Haven Illustrated, LLC

We hired Haven Illustrated to design the basement and backyard renovation for our residence in North Seattle. Projects included a new walkout/deck from our bedroom, a new gravel-stone terrace and surrounding fence with integrated pergola, and reconfiguring the basement layout to accommodate access to the new backyard terrace, which will be the site of a 6-person hot tub. Our design pro, Jen, listened to our long list of wants, and provided beautiful illustrations of possible layouts, then worked with us to iron out all the details, including cost, contractor recommendations, material options, permitting, site survey, etc. I appreciated her open attitude; she didn't dictate to us, or snob our design modification requests. She really listened, was available to take all our calls, and visited the site frequently to check on progress. She volunteered to "manage" some of the contractors (ones we hired as a favor to relatives, not recommended by her), who were going rogue on the design specifics, because they thought they "knew better." The entire project is only halfway completed, but the major items (walkout and terrace) are in place and functioning beautifully. Her recommendation of using powder-coated cattle fencing for the walkout enclosure gives us an unencumbered territorial view since the fencing's dark color makes it almost completely see-through. Other design touches like the asymmetrical trellises, corner extension, and 6x6 supports provide visual appeal. All completed work has come in on budget and on time. No large renovation project is hassle-free, but Jen's knowledge, artistry, creativity, and strong character combined to make the experience as smooth as possible.

We highly recommend Jennifer. We’ve hired her twice we liked working with her so much! We first hired Jennifer in 2003 to completely re-do the landscaping at our suburban home, both in the front and in the small side garden. Then in 2010 we asked her to landscape our new vacation home on Hood Canal, starting from scratch. Jennifer is an artist to begin with and we think that is why her designs are so good. She asks us what features we want in the garden and her designs fit perfectly and look great. Our suburban home’s garden is now very mature. The landscaping still works perfectly 10+ years later. We asked for low maintenance plants in both gardens and as the plants matured and filled in, weeding becomes less and less an issue and overall garden maintenance has decreased. It is a real pleasure to work with Jennifer. She is clearly passionate about her work, delivers drawings/ideas on time as promised and predicts cost accurately. Margaret & Jiri, Kirkland, WA.

Jennifer is committed, knowledgeable and creative landscape designers I've met. She is able to guide anyone through the process of selecting appropriate plants for any setting.

I wanted a design that took into account storing rain water, an active kitchen garden mingled with a picking garden and seasonal interest. My soil is sandy but lower areas can puddle during the rainy season. This company was able to give me a good garden layout, lots of useful information on water retention. I also received trellis and raised bed designs. They are knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to work with, I will use them again.