Beechwood Landscape Architecture & Construction: Staying Home in Style
The concept of the staycation – spending your vacation at home – really came into vogue in 2020, when the pandemic meant everyone needed to stay home most of the time anyway. Many South Jersey folks began to turn their homes into sanctuaries, adding outdoor amenities that made being at home feel just like visiting a luxurious resort.
Beechwood Landscape Architecture & Construction in Southampton was ready to meet the demand for enhanced backyards across South Jersey and into Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, and even northern New Jersey, where they have longstanding clients.
“Many people decided to put the investment into their property and enhance their home instead of buying a second home they would rarely use,” explains Steve Chepurny, Beechwood’s president. “2020 made people step back and reconsider their living spaces.”
“People come to us when they’re looking for an extension of their living space and we provide them with a comprehensive plan,” he says. “Every project is considered in every capacity: How will you use the space? What is a good investment and will it provide a good return? If you use the space and it makes you happy, it’s great.”
Putting the pieces together
Many times, homeowners dream of enhancing their yard with a pool, patio or walkway – but they often don’t fully consider how all the components will fit together. This is where the professionals at Beechwood come in. They have the training and experience to look at the space in question and evaluate the environment with all its potential challenges.
“Are there grading issues or unusual or difficult conditions? Is the space challenging in some way? Might there be issues with the township and its restrictions?” asks Chepurny. “It may not be one particular thing. We can develop a comprehensive overall plan with a cohesive flow, which will ultimately be better than developing a space in separate bits and pieces.”
The design team at Beechwood frequently works with outside engineers to follow township regulations about how much land surface can be covered, what types of hardscaping are allowed and so on. Appropriate lighting is often overlooked and is important for nighttime aesthetics, as well as safety. Another big part of the overall planning is what type of plantings should be installed. “We know plants,” he says, “and what they will look like in the future.”
“People often put plants into a location and 5 years or so later they may have problems. The plant gets too big or there is too much shade for it, etc. We look at the total space, including the house because, after all, you are looking to accent your home in a way that best utilizes the space.”
That’s exactly why homeowners should hire a professional, Chepurny adds. Beechwood’s staff have the trained eye to look at an area and know what it needs or what it doesn’t need. Chepurny says he is unbiased – offering enhancements that are best for each property. “We look at how the overall property will work, taking everything into account…plants, irrigation, lighting and maintenance.”
Beechwood’s custom design process
Chepurny’s favorite part of the job is designing, and he gets engrossed creating the perfect space for his clients. Trained as a landscape architect at West Virginia University with 30 years of experience in the field, he knows the best approach to reach the desired result – high-quality landscape environments for people to enjoy every day.
“It all starts with the initial meeting, where we learn the client’s goals and create a design objective,” he explains. “This design process gives the client an organized plan and focused scope of the job while outlining what we are going to accomplish.” We base this approach on our specialty – creating distinctive designs that connect landform and architecture while blending the home and yard with a harmony of textures, color and form.
Beechwood’s designers help clients think of the future and plan ahead, developing a phased master plan for the entire property. One of the biggest questions often overlooked by homeowners is: Will you have enough space going forward? “Parking is a big unknown, especially if the house sits back off the road and you have a single driveway and 3 kids. Where will everyone park in a few years?”
Chepurny stresses that Beechwood’s design process is a carefully thought-out plan.
“Just like the interior of your house has different rooms, we define exterior rooms on the outside of the home. It’s hard when people have already made a substantial investment and I have to tell them they chose the wrong spot for a plant, for example,” Chepurny says. “Our design process means the right choices are made the first time.”
“Our team prepares a design solution that enhances our clients’ quality of living. We’re confident that when we’ve completed the project, we will have created a personalized landscape that expresses their individualism.”
The Beechwood team
The Beechwood team roster reads like the list of professionals it is. Chepurny along with a team of 6 landscape architects and designers handle client meetings and design work. On staff are two horticulturists licensed for the treatment of plants to include integrated pest management (IPM) as well as comprehensive turf care programs, and nurserymen certified by the state to choose the correct plantings for every situation. In the summer season, up to 100 team members are added to manage basic landscaping services, like including turf maintenance programs, plant healthcare, annual site enhancements and planting bed revitalization and mulching.
Beechwood past and future
Chepurny and his partner, Tim Worrell, Beechwood’s vice president and director of production, began Beechwood in March 2006 at a time when outdoor living spaces weren’t nearly as sought after and elaborate as they are today. The trend toward adding outdoor kitchens, entertainment centers, fireplaces and pools really began before the pandemic hit and has continued to grow and expand.
“People use their outdoor spaces more than ever, especially with the climate changing,” says Chepurny. “Some people open their pools on April 1 and don’t close until Thanksgiving, using outdoor heaters and firepits to create the ideal dining area.”
He tells the story of one client in Haddonfield who has a large porch with outdoor heaters where the family shares Thanksgiving dinner. “He’s going to add expansive doors to the back of the house and open the entire home to the porch, where there is an entire outdoor kitchen with a fireplace. It will be the complete visual from the inside to the outside.”
The trend toward remote work means people are home more often too and want to create an extension to their home that allows the outdoors in and vice versa.
“We all know how wonderful it is to walk into the backyard and feel like you’re on a luxurious vacation,” Chepurny says. “I’m happy Beechwood can make that dream a reality.”
2 Kerry Court, Southampton
609-801-1252 | beechwoodlandscape.com
