a hill. He chose a great selection of plantings that completely opened up the yard, screened nosy neighbors and are low maintenance that will grow into something special. Now when people come over they are like "Wow, I didn't know you had such a big backyard! This is gorgeous." He even designed a really complicated stone staircase that waterfalls from a new door I punched into the back of the house and completely ties the existing distant flagstone patio to the house. Narrow paths around the house that I thought were just dead throw-away spaces, he turned into a sculpted feature unto themselves -- now they are my favorite part. I can sit on my wood park bench with a cocktail in a secluded corner seating area along the alley, surrounded by trees and plantings and watch the sun set. I wish I could post before/after pictures. I just love to look out from office or from any window, looking good even as the seasons change.

Nigel developed a master landscaping plan for our 1950’s ranch home both to bring a contemporary feel to the house and help us utilize the site and connectivity of the indoor and outdoor spaces. Nigel developed a plan that brought privacy to our otherwise exposed corner lot as well as utilized “borrowed” views from our neighbors landscaping. His knowledge of plant species helped us select plants and trees that met our design intent as well as thrive well in the Denver area. He also brings valuable knowledge in the landscape contractor and vendor market. He is professional and experienced and a great asset for your landscaping project.

Nigel is absolutely brilliant whether he is working on a small project (mine) or designing major projects for friends. Highly recommend him.

I have known Nigel for a number of years and have been able to see the care and attention he has given to his clients and their projects many times. Therefore, when I recently found myself in need of assistance and inspiration, there was no doubt to whom I would call. My project had challenges in particular with regard to drainage and potential damage from deer. Discussions with Nigel were productive and collaborative with openness to all of my input. His ideas were innovative yet easy to implement. I highly recommend Nigel for assistance with projects from small with a very limited budget to the most sophisticated with generous funding!

I’ve had the delightful opportunity to have worked with Nigel Staton and his Firm Land by Design for over 10 years in the capacity as a client, colleague, and collaborator. There are many attributes that set Nigel apart including his keen sense of aesthetics, his formal educational background (critical to structural issues, building codes, compliance issues, and ability to create the appropriate construction documents), experience with multi state projects, urban design and planning projects and of equal importance, his delightful and professional personality and follow through with clients and contractors. My first interface with Nigel was as a board member at the 25 Downing St. condominium development where he was hired to do a massive overhaul of the buildings landscaping. As part of this, Nigel also had to balance the challenge of multiple homeowners with several opinions along with a building budget that ideally met everyone’s needs. Additionally, Nigel was very hands-on during the whole construction and planting process and continued to be a part of the continued maintenance for a number of years post completion. Handful of years later I worked with Nigel on a large scale urban planning project where I assisted in creating complex three-dimensional models that assisted the community and developers in having a true visual sense of the large-scale project. This type of skill is not common and requires additional computer knowledge, and design construction skills. The resulting two-dimensional and three-dimensional illustrations he created truly facilitated the negotiation processes along with the buy in from the community and its leaders. In the fall of 2017 I was a consultant on a residential design project of Nigel‘s where we spent a great deal of time with the homeowner refining details and other decorative accents. This particular client is realtor and is very well-versed and particular in the importance of design aesthetic, functionality, structural appropriateness and resale value. In sum, Nigel is a rare find with an extensive and varied background, skills, and the perfect personality to create any desired vision. I will be more than happy to be a personal reference for anyone who has additional questions about Nigel‘s work history.

As an artist and with 40 years in the nursery business (as grower for the Denver Wholesale Florist Company), I have a long-term and deep appreciation for the Landscape Architectural profession. From this perspective I have been honored to follow and engage with Nigel’s professionalism over the last 15 years or so. The most recent project in 2017 followed my move to Denver when I contracted him to carry out the design and build of the landscape to my 1920’s house in Hilltop. The existing landscaping had mature trees but elsewhere badly needed revitalization. Nigel skillfully redefined several outdoor spaces including 2 deck areas to provide intimate and comfortable outdoor living rooms to enjoy at different times of the day. He transformed the plantings into a multi-layered orchestra of color and texture. Pure poetry. Throughout the process he drew upon his immense knowledge and fabulous artistry to surpass our wildest hopes and expectations. He is dependable, considerate, thoughtful, congenial, and timely and always seeks the most cost effective solutions for me. In a world with so much over promising and under delivering Nigel is a true breath of fresh air and I simply could not wish for more.

As a City Planner, I worked with Nigel a few years ago on a significant commercial/mixed use redevelopment project in the metro area for nearly three years. Nigel was our lead on creating design standards and zoning for the district, and managed to juggle many other responsibilities on the complex project. Nigel is a consummate professional who understands landscape design as well as land use and regulatory codes and is able to balance design with good policy. Nigel was flexible, careful, articulate, and incredibly creative throughout the process and we were fortunate to have found him for the project!

Nigel tuned into exactly what I wanted for my project and came up with an amazing design. I am very pleased that Nigel and his team were the ones to help me reimagine and complete my backyard transformation. They all worked in a very professional and courteous manner and that made for an amazing working relationship. And the workmanship was top notch. I would highly recommend Land By Design and I will look forward to Nigel helping me with other projects in the future.

Nigel designed a master plan for our historic but neglected Denver home on a double lot with an unfortunate 1980s addition that didn't agree with the 1911 exterior of the home at all. His solutions maximized our home's value and took advantage of the existing structures and mature trees. Additionally, previous owners had loved the look of lots of concrete. Nigel proposed cost-efficient and beautiful solutions to soften the concrete retaining walls yet maintain the existing grading. Nigel was a clear communicator who listened to our desires for our home and created a plan that achieved everything we wanted and more. His solution breathed new life into our historical home all while being cost-efficient (though not cheap). His designs were elegant and livable. Overall, a fantastic experience.

Nigel designed and installed a xeric landscape to the forecourt of our property, Downing Condominiums. It is still flourishing today, some 14-5 years later.

Nigel was able to take a small very minimal space that actually was just a space to walk to the garage. He created it into an amazing area that I was able to use 3/4 or the year here in Colorado. I was looking for a sanctuary right in the middle of congress park in Denver. Using a lot of the materials found in the yard, he added to it and made the outside of my home now meet the inside. I loved how he made it a low maintenance upkeep... perfect for the busy life style.

Nigel is the best landscape architect. He worked with us from beginning to end. We had our front yard completely redesigned. He drew up the plans, worked on the yard with his crew and then watched the plants grow. During the first few weeks of the planting, we went on vacation and Nigel came over to check on the plants just to see if they were growing okay. Now that is service! He really cares for his clients and the plants. Our front yard is fantastic. We love it and received many compliments from our neighbors. Thank you Nigel!!!

Nigel is an experienced, knowledgeable and highly talented designer. He is incredibly versatile, innovative and responsive to his clients' wishes. He puts his heart and soul into his work and is attentive to details, making the spaces he creates both highly functional and incredibly beautiful. I've had the pleasure to spend time in gardens and homes designed by Nigel and they are all very memorable.

Nigel came with a high recommendation but managed to surpass our highest expectations. He is very friendly and knowledgeable and communicated his visions to us with the use of extremely useful 3D software so we knew what to expect. We LOVE our yard and have already recommended him to friends! We have an expanded dining area with a great outdoor kitchen, a wonderful fire table for lounging and fabulous outdoor theater for watching movies with the kids. The water feature adds a great relaxing feel to the space. He was even able to incorporate a cigar nook for my husband!

Consulting with Nigel Staton and his firm Land By Design, was the best decision I’ve ever made! As an artist and an engineer, I have a tendency to over analyze and overwork my designs. Nigel, through his exposure to both international and modern aesthetics gave me the keen advice and clarity I needed. Nigels superior business acumen and attention to customer relationships, is balanced with a true sense of joy in fulfilling his duties in any capacity. I would highly recommend consulting with Nigel Staton and Land by Design, when considering your next design project.

I am the contractor working with Nigel the landscape architect. I had a set of his plans, which were thorough and easy to follow. He made job site visits throughout the course of the project. The job came out beautifully with happy clients in South Pasadena, CA.

Nigel did the landscaping in front of our house in West Wash Park. His work and professionalism was top-notch throughout. He started with basic information sessions with my wife to understand her needs/thoughts/dreams for the front. They then moved into a detailed technical discussion of the plants that would look good and thrive in the front of the house. My wife wanted to nerd out on it and Nigel was the man for it! He provided us with professional drawings, a 3D visualization, and then his crew quickly and professionally did the installation. Highly recommended from A to Z.

Nigel has landscaped two houses for us. He is creative, very knowledgeable, and did an excellent job on both projects. One was more elaborate than the other. You can not go wrong with him. I highly recommend him.

Nigel is the rare professional who really hears his client, and then applies his depth of knowledge, creativity and extraordinary sense of design to craft something masterful - beauty, function and practicality all rolled into one! All that, and you couldn't ask for a more conscientious and congenial person to work with. Look no further than Nigel.

Amazing attention to detail. I worked with Nigel to create a pergola and back yard oasis. It is beautiful, and he was delightful to work with. I would highly recommend him.

Nigel Statin is an amazing landscape architect with a great eye for contemporary style. He listens and resolves complex issues beautifully throughout the process. He displays a perfect mix of technical knowledge and artistry. We will surely hire him for out next project. Can't recommend him highly enough!

Nigel really understood our style and was able to create a look we love and was on budget. He worked with us to install an irrigation solution that utilized a rain water collection system that was not only better for the environment but was less expensive than a traditional sprinkler system. We love our landscaping and Nigel!

We were extremely satisfied with the quality of work provided by Nigel for our Houston suburb backyard. Working remotely, Nigel was able to take our pictures, listen to our ideas and provide three landscape concepts that were equally beautiful, but gave us various options for building our outdoor living area. Nigel's work was timely and very reasonable. We are planning to hire Nigel and Land By Design for our next lanscaping project.at our new home In Shorewwod, MN.

One of my favorite contractors recommended Nigel and I'm so glad that he did. Land By Design was easy to work with, took on board all my crazy thoughts (and I had many!) and developed them into a cohesive design that is exactly what I had hoped for and more. I'm so happy with the way the back garden worked out we are now working on the front.

Land By Design's work is always breathtaking in how it blends the modern with the classic. Impeccable. Nigel listens to your ideas, before improving on them and bringing your dreams to fruition.

Brilliant. Nigel transformed our Cherry Creek North townhome's outdoor courtyard to an outdoor room. It is simple and elegant. He is a true artist and is absolutely delightful! My recommendation, "Run to the nearest phone and contract Nigel."