If you’re a gardener looking for a change, consider upgrading your garden with a raised bed. These above-ground planters help separate your garden from the rest of your yard and can add dimension to otherwise flat areas. Some standard items needed to start include soil, wood or the material you plan to use to create the raised bed, a shovel and a tiller.

Raised Ground Beds

An enchanting “misty emerald” hue gave one house in Pacific, a minty-fresh look via a siding and exterior project completed by Chesterfield-based Lakeside Renovation & Design.

Creating a meticulously designed space from a blank canvas is a unique challenge. Looking for someone to take on the challenge, this new homeowner reached out to Morgan Brown of Castle Design after a neighbor’s home was transformed with Brown’s help. “She saw my work, and liked it, and so we went from there,” recalls Brown.

By Griffin Enright Architects.

The library was designed as a room within a room. Raised two steps above the living room, the library allows views out into the garden beyond. Dark bookshelves fold around and up the wall onto the ceiling, contrasting with the light-colored floor and making the space feel larger. Photography by Benny Chan.

By Verner Architects.

Kurkku Fields, Japan

Tucked into a corner of Kurkku Fields sits a library built inside the earth. The fields were previously home to flat, dry land and construction debris. As the lush valley was restored, the architects believed the building should sit beneath the plants and microorganisms in the soil, allowing the cultivated soil layer to remain undisturbed. This idea led to the creation of the library, a "small cleft in the earth" where farmers could stop to rest.

Classic