Resilience Without Sacrificing Beauty

I believe that sustainability and beauty are not in tension — they are the same thing, when design is done well. A garden that ignores climate, water, and long-term plant performance will never look as good as one that works with these forces rather than against them.

Every project is designed around water use, sun and exposure, seasonal extremes, and long-term plant health — while maintaining a refined, cohesive visual language that reflects the character of the property and the people who live there.

For Marin homeowners, this often means drought-adapted California natives and Mediterranean plants, generous structure through stone and form, and a planting composition that shifts and deepens through the seasons.

Craft at Every Scale

Studio Kala operates at the intersection of ecological knowledge and design sensibility. I bring the same rigor to a plant selection that an architect brings to a material specification — considering texture, seasonality, growth habit, and ecological function alongside pure visual effect.

I prioritize integrated pest management, pollinator-supportive planting, and regionally appropriate plant palettes. The gardens I design are not high-maintenance showpieces — they are considered environments that reward skilled, attentive care without demanding it.

My hands-on background spans historic restoration work at Alcatraz Island's gardens — one of the most demanding coastal environments in the Bay Area — and managing productive orchard and edible garden systems for private estates. That range, from ornamental restoration to food-producing landscapes, informs how I approach every project: with practical knowledge of how plants actually live, not just how they look on a plan.

Working with a small studio means working directly with me at every stage. There are no handoffs, no intermediaries. Your garden reflects a singular vision, developed in close collaboration with you.