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Creating layers in your garden, like these, is not as complicated as it looks.
Landscape Architecture

Creating Vibrant Layers in Your Garden

Layered planting doesn’t have to be complex and, if done correctly, layering can reduce your garden maintenance and increase the time you spend actually enjoying your garden. From the ground plane to the backdrop, you can create your own luscious, layered garden by following these simple concepts.

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Objects with personal value, like these old drafting tools, are great places to anchor a brand.
Commercial

Branding Through Storytelling in Commercial Design

Storytelling is an integral part of humanity: our individual and communal lives are built on stories. When it comes to a brand, a well-told, authentic story reflected in a physical space is incredibly impactful. But, what does that mean and where do you start in the design process?

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Reasons to add a built-in bench to your project.
Custom Residential, Interior Design

Great Reasons to Add a Built-In Bench to Your Project

When we say, “built-ins“ — do you think cabinets and bookshelves? A lot of people do, but one of our favorite types of built-ins is a built-in bench — here’s why, in the words of a few of Board & Vellum’s interior designers.

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An example of a sustainability study for a remodel.
Custom Residential, Sustainable Practice

Designing a Sustainable Remodel

Designing a high-performance new home is straight-forward and time-tested. Designing a high-performance remodel can be a bit more complex and nuanced. Here are areas in which to focus your efforts so you can maximize the sustainable impact of your project, remodeling your space into a beautiful and high-performing home.

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Kraftwerk on stage: architects and musicians.
Arts & Culture

Architects in the Music World

The general public may know more about musicians than about architects; after all, it’s a lot easier to share a song far and wide than a building. But, both are both creative fields, so it may come as no surprise how much crossover there is between them.

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A contractor at work on the job with a table saw.
Ask a Designer, Custom Residential

How To Know If Your Contractor is Doing a Good Job

As much as we may want it to be, nothing is perfect. Whether remodeling or building new, and regardless of how well-recommended your contractor is, unknown challenges will arise with your project. But, this is a navigable process, especially if you keep these tips in mind.

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A floor plan showing the dimensions you need to fit a kitchen island.
Ask a Designer, Custom Residential, Interior Design

Do I Have Space for a Kitchen Island? (And Other Kitchen Island Questions)

Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, you can actually fit a kitchen island into a tighter space — you just have to design for it. Here are the details to keep in mind, as well as questions you’ll need to answer whether or not you have a small space to work with.

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Cone Flower (Echinacea), and Golden Rain Tree all offer golden summer blooms.
Landscape Architecture

What’s Blooming Now: Golden Summer, Rain or Shine

What do Golden Rain Tree, Cone Flower, and Thyme have in common? They can all bring lovely golden colors to your landscape. Learn more about the virtues of these three plants and why you may find them to be the perfect addition in your garden.

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Sustainable Practice

Questions To Ask About Sustainability

Board & Vellum’s first employee is starting off on a new adventure. As a farewell blog post, he asked people around the office about something really important to him: what questions they ask themselves — and think others should ask — about sustainability in terms of homes, landscapes, and workplaces.

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Or, if chronology isn’t your thing…

Here are a couple of posts to get you started. Of course, it’s hard to choose, so feel free to poke around; we hope to have a little something for everyone. And, if you have a burning question you’d like us to cover in a future post, please let us know!

Questions to ask an architect at an interview. – Board & Vellum

Questions to Ask an Architect in an Interview: Advice for Clients

What should you ask a designer you are interviewing for your project? A good personality fit helps, but to help you hire with confidence, here are ten questions worth asking.

Questions to Ask a Landscape Architect or Site Design Team in an Interview – Board & Vellum

Questions to Ask a Landscape Architect or Site Design Team in an Interview

What should you ask a landscape architect you are interviewing? From design to fee, to timeline and more, here are ten questions you should ask before you hire.

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Board & Vellum is honored to be a Gray Awards Finalist for landscape design, earning the recognition for the rooftop garden at the Lucille on Roosevelt.

Honored as a finalist for residential landscape design.

LEED Certified in White

Our team includes LEED-accredited professionals.

Certified Passive House Consultant in White

Our team includes certified Passive House consultants.

NGLCC Certified as LGBT Business Enterprise – Board & Vellum Recognition

A Certified LGBT Business Enterprise Since 2016.

PSBJ’s Top 25 LGBTQ-Owned Businesses 2016 in White

Honoring companies that lead in promoting equality.