A house within a garden

On one side of the garden, the designers created an intimate flagstone terrace backed by a thick screen of podocarpus trees. On the street side is a lush perennial-and-shrub garden accented by a bubbling urn, with black bamboo and king palms behind it to provide privacy from the street.

Extending directly off the house at the same level as the lawn is a new dining area for small gatherings. "Now the garden works for one person or 50 people," Palmer says. "It's a great use of a small space," noted a juror. "The sunken area makes the garden feel much more extensive."

DESIGN: Artecho Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Venice, CA (310/399-4794)