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Before & After: Rooftop Garden
Sunset Magazine

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Before

In a city where private outdoor space is at a premium, sometimes the best solution is to go vertical, converting roof space into usable square footage for a garden. This transformation from Sunset shows how one family (and their brilliant designers) turned some tiny rooms into a rooftop paradise.

 
 

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and After!

Gorgeous, isn't it? By adding the roof deck, designed by architect Jonathan Feldman and landscape designer Loretta Gargan (and built by Lorax Development), the Gosselin family essentially built themselves a view; from the corner of the deck, you can see parts of the city that were previously hidden from inside the house. An oversized pivot door creates a way to really open up the indoor space, and on cold days all the large windows provide garden and city views from inside.

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The planting is as whimsical and lovely as the idea for the deck itself, with bushy grasses and pops of orange and pink against lime green foliage.

To read about the project, and to see more photos of the whole house renovation, click on over to Sunset.

(Images: Thomas J. Story/Sunset Magazine)

Tags

gardening, Outdoor, deck, Sunset Magazine, roof garden, before & after

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Comments (6)

Having the 'before' photo in black and white, and the 'after' photo in color, reminds me of The Wizard of Oz.

And also of those makeover ads where the 'before' image is of a dour-looking person, and the 'after' image is of a smiling person.

posted by mirandabee on November 11th 2009 at 5:11am
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I would never leave that garden. How awesome will that be for their cute daughter?!!

posted by jeffnyc on November 11th 2009 at 9:44am
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A rooftop garden is the best thing you can have in a city. Precious!

posted by ladymantle on November 11th 2009 at 1:02pm
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Um the first picture didn't look that bad, it was just in black and white.

posted by suzy8track on November 11th 2009 at 2:04pm
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I'm a fan of the "Before" it had more character.

posted by chartreuse on November 11th 2009 at 2:22pm
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weighing in on a thumbs up for the before pic. also, is the after pic even remotely the same angle the first one was taken?

posted by loislane on November 12th 2009 at 8:31am
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