A stone pathway lined with lush green bushes and colorful hydrangea flowers, leading to a blue double-door arched entrance covered with greenery, with a house on the left and trees in the background.

Outdoor spaces should feel as considered as the rooms inside.

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A planting plan is only part of the story.

We look at the entire property. How you arrive. Where you gather. What you see from the kitchen window. Where the kids run. Where the dogs need a gate. Where the evening light falls. The goal is not simply to make your yard prettier. It is to make the exterior of your home feel intentional.

What We Design

  • A watercolor painting of a historic brick house with black shutters, a porch with a black railing, and a garden with bushes and flowers in front. A large tree with textured bark and green leaves is in the foreground.

    Arrival + Curb Appeal

    Entry gardens, driveways, walkways, porches, gates and first impressions.

  • Watercolor illustration of a garden path with stepping stones, a white picket fence, pink house siding, lush flowering plants, greenery, and a white arched garden gate.

    Gardens + Planting

    Layered planting plans, foundation beds, secret gardens, borders and seasonal interest.

  • Illustration of a backyard conversation garden with outdoor seating, chairs, a sofa, and a round table, surrounded by flowering bushes and a wooden fence.

    Outdoor Living

    Patios, fire features, dining areas, lounge spaces, pool surroundings and outdoor rooms.

  • Design plan and perspective view of a children’s outdoor playset with a playhouse, swings, a stepping log path, and surrounding landscaping. The playhouse is a small wooden structure with stairs, window boxes, and a roof. The swings are attached to a sturdy wooden beam with metal brackets. The layout includes detailed front and side elevations, showing construction materials and connection details.

    Architectural Details

    Trellises, pergolas, walls, steps, fencing, lighting and materials.

  • Outdoor porch with a wooden swing, beige cushions, patterned throw pillows, and a green blanket, surrounded by potted plants and trees, with string lights overhead.

    Styling + Furnishings

    Furniture, planters, textiles, lighting and finishing details.

  • A detailed landscape design plan featuring a house with surrounding gardens, a driveway, a circular turn-around drive, a pond with fountain, a magnolia tree, a walking garden, a terrace with outdoor furniture, a conversation garden, and a dock overlooking water, all labeled with various garden and landscaping features.

    Whole Property Design

    A complete vision connecting multiple outdoor spaces into one cohesive property.

How We Make It Happen

A colorful landscaping or garden plan showing various sections, pathways, and plant placements, with labels indicating features like a pond, seating areas, and plant types.
A sunny outdoor patio with a wooden dining table, chairs, and umbrella, surrounded by lush greenery, flowering plants, and a two-story white house with black windows.
A backyard garden with a greenhouse, freshly mulched garden beds, a wheelbarrow, gardening tools, and flowering bushes surrounded by lush green trees.
An old black rotary telephone placed on grass outdoors.

We establish the big-picture vision, layout, materials, planting character and signature moments.

01 | Discovery

We learn the property, architecture, lifestyle, priorities and budget.

02 | Concept

We help translate the design into reality through contractor coordination, sourcing, layout and styling.

03 | Design

You receive a clear visual plan with sketches, selections, sourcing and design direction.

04 | Bring It to Life
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White Glove Package

Depending on the project, our comprehensive design experience can include concept decks, aerial and elevation sketches, material palettes, planting character, furniture selections, clickable sourcing, contractor coordination, on-site layout and final styling.

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A woman with long brown hair, wearing a black tank top and denim shorts, is tending to flowers in a garden outside her house. The house has beige siding, a brick chimney, and an open porch.
Water's edge garden concept with brick pathway, lush plants, trees, and a view of water with a dock and a simple gate at the threshold.

Waterfront Retreat

A landscaped garden featuring a stone pathway leading to a small beige house with a gabled roof, surrounded by white and green bushes, flowering plants, tall cypress trees, and a black decorative fountain in the center.

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Layered gardens, outdoor gathering spaces and a relaxed coastal arrival.

Secret Garden Residence

A backyard patio with outdoor furniture, including a sectional sofa, two armchairs, and a round table with a flower arrangement, surrounded by bushes with pink and white flowers, and a small fence with steps leading down.

Lexington, Kentucky

A property transformed into a series of connected garden rooms.

English-Inspired Outdoor Living

Lexington, Kentucky

Limestone, structured planting and intimate gathering spaces

Front view of a stately white brick house with a dark shingled roof, surrounded by a well-kept garden with trimmed bushes, white flowers, two trees, and a stone fountain in the center walkway.

For homeowners who want more than a landscape plan.

Our clients typically have a beautiful home, an underutilized exterior and a sense that something is missing. They may know they want a pool, garden, patio or better landscaping, but they need someone to see the whole property and turn those individual pieces into a cohesive vision.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Sweeter Magnolia design?

The Sweeter Magnolia designs outdoor living and exterior environments — garden and landscape layouts, patios and gathering spaces, exterior styling, lighting, furnishings, and hospitality or vacation-property exteriors — so the whole property feels as intentional as the home’s interior.

Where do you work?

We’re based in Lexington, Kentucky, and work on projects in Lexington, along 30A and the Florida Gulf Coast, in Asheville, and on select destination properties. Destination work often combines site visits with remote design collaboration alongside local contractors.

How does your design process work?

We start by seeing the whole property — how you live, entertain, and move through the outdoors. From there we shape a clear concept, refine the details (planting, hardscape, furnishings, lighting), and guide the design through to bring-to-life, including white-glove coordination when you want a fuller partnership.

Do you have a typical budget range?

Every property is different, so we design to your goals and investment comfort rather than a one-size package. Most custom outdoor living projects are a thoughtful investment; share a soft range when you reach out and we’ll be honest about fit before you commit.

What’s the difference between DIY garden plans and custom design?

Garden plans at /garden-plans are ready-to-use digital planting designs — layout, plant list, quantities, spacing, shopping guidance, care notes, and USDA climate editions in one download. Custom design is a full outdoor living engagement tailored to your property, lifestyle, and architecture.

Do you install, or design only?

We lead with design and exterior styling. Installation is typically coordinated with trusted local crews (including white-glove project support when that fits). Ask when you inquire and we’ll outline the right path for your project and market.

Can you design for a 30A or Lexington home?

Yes. Lexington is our home base, and we regularly design for Kentucky properties as well as 30A / Gulf Coast and Asheville homes — including second homes and hospitality exteriors that need to feel polished for guests.

How do I start a project?

Email Chelsea@TheSweeterMagnolia.com, call (859) 413-8988, or use the contact form at /contact. Tell us where the property is, what you’re dreaming of outdoors, and a soft timeline — we’ll take it from there.

Based in Kentucky. Designing wherever the right project takes us.

The Sweeter Magnolia works with homeowners, builders and hospitality properties in Lexington and select destination markets throughout the Southeast.

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