A Full Property Transformation in Mt Pleasant: Heritage Curb Appeal, Custom Stonework, and a Backyard Pool Retreat
This Mt Pleasant heritage home already had presence. A century-old red brick build with a slate-shingle gable and that signature arched portico over the front door. What it didn't have was a landscape that matched the architecture. Avanti Landscaping took on a full property transformation, front to back, and the result is a property that looks like the grounds were always meant to be this way.
Reworking the front: stone, steps, and structure
The front entrance was the anchor. We built a raised planting bed wrapped in natural stone veneer with a clean limestone cap, the kind of dry-laid look that reads as old-world but performs like new construction. The stairs were rebuilt in wide limestone treads with custom wrought-iron handrails that echo the home's black trim and door. A Japanese maple was set as the specimen plant, underplanted with low evergreen shrubs and seasonal colour so the bed holds interest in every season, not just June.
Curb appeal on a heritage home is a balancing act. Too modern and you fight the brick. Too fussy and it looks staged. The stonework here was chosen to feel quarried-on-site, and the limestone ties the front beds, the stair treads, and the rear pool coping into one material story.
The backyard: a pool retreat built for real use
Out back, the centrepiece is an in-ground pool with an automatic cover, framed in the same limestone coping used at the front for continuity. We surrounded it with black aluminum safety fencing that disappears against the planting rather than fighting it, which is exactly what you want: code-compliant, but not the first thing you see.
The planting plan does the heavy lifting on privacy. Layered trees and shrubs along the existing wood fence line soften the boundary and buy the yard its seclusion, while a stretch of fresh sod keeps an open lawn for kids and gatherings. A composite deck off the house handles the grill-and-lounge zone, low-maintenance and weather-honest, with a cantilever umbrella for shade.
Why it works
A luxury landscape isn't about how much you cram in. It's about restraint and material continuity. One stone language front to back. Plantings that earn their spot. Hardscape that's built to outlast trends. This Mt Pleasant project is a full transformation that still feels like it belongs to the house.
Avanti Landscaping designs and builds full property transformations across Toronto's established neighbourhoods, including Mt Pleasant, Forest Hill, The Kingsway, Leaside, and Lawrence Park. Free in-home estimate, 5-year labour warranty, fully insured, Landscape Ontario member.
