Cool Designs for Landscapes

Katie was the consummate professional. After a couple of meetings she prepared a well designed layout of the project, then allowed us to review it and have some input before finalizing it. Most impressive was that when the contractor, Carlos, that she likes to use (and whom I highly recommend), came to our home to execute the plan, she was on site daily to inspect the work and to put her finishing touch in taking an abstract plan and turning it into reality. She was a pleasure to work with.

Katie has been the best hire we have made for any home project, hands down ! Good design makes all the difference in how a landscape turns out and we are so happy with the results. Katie's patience and creativity solved many issues with our yard that we would have never thought of ourselves. We love, love, love our yard now ! Thank you Katie !!!

Katie did a great job in listening to our needs and preferences, was patient with us, and put together a landscape design that we loved. During the quoting process with contractors, she guided us through the process, giving suggestions on tradeoffs with the design and our budget. She was great to work with.

Katie was awesome! She helped us completely renovate our backyard, starting with the design and planning and continuing through construction until completion. During the planning and design phase, she really helped us develop a vision for our backyard. We were pretty vague with what we wanted, and she was able to put together a beautiful plan that included everything we wanted. She was great in providing advice and ideas that we ended up loving and helped bring our backyard together. She is also extremely knowledgeable about the best plants to use which was really helpful. She also worked as the project manager through the construction process. She was very professional, always responsive, and she helped us work through any issues or changes that arose. We definitely recommend Katie!

From start to finish I was incredibly pleased with Cool Designs for Landscape. Friends who are Master Gardeners suggested I find a professional landscape designer through the APLD website. Talking with several members, Katie Cool’s professionalism stood out well above others for my project. I have a newly built home in Irvine. From dirt to fully installed garden Katie has been on the job. She has met all of my expectations, and more. Neighbors all came to view, and ooh and ah, doubly confirming my bias that the yard design is exceptionally creative and beautiful. Katie saw the project through approvals with HOA, City, and Fire Authority and was on the site daily with the construction crews supervising the work, inspections, and installation of all the different elements. Referring Cool Designs to others is my pleasure, I am a well-experienced stickler for useful design and well-managed construction. My new yard is truly marvelous for me to enjoy. I'm happy to tell others about my positive experience.

After meeting with several Landscape Designers, I chose Katie Cool to remove my front yard grass and replace it with drought tolerant landscaping. Katie is professional, knowledgeable about drought-tolerant plants, responsive to questions and very easy to work with. After an initial meeting, Katie drew up a wonderful plan, reviewed it with me and listened to ideas I had for slight modifications. She was patient as I had to get approval from my HOA and submit an application with the Municipal Water Board for their turf removal replacement program. Katie selected a landscape contractor, sourced the plants, laid them out upon delivery and supervised the installation of the plants and drip system. The landscape crew was very hard-working, knowledgeable about irrigation, and very pleasant to work with. Katie was always available via text or phone to answer any questions I had. I could not be more pleased with the end result and know I couldn't have done it without Katie's help! I highly recommend Katie Cool if you are in need of a landscape designer.

Katie came highly recommended to me by a neighbor, who loved how Cool Designs for Landscapes had transformed his backyard. And Katie did the same for mine, transforming what had been an unusable backyard and sideyard with overgrown plants and broken hardscape into a lovely, charming, welcoming yard. Now, I have two lovely patios with pavers and covers, lots of gorgeous new plants, enchanting lighting … and a bocce ball court that I will use often with my Italian-loving family and friends. Katie was so easy to work with. She listened to what I wanted and came up with a wonderful design. I had her manage the project and deal with the contractors, which I also recommend. Katie listened to me calmly and reacted helpfully when I suggested slight changes along the way. She very much lived up to her name. I would highly recommend Cool Designs for Landscapes. Katie is great.

Katie designed a beautiful new backyard for us. She asked about our style, budget & concerns & then designed the backyard that we've always dreamed about (including the plants & the hardscape). Katie has a great eye & she helped pick out the lights, tiles, etc. while keeping within our budget. She also helped us get the construction quotes & vet contractors so we were able to hire a great contractor to build/plant the landscape. We so appreciated that she communicated with us throughout the design & building portions of the project so we always knew how things were moving along. Thank you, Katie!

Katie was perfect match to help us bring a “drought friendly but colorful no turf “ new look to our 40 year old Irvine home at a reasonable price. Best: she REALLY listened to our unconventional vision and has the training, expertise and flexibility to bring it to life. She gently guided me away from some not so good ideas. She can do just design or has specific subcontractors she’ll bring in if your job needs it (we had her do it all and really liked the contractor team.. so much they’re now going to do our maintenance!) She’s a gem.. we hired her after interviewing and rejecting several others.

Katie was wonderful to work with: creative, knowledgeable, and professional. She was able to envision a whole new environment for our outdoor space, taking into consideration our desire for drought tolerant plants and budget. After the design process, she was able to manage the project and work with the landscape company to make the plan a reality. We now have a setting in which we can entertain, or simply enjoy a quiet evening. Thank you, Katie!

We hired Katie to transform our large but outmoded back yard into a well-integrated oasis. She prepared a hardscape and a planting plan on schedule and within budget. Her design incorporated all of the elements that we requested with many delightful creative touches that we would not have come up with on our own. She recommended the contractor (QS Landscape) and managed the project for us. The contractor did exceptional work, showed up every scheduled day, kept the job site immaculate and treated our neighbors and us with respect. Katie challenged project costs, caught small errors and omissions and made some sensible changes on the fly. She also diplomatically talked us out of a few ideas that would not have worked well. Our completed project is the envy of our neighborhood and exceeds our expectations in all respects (except perhaps cost, which is on us :->). We would hire Katie again without reservation.

Katie, the owner of Cool Designs for Landscape, is creative, professional, organized, knowledgeable, detailed, patient, and fun to work with. Hiring Katie to design our landscape was the best decision we made. Her outside-the-box thinking incorporated interesting plants and design elements that we would not have been able to achieve on our own. She cast an overall vision that melded a few existing plants and trees with her new fresh ideas for a beautiful front and back yard makeover. Katie is very knowledgeable about plants and trees, but also listened very carefully to our ideas. It was rewarding to work with someone whom we trusted to use our ideas when appropriate and then offer plenty of her own unique ideas to create a design that is exciting to look at and appropriate for our style home. We appreciated the detailed plans she drew because they gave us a clear picture of what we could expect as well as allowed for accurate plant counts. By directing the contractors well and being willing to get her hands dirty, Katie took a hands on approach from design to helping with plant placement to trimming bushes. We will definitely call her again for future landscape needs.

Couldn't be more pleased with Katie Cool. She incorporated all of my ideas beyond my dreams. My landscaping looks so much better than I could have ever expected. Katie was really easy to work with. She was great with followup. Katie demonstrated superior technical knowledge of plants and trees. She intuitively knows what looks good and where. Most importantly Katie was the best at execution. She stayed on top of the contractors every step of the way. Landscaping is not an inexpensive item; it really pays to let a professional like Katie handle the job.

Our experience with Katie Cool has been uniformly positive. Our relationship began in July 2017, when we started looking for a designer to help us plan a full landscaping of our home, front and back, something we had wanted to do for many years. After reaching out to a number of designers that we found through a profession landscaping designer asssociation's web site (I forget which one), we decided to meet with Katie. We had a very good first meeting, and decided to hire her as our designer. She worked with us for many months (the length of time being our fault, not hers), and we ended up with a beautiful design by early 2018. At that point we could have ended the relationship and moved on alone to find a landscape company to do the work. But in addition to doing design, Katie also offers the service of working with whatever contractor we wanted and seeing that the overall project goes forward successfully, adjusting the design as needed during the process. Working with her up to that point had been so pleasant and productive, that we decided to retain her for this part of the process as well. She recommended a company to do the work, and by March 2018 we had broken ground. The entire project took 2-3 months, and Katie was always there, making sure things went well, and helping us with the inevitable last-minute decisions that come up along the way. We couldn't be more pleased with the results. We highly recommend her.

Cool designs gave us a complete Front yard. Katie was a joy to work with. She was always on time and she followed through on everything in our contract. We have been very pleased with the design and the selection of plants she provided for us. We would highly recommend her. Bill and Vicki Caldwell

Every time I look at our new yard, I am so pleased. It looks wonderful, and I know that as the plants mature it will look even better. Katie Cook was a pleasure to work with in every way. She did the design and supervised the installation by the contractor she recommended. Even our dog seems to enjoy the yard! My only regret is that we didn't do this sooner.

Katie listened to our wish list and made it all happen! She is easy to work with, organized and professional. She managed our project from start to finish making sure the work was done in a timely manner and following our plan. I wish we had another yard to do!

Katie was amazing from the first meeting until the end. Very professional, yet approachable, and easy to communicate with, and bounce ideas off of. Very prompt, and conscious of time line we were looking at, yet flexible and easy to work with. Some designers want to talk you into their ideas, but Katie listens to you, and pays great attention to what your likes and dislikes, and goals are, and plans accordingly. I strongly recommend Katie, and would use her services again, in a heart beat. Thank you Katie Cool, it was a pleasure working with you.

I first hired Cool Designs for Landscapes in the fall of 2016 to completely revamp my front yard, including soft and hardscapes. Katie’s design was so amazing and the job went so well that I hired her this past fall to design my backyard. Again, her design was exceptional and the entire project went very smoothly. Katie’s attention to detail and determination to create a beautiful landscape is a homeowner’s dream. Katie and her crew are honest, on time and on budget. I can’t say enough great things about Katie Cool. And my neighbors can’t stop complimenting the final results! Thank you Katie!

We loved Cool Designs for Landscapes! Katie Cool was professional and catered to our every wish, need and desire, but within our budget. All I wanted was a water-wise garden that was low maintenance. Cool Designs for Landscapes delivered! I am so happy with my beautiful garden complete with custom fountain and lighting. I highly recommend this company!! Her expertise, design, and patience with us was priceless. All projects were done within the timeframe and every project was done professionally. Katie Cool was very easy to work with, and considerate of our special needs in regards to our scheduling and design. We are so pleased with our backyard!!

We have been lucky to have Katie design both our front and back garden for us. In both cases Katie incorporated our thoughts and desires into her landscaping plan and gave use much more than we ever thought possible. She was always there to answer questions, supervise the work and was hands on for the whole process. I cannot recommend Katie highly enough, My front garden has been completed for approximately 2 years now, and I still get people stopping to tell me how lovely it looks. My back garden has been in about a month now, and it is a delight, the plants have taken root, the trees are budding and the fountains are gurgling, I have hummingbirds, butterflies and lizards all enjoying their new home. All I can really say is, Thank You Katie, you took a bare patch of land and brought it alive again. You are my plant whisperer.

I found Cool Designs for Landscapes on Houzz. We bought a new construction and had to conceptualize both a front and backyard design from scratch, as the property only had dirt and plain concrete for a front walkway when we took possession. Katie was prompt to respond to our first inquiry. Overall, I could not have been more pleased with the results. She is both very professional and pleasant to work with. We sat down and looked at photos of concepts that I liked and ultimately she made it come to life even better than I could have imagined. She sticks within a provided budget and exhibits very close attention to detail. She is extremely knowledgeable about plants, including drought tolerant species. It was clear to us that Katie cares very much about her work and making sure you are happy with the results. She is wonderful!

Katie Cool was such a pleasure to work with. She was always punctual for every meeting, knowledgeable about all the different types of plants, professional, creative, very conscientious about working within our budget, and just an overall nice person and so easy to talk to. From the initial meeting where we told Katie our likes and dislikes, she always listened to our ideas and took everything we said and tried to incorporate it into her designs. She would also give us her professional opinion, and if she didn't think something would work, she would let us know that, which is something I totally appreciated since sometimes it's hard for me to visualize things. We had Katie come up with a new landscape design for our front and back yard. We knew we wanted to use California natives in the front yard, and incorporate a concrete patio area and fruit trees in our backyard, all with a modern look. She not only designed our front and back yards, but we also hired her to oversee the whole project and work with our landscaper to make sure everything was done according to her design. Katie was at our house at every critical stage in the landscape installation. She came over when the concrete forms were made to be sure they were spaced correctly and the right size before the concrete was poured. She was also here after it was done to measure out where the concrete cuts should be. She was present when the landscaper was building the patio cover to make sure that the posts were put in the right place. She was here when the plants were delivered and she set them out in the exact locations where they were to be planted. Katie took the time to make sure that every detail was taken care of. She was in direct communication with our landscaper at all times making sure that he was keeping to the schedule, and she would communicate everything back to us. We are so happy that we hired Katie to design and oversee our landscaping project. We would definitely recommend her to anyone in need of a landscape designer. We love our new landscaping and cannot thank Katie enough for helping us get our dream yard!

Katie is very professional and attentive to the client's needs. She designed our front and back yards with drought tolerant landscaping. She is flexible as evidenced by her willingness to adjust plant selection based on our preferences and budget. Her design fees are very reasonable given the time she spent with us reviewing the design. She was present when the plants were installed and made modifications as necessary. I would highly recommend her services to anyone.

After extensive research to find a landscape designer, we hired Katie Cool to help us redesign our front yard to be water-wise and easy-care. We are so very happy with our choice! We looked at Katie’s website were impressed with her previous designs and thought they were just what we had in mind for our project. Katie has proved to be extremely knowledgeable, creative, professional, easy to work with and flexible. I knew we had made a great choice when, during our first meeting, she really listened to what we wanted to do and took the time to understand exactly what I liked and did not like in garden design. She did not force a pre-conceived idea of a cookie-cutter design on our project, but made a unique design for our site that is beautiful and exactly what I had envisioned. She made wonderful choices in plants and developed a cohesive color palette with a variety of plant textures. She was also able to reuse some of the plants currently in our yard in the design. Now our yard is so much more interesting than before. We have an inviting decomposed granite path that leads to a lovely redbud tree and subtle changes in elevation. Our neighbors have commented that we really raised the bar of garden design in our neighborhood! Katie recommended a great contractor that worked very hard in the heat doing the yard demolition and installation of the plants and drip irrigation. Katie herself sourced the plants (drought tolerant plants are getting scarce in California because so many people are re-landscaping), laid them out, and supervised their installation. She also helped to sculpt the elevation changes. She was always prompt to respond to our questions and was patient to wait for us to receive our notice-to-proceed for our water company turf removal rebate. We can hardly wait to see how the yard matures and the flowers bloom. This was by far the best experience we have had with a design professional. We highly recommend Katie Cool.

I just completed a total renovation of my back yard. Katie Cool of Cool Designs for Landscapes was my Landscape Designer. I chose Katie after conversations and meetings with numerous designers. I chose to work with her because she seemed to see and feel my vision. She was very open minded to ideas, knowledgeable, and experienced. She is creative and a good communicator. She did not disappoint me through the process. Katie has amazing design intuition, and she implements her plans spot on. She recommended good landscaper contractors to do the job, with her oversight. We chose a contractor recommended by her who was spectacular. Katie worked closely with the contractor to see that her ideas were implemented, and they seemed to have a good rhythm. During the implementation phase, Katie was here daily to oversee the work. The work was completed on time, and the final look surpassed my plan. It's beautiful, and I will always be proud to show my yard to guests and to recommend Kool Designs to anyone considering a change in landscape.

We have a small backyard (about 400 sq ft) that was in dire need of a major make over. Because of the Southern California climate and the on-going drought, we wanted an outdoor space that is an extension of our living area--both in style and functionality. After meeting with three other landscape designers, we decided to work with Katie; and we couldn't be more satisfied with the entire process. From the initial phone conversation to the final walk-thru, Katie was very professional, honest, attentive, and responsive. She listened to our wishlist and provided constructive feedback when she felt that it could be done differently and/or better. What really impressed us was how thoughtful and well designed her first design proposal was; the plant selection, the layout, the focal point of the backyard, and the color scheme were exactly what we wanted. We were out of the country on vacation during the contractor selection process; Katie negotiated the bids on our behalf. We met to finalize the bids by removing items that we didn't need, and Katie was instrumental in creating a final design that represented our taste and vision. We also decided to hire Katie as the project manager during the construction phase, and it was one of the best decisions we had made. We got a daily update, and if we had any question Katie was only a text away. As an OCD person, Katie alleviated a lot of my anxiety and was more than happy to give her opinion on furniture and accessory pieces that I found on Amazon. In the end, we are so happy of the final result. Our backyard is a place where we can relax--it's beautiful, peaceful, colorful (without going overboard), and, most importantly, a reflection of who we are and our lifestyle. It was truly a pleasure working with Katie Cool, and we can't recommend her highly enough to anyone who is looking for a landscape designer.

Katie Cool and Kyle Johnson with Seedlandcare were beyond a pleasure to work with. Our association decided to tear out all grass and scrubs and have Katie design a complete drought tolerant landscape, Complete with drip system and lighting. Katie is exceptionally knowledgeable and professional. She works harmoniously with Kyle who I am happy to say the same about. When you do big projects like this there is always the chance of not all plants making it. We had a few plants die. Katie was right out to replace them. Their follow up is exceptional even after the last check was signed. They know their stuff. I encourage you to let them do their thing with design and plants when hiring them. You will be beyond pleased.

First I’d like to say that I couldn’t be more pleased with the work that Katie Cool of Cool Designs for Landscaping envisioned and implemented with our landscape design. Our project was not easy; high visibility, mid-century place built in 1959 with landscaping to match! …when water wasn’t an issue. We wanted to showcase the buildings architecture and replace the turf and shrubs with draught tolerant plants and drip irrigation. Katie not only understood the architecture and landscaping, she embraced it, this was a vital asset. Katie understood from the beginning what was needed and drew up plans that helped visualize her ideas. Once the plans were approved, work began immediately. With the help of Kyle Johnson as contractor, things moved at an amazing pace. As the work progressed, certain things were tweaked and modified. Any changes were discussed and communicated clearly beforehand, always with several great options available netting amazing results. Even after the project was completed, Katie is still stopping by to insure things are perfect. From concept to completion, Katie provided a landscape design that transformed our outdated, water guzzling landscape into a eco-friendly, clean and beautiful design that compliments our building beautifully. I couldn’t be happier, I would highly recommend Katie Cool Design to anyone.

I discovered Katie after seeing the work she completed for a friend. I contacted her and she was very prompt in returning my call. Katie was very easy to work with as she was most interested in what my desires were for my yard. She brings an array of plant knowlege and a real passion for making boring landscapes sing with beauty.

I had a very good experience working with Cool Designs for Landscape. I recommend this designer to others. In January of 2014, I began restoring my Midcentury Modern (MCM) home in La Habra, CA. After reviewing landscape designers through the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) website, I contacted Katie Cool to discuss her MCM ideas and service fees. The fees were critical because I needed to budget for and replace the roof, air conditioning, electrical, concrete and masonry. Since the exterior Landscape was the system I had the least experience with, I needed a resource to help design the exterior. Cool developed and provided a preliminary plan. From that, I was able to begin concrete and masonry work and direct contractors based on her ideas and drawing. During that process, I paid Cool a consulting fee to discuss specifics of the driveway and retaining wall. Since the MCM home is characterized by clean lines, the details for angle and end points were important. Later, Cool provided additional plans that included the front yard plants and other masonry placement. During that phase, I chose to use Cool's landscaper and pay her 10% commission to manage the process and select plants. During 5+ days it took to install the garden walls, irrigation, lighting, plants and tree, Cool was there each day. She communicated with me and the contractors and made sure the work followed the design. I am glad I found and worked with a professional designer. Even though I directed the initial masonry work, I absolutely credit Cool for the critical lines the driveway and retaining wall follow. In addition, she convinced me to “repurpose” cut concrete, instead of cinder block, for the terracing of two garden walls. These permanent, important features will help define the house for years to come. I sincerely recommend Cool Designs for Landscape if you are working on a home with competing projects that require flexibility and budgeting.

Katie Cool was a very knowledgeable and helpful landscaper. She listened to my concerns and wishes. I wanted a desert-type plan with open spaces along with cactus and a fountain. She created a plan which satisfied my needs and was very appealing. She kept the plan within the budget we had discussed and the project was finished in a timely manner.. I would recommend her to anyone who needs help in designing a landscape.

When it was time to re-landscape our front yard, we chose Katie as our landscaper after reading about her drought-tolerant approach in our local newspaper. She worked with us to develop a design we loved (soft and aesthetic as opposed to harsh and desert-like). We are so pleased with the results! Our "thirsty" lawn is gone (a no-brainer due to the rebated offered by the OCMWD), replaced with a variety of California-friendly plants. Katie quoted and successfully completed a 3-day project without any problems (and at a reasonable price)! We highly recommend Katie - she's easy to work with, and very, very good!

My wife and I have been dreaming of a oasis back yard ever since we moved into our house in 1993. Its a very large yard and already has a pool that we had re-plastered years ago. But everything is old and overgrown. After 20 years we finally had Katie come over and work on a design. She has great ideas and a very good eye. She listened very carefully and came back with a great design and ideas. We must have revamped it 8 times but it all worked out. The main feature we wanted was a full patio cover to block out 100% of the sun and water. She and our contractor Charlie came up with a great way to accomplish this for an astonishingly great price. They we very creative and worked with the city and engineer to get it approved. Katie was very professional and we love our new shady, dry, comfortable oasis back yard that now has a BBQ island, new irrigation, all new drainage, fire bowl, new plants, 5 fruit trees and LED lighting.

Katie listened to what I wanted and designed both hardscape and landscape for drought-tolerant plants to attract birds, hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. She was very flexible in modifying plants and design, set the plants on delivery day, and has been back twice to see how it's coming and advise. I'm really pleased with her interesting plant choices and can't believe how much use I get from the expanded patios and how much less maintenance there is in the yard compared to grass! And less water, of course, while having blooming plants year round. A few years ago she designed drought-tolerant for the front yard, too, and I've been happy with the color palette and low maintenance.

Hiring Katie Cool of "Cool Designs for Landscaping" to design our tropical oasis in the backyard was the best decision I have ever made! She was extremely knowledgeable about tropical trees, shrubs, and flowers. In addition to her knowledge, she showed me live samples of tropical plants at a local nursery. Her design was flawless, we are enjoying the layers and color around our pool. Katie was able to make suggestions and stick to our budget. Her friendly and outgoing personality made this home project a pleasure!

We were fortunate to have Katie Cool redesign the landscape in our backyard two years ago. We continue to love her design and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the landscape as it has matured. So when we decided to rid our front yard of its lawn and use drought tolerant landscaping, we knew who to call. Katie once again proved to be just the right choice for the job. She is a creative, knowledgable and responsive professional. After listening to our particular needs and desires she created a unique design that exceeded our expectations. She also designed a privacy panel for the front porch using vintage glass blocks that she was able to find. The result is a cool design that looks original to our Midcentury Modern house. We love it. She is particularly effective working with the contractors during installation. She is on site for all critical decisions and manages the project to completion to ensure that her design is implemented according to her vision and our satisfaction. This works extremely well. After the job is completed, she follows up with visits to check on the landscaping and problem solve any issues. We are now left with the unfortunate realization that we have run out of yard space for Katie to transform and we will miss working with her. She is quite simply the best.