What our clients are saying...
"I love that the design beautifully integrates modern structures, like a pool and tennis court, into a traditional property. When we began our process, we felt it was crucial to maintain the integrity of our 1910 Hoppin & Koen designed home and to preserve the beauty of the natural woods surrounding the house. However, we have a young family and wanted our children to be able to swim, play tennis, swing on a swing or climb the trees in our backyard. KALA Landscape worked closely with us to reach our goals with beautiful results. Not only did KALA help layout and design the structures, they also worked with us closely to integrate and beautify them. The tennis court was sunk into the ground and surrounded by a beautiful hand-built rock wall, hollies, roses and arborvitaes. A hillside was decorated with an abundance of hydrangeas. KALA listened to our preferences and collaborated with us to choose plants we loved which were natural to our environment and would thrive. Furthermore, KALA prepared the documents and consulted with us through the approval process for the Board of Architectural Review and Zoning Board of Appeals; their experience in this area was invaluable. Finally, KALA partnered with Community Landscape to seamlessly execute the design and ensure that the vision met our expectations, following up when adjustments were needed. " - Laurie B., Tuxedo Park, New York
"We had several contractors propose patio designs before we got Karen involved. Each proposed what he was comfortable in building; none really listened to what we wanted. Karen was different. She was a breath of fresh air. She listened to us. She studied our house and our yard. She designed the patio we wanted. We were so pleased that we asked Karen to continue with a design for the rest of our backyard. Our yard sloped away from the house and had no level area. We told Karen we wanted a flat lawn area for activities and an area for a woodland garden. Karen listened again. She gave us a design that hit the mark for us, beautified our yard and complemented our house. She designed a series of rock walls and planting areas that have a feeling of proportion and scale that are just right. Karen made the process fun. Her turnaround was prompt and her plans clear to understand before we began the work. We couldn’t be happier with what Karen has given us."
- Pat & Mike Donnelly, Goshen, New York
"Our office has worked with KALA on many commercial, residential, and municipal projects. Karen’s aesthetic sense and her practical approach to landscaping and drainage challenges have made a huge contribution toward the success of the projects." - Dave Getz, P.E., Warwick, NY
"Karen Arent is a remarkable landscape designer. Her unique, innovative and utilitarian implementations far surpassed our own vision for this sprawling property; a property whose landscapes would challenge many of the world’s top landscape designers. Each of the bold landscape designs were extremely well planned. Her flowers, shrubbery, trees, rocks, stones and water selections are all creative, inspiring, inviting and thriving. Karen and her team have been very reliable and professional throughout the design, installation and maintenance processes. They continue to exceed our expectations long after the initial design and implementation phases. Their reliability, responsiveness and reasonableness continuously verify our decision to engage them was a wise one." - James C., Tuxedo Park, New York
"Where to begin? It is a natural extension of our location. It is not overdone. Classic elegance. Makes me happy just to look at it. Designing is never fun but all the reworks were well worth it. Karen was very patient and persistent to ensure the final result was beautiful and also exactly what we wanted. Our landscape and pool is the cherry on top of a long renovation. The wow factor is visible the moment you reach the driveway. We like to live simply but with luxury and the design of our pool, front yard and driveway is just that! I would say, and have said, that it was a good process with an amazing outcome. But in truth, the site speaks for itself. I usually say, "Come over and see for yourself!" I would do it again in a heartbeat but wouldn't change a thing in our design." - John D., Nyack, New York
"The landscape design is an excellent reflection of the vision that I wanted my outdoor space to look/feel like. The cooperative process between Karen and myself to achieve the desired result was extremely rewarding. Karen and her staff, with extensive knowledge and creative talent, is committed and driven to design and successfully execute whatever landscape project (large or small) that you may require. In 2007, whiIe searching for a landscape architect, I fortuitously came across Karen's company in the phone book. At that time, I had my entire front and back yard landscaped. I was impressed not only with the cooperative process employed to produce a comprehensive design, but the very hard work it took to install all the plants, trees and hardscape (patio and pathways) to perfection. The results exceeded my expectations and it enhanced our yard and our lives for many years. In 2016, I was happy to be able to call on Karen once again to return to refresh the landscaping. I am again thrilled with the results. With her attention to detail, Karen has the ability to create designs that integrate her extensive knowledge with the needs and vision of the owner. The return on the investment in the landscaping of our home has been immeasurable. " - C. Johnson