Situated near Rock Creek Park, a Northwest Washington property boasts an exceptionally private backyard, rimmed by walls and two freestanding garages. But owners Elaine and Gerardo del Cerro barely enjoyed their garden. With overgrown hedges and a disjointed pool, it felt disconnected from their sleek, modern residence.

“They mostly used the space as a walk-through to the garage,” recalls New York landscape architect Margie Bart, hired to transform the diminutive plot into a cohesive extension of the home.

She set out to complement the property’s strong architectural framework. “We created distinctive spaces that flow together visually and invite you outside,” Bart explains. There’s a new dining area, a reimagined pool and a lush lawn. Stately terraced steps follow the yard’s natural incline, leading up to a cocktail area flanked by beds of New Dawn roses.

“It was a challenge in restraint not to overwhelm the space,” notes Bart, whose plan respected the home’s crisp symmetry and minimalist material palette. She matched existing sandblasted-marble pavers to deliver an expanded pool deck. It now accommodates a pair of chaises and forms the steps near the dining area and on the terraced lawn. The dining table rests on a bed of misty-gray granite gravel. And manicured bands of ivy animate the garden walls in a syncopated composition.

Though the property required extensive grading and drainage repairs, the team was able to salvage its mature trees, which include magnolias, Upright English Oak and a glorious Chaste Tree that erupts in violet blooms every summer. Once the infrastructure was in place, Bart stripped the entire under-story. “We balanced the hardscape with a mix of soft shrubs, annuals and perennials, from hydrangea to Allium, Calamint and Salvia,” she notes, adding, “Elaine, who’s an artist, makes the most beautiful cut-flower arrangements.”

The del Cerros now delight in their winsome garden and love sharing it with friends. “We wanted it to feel timeless and intimate—like it has always been there,” says Bart. “It’s like an oasis in the city.”

Landscape Architecture: Margie Bart, PLA, Bart Landscape Architecture, New York, New York. Landscape Contractor: Page Stonework and Landscape, Takoma Park, Maryland. Landscape Maintenance: Hedge Garden Care, Silver Spring, Maryland.