beautiful bones and purple stones

I hired Chris and company to create a 50' natural stone retaining wall along the front sidewalk facing my home; landscape the entire grounds with graded seating areas, stone walkways, extensive plantings and a stone fire pit to match the wall; and set cedar posts for fencing. I'm deeply committed to retaining the historic nature of this 1908 craftsman home. Every part of the work, from the masonry, to the hardscape creation, to the plant selection and more was absolutely fantastic. I'm more than satisfied. Highly recommended. As of today (3/1/2015) the garden is just planted, so it's a few months away from experiencing the color and fragrance of the cottage garden that's been created. But drive by to see the wall and get an idea of the remarkable work: 2115 NE Couch St., Portland 97232.

Working with Beautiful Bones and Purple Stones, and particularly Chris, was a fantastic experience. Chris was immensely helpful in designing our backyard, given that it was a large, flat and empty space. He came up with a beautiful and unique design that incorporated everything we wanted, which he then executed perfectly. Further, his prices were right in line with other quotes we received, but the extra details he could provide far surpassed the competition. I would definitely recommend Chris for any looking to update their landscaping.

Chris at Beautiful Bones and Purple Stones was very patient in working with us on a drought tolerant / no grass front yard that fit our style. He was flexible in his design approach, incorporating almost all of our ideas into a holistic buildable design. Beautiful Bones was a good fit for us as we really wanted the designer to be involved in the building process. Chris wears both hats very well as he was the designer and the builder for the project. My wife and I are very happy with how everything turned out. The boulder hardscape is pretty awesome and is used frequently by our kids adventuring around.

We think Chris did an outstanding job. He tore up our entire front and side yards, and removed a very poorly constructed porch and stairs. He enlarged the porch and re-constructed the stairs. He also laid a bluestone pathway and patio, installed a small fountain and fireplace, and created a very creative and handsome planter/divider between the front and side yards. And finally he built a fence across the front yard that changed a ragged border with the street into a very nice property definer. He put in numerous new plants and moved existing plants. We have received many compliments from our neighbors and passersby. One woman called it "amazing." We agree. The project took longer to complete than we expected. But this was due in part to changing and adding elements as we went along, and to the careful way in which he went about his work. Chris was very flexible, and came up with creative ideas to fix what could have been glitches as we went along. He was constantly evaluating how each element worked with the other, as he went along. He carefully chose and placed plants to complement the structures that he built, to make the whole yard work together as a unit. We can't wait to see it in the spring, and next summer! BONNIE & MITCH H.

When we contacted Purple Stones we didn't just want a backyard patio, we wanted to transform the space from an unused space to a livable and beautiful area. We got exactly that from Purple Stones. We gave Chris broad strokes and he presented a great solution to a challenging small back yard. We had a stone patio with walkways, planter beds, plants, and a 3 season roof installed. I think the key with working with Chris is that you need to trust his designing abilities. Look at his body or work and then let him use his experience to create what you want. The results speak for themselves.

Chris Tinkham of Beautiful Bones and Purple Stones provided excellent customer care and service. He collaborated a lot with me during the design stage of the re landscape job. He completed every stage within his expected date and cleaned up the work site daily to my satisfaction. I was very pleased with the beautiful results and would hire him again. He was professional, kind and has a great background and experience. My neighbors are constantly admiring his work!

Chris at Beautiful Bones and Purple Stones has worked on three projects for us over the last few years. In 2005, he redesigned and rebuilt our back yard and parking strip, and he transformed the unattractive yard we inherited into a lovely oasis, which included a complete re-landscaping of the yard, along with the construction of a substantial deck and fence. In 2007, he redesigned and rebuilt our front yard, which involved complete re-landscaping and the construction of a stone wall as our yard's border. This wall is a beautiful, solidly built piece of craftsmanship, and it's not uncommon for people walking by to admire it. In 2010, he built a hutch for our trash and recycling bins, created stone work for our parking strip, and built an awning for our side entrance. He came up with some creative, effective solutions to problems that had vexed us. Chris is so talented at what he does: stone work, landscaping design, wood work. He is masterful in all of these areas and integrated all of them into our projects. Chris is very professional, personable, and easy to work with. We were very happy with both the process and the results of these projects.

We needed a full backyard landscaping remodel on a modest budget. I was hoping to preserve our recently rebuilt deck, and add a patio and raised beds, but didn't have a firm vision for what the backyard should look like. Chris was able to assess the yard and come up with a plan that incorporated our desired changes. He was able to improve upon the deck that had been recently rebuilt. He put in a stone patio that looks amazing. He also added a small path and chose the vegetation he thought would work best in our yard. The end result was a back yard that I am very happy with. The workmanship is excellent. And he came in just under budget. The only down side to working with Chris is that he has a long waiting list. But this just speaks to the quality of the work he does and how in-demand he is. I think he was worth the wait. There are a few minor follow-up items that need to be addressed, and Chris has been so busy that it has fallen off his radar. But I'm so happy with the work that it's hard to complain. We are constantly getting complements on our backyard.

We hired Beautiful Bones and Purple Stones to do a complete retaining wall replacement and front yard landscaping: http://www.purplestones.com/Laurelhurst/ We went from all grass to a beautiful, English garden-style front yard landscaped with Oregon natives. Chris did all of the stonework by hand, and carefully chose all kinds of plants for our yard. The craftsmanship is top notch, and Chris was great to work with. This was a huge project and took several months, but Chris met our deadlines for project completion. We still get compliments weekly from passersby who walk by our home and want to know about the stonework and landscaping, and we are looking forward to having Beautiful Bones and Purple Stones do our backyard landscaping next summer!

A true old-world craftsman. Highest quality in everything he does. Might take a little longer, but end product is worth it! Great depth of knowledge, and a pleasure to work with.

Chris provided excellent service and design/build expertise for our landscaping needs. He transformed our backyard into a beautiful outdoor living space. We had two stone patio areas installed including a fireplace and sitting area. The patio off the main house provided a lovely area for cooking and entertaining. In addition, there are other unique areas and pathways meandering through the outdoor space. The stonework is impeccable and like no other! The plantings and landscaping that Chris selected and installed was a well thought out selection of plantings that are unique and not the run of the mill plants and trees. There is always something blooming every month throughout the growing season. We can’t say enough good things about the work that Chris provided for our yard!