Hardscape and landscape design in 3D

Do you build the landscapes, or only design them?

FloraStone Studio is a design studio, not a contractor. We act as the creative and strategic layer of your project — handling design, pricing, and scheduling — while our network of trusted construction professionals, built over 25+ years, handles the build. Think of it as having a dedicated design studio and an experienced contractor working together seamlessly on your behalf.

Do you charge for the design consultation?

No. Your initial design consultation is free, and there’s no obligation to move forward. We’re able to do this because we’re compensated as part of the project we design and deliver, not through upfront consultation fees. That means our interests are aligned with yours from the very first conversation. We only succeed when you love the design enough to build it. You get to see your space, explore the possibilities, and understand what your project would cost, all before committing a dollar.

What areas do you serve?

We design outdoor spaces across the Portland, OR metro, SW Washington, and the Columbia River Gorge. In Oregon that includes Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Tigard, Wilsonville, Happy Valley, West Linn, and Oregon City; in Washington, Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground, Brush Prairie, Ridgefield, and Washougal.

What makes a design-first studio different from a landscaping contractor?

Most contractors hand you a number, not a vision — you won't know what you're getting until it's already built. The result — a generic outdoor space that looks like every other backyard in the neighborhood. A design studio composes the entire environment before a single stone is laid — proportions, materials, and flow — so your finished space feels intentional, cohesive, and designed specifically for the way you live.

What happens if I skip the design step?

Skipping design is the single biggest reason outdoor projects go over budget or off the rails. Without a real plan, you are making major decisions on the fly, mid-build, while a crew stands waiting. That is when change orders pile up, materials get reordered, timelines slip, and the finished yard ends up as a series of compromises rather than a vision. Designing first means every decision is made deliberately, on screen, before any money is committed to the ground. You see the whole space, approve it, and then it gets built to that plan. The design step is not an added cost. It is what keeps the project on budget and on schedule.

Why is hiring a trained designer worth it for style, color, and layout?

Style, color, layout, and function are exactly where most do-it-yourself and contractor-first projects fall short, because they are design decisions, not construction decisions. A trained designer brings an eye for proportion, color relationships, material pairings, and flow that turns a collection of individual elements into one cohesive environment. The difference shows in whether your finished yard feels designed or just assembled. At FloraStone Studio, that design training is the foundation of everything we do, and you see the result in photorealistic 3D before anything is built, so the style, color, and layout are settled on screen rather than discovered after the fact.

Do I need a designer if I already know what I want?

Knowing what you want is a great starting point, and it makes the design process faster and more focused. But knowing what you want and knowing how it all fits together are two different things. A designer handles the parts that are easy to overlook: how the proportions work at full scale, how materials and colors read together, how water drains, how you actually move through the space, and how the plantings hold up in our climate over time. Even a clear vision benefits from being pressure-tested and composed into a complete plan before it is built, so the space you imagined is the space you get, with no expensive surprises along the way.

Can I just give a contractor my Pinterest board?

You can, and plenty of people do, but it usually leads to disappointment. A Pinterest board is a collection of other people’s yards, photographed in other people’s light, built on other people’s lots. Handing it to a contractor asks them to guess at how those scattered ideas translate to your specific space, your grade, your soil, and your budget. The result is often a patchwork that doesn’t quite fit together. A design studio takes the feeling behind your inspiration and composes it into one cohesive plan made for your actual property, so the finished space looks intentional rather than assembled from screenshots.

Why not just use my own AI?

There's no substitute for personal, hands-on design experience. AI can ask questions and generate beautiful images — but it has never walked your property, assessed how water or sunshine moves across your terrain, identified the microclimates that determine what will actually thrive in your specific yard, or felt the grade of your terrain beneath its feet. FloraStone brings 25+ years of boots-on-the-ground Pacific Northwest experience — backed by real pricing, real plans, and real accountability.

What's included in a FloraStone design?

Every project includes a full site assessment, a cohesive landscape design concept, and photorealistic 3D renderings paired with detailed plans, plus a pricing estimate. You see exactly how your paver patio, retaining walls, plantings, water, and fire elements work together before anything is installed.

How does the photorealistic 3D rendering process work?

We model your property in 3D and render your future outdoor living space in lifelike detail — materials, plantings, lighting, and sightlines included. This 3D landscape design process lets you walk through your backyard design and refine it on screen, which eliminates guesswork and costly mid-project changes.

How long does the design process take?

Once we've completed your consultation, it normally takes 2–3 business days to deliver your final plans with a pricing estimate. We focus on getting the vision right rather than rushing it.

How much does a paver patio cost in Portland?

There's no honest one-size answer — slope, drainage, access, materials, and design all move the number, so two patios of the same size can cost very differently. Most of our clients invest somewhere from the low five figures for a quality patio and planted surround, up to $40,000-$50,000 or more for a complete outdoor living environment with retaining walls, a fire or water feature, and full landscaping. Rather than shrink your vision to fit a single year's budget, we design your complete space first and help you build it in phases — so the dream never has to get smaller, it just gets built on a timeline that works for you.

Read the full guide: How Much Does a Paver Patio Cost in Portland? (2026 Guide)

How long do paving stones last?

Properly installed paving stones can last as long as your house. Because each stone is individually set and the surface flexes with ground movement rather than cracking, a paver patio or walkway routinely performs for decades, and individual stones can be lifted and reset if anything ever shifts or needs access underneath. This is one of the strongest arguments for getting the design and installation right the first time. A surface this permanent is worth a second opinion before you commit, not a rushed decision you live with for the life of the home.

Why design for the Pacific Northwest climate specifically?

We design with our region's wet winters and dry summers in mind, choosing native, low-maintenance plantings and weatherproof materials. The result is an outdoor space that thrives year-round with minimal upkeep — designed for our climate, not against it.