Backyard oasis
Flora Grubb designer keeps his home garden simple but stunning with a sculptural touch
Walking into Daniel Nolan’s home, one thing is abundantly clear: He knows what he likes. His Hayes Valley apartment and garden are outfitted entirely with plants and decor that he loves, and nothing more — there’s no clutter, anywhere. Simplicity rules, as does Nolan’s affinity for beautiful forms, in a style he describes as “warm minimalism.”
A staff designer for Flora Grubb Gardens, Nolan has a landscape that sits on two levels: on a second-floor rear terrace just outside his kitchen, and at ground level in a compact space that’s mainly used as a pass-through.
A centerpiece is his showstopping staghorn fern collection covering a wall along the terrace, which has views of a stairway and a neighbor’s door. Using one type of plant en masse is straightforward and stunning, celebrating the plant’s sculptural, antler-like forms. “I just wanted a break from the hardscape,” Nolan says of his vertical display. “I had this big empty wall that was begging for something. This makes it feel brighter and adds instant lushness.”
Equally striking is a display of four containers, each with a single plant, on the op-
posite side of the terrace. “I don’t like busy containers,” Nolan says. “I like one plant per pot because it’s more deliberate. And I’m a pottery junkie — I pick the pot first, then pick the plant to highlight the pot.”
All of his pots are neutral, so he can use them for years, even if he decides to change the plants. He prefers a look that lasts, saying, “I’m not into disposable design. It’s like shopping for clothes: I don’t want to buy 20 semi-disposable pieces — I prefer to buy five really good pieces that will last a long time.”
Designed to be viewed from above, Nolan’s lower garden is full of plants that read from a distance, and he chose those with similar forms and textures for a cohesive look. Everything is low care — aside from weekly watering, his plot needs just an hour of tending every month and a half to look good. “I spend five to six days a week worrying about other people’s gardens, so I want this to be as low maintenance and joyful as possible,” Nolan says.
Indoors, Nolan’s style is as streamlined and deliberately curated as it is in the garden. He weaves in elements that reflect his love of plants and organic forms, and says, “I’m always experimenting in my home, and don’t feel like there has to be a look. I want people to feel welcome and get an immediate impression of who I am — I don’t want it to feel pretentious or like I hired a decorator.”
The key to making it all work is Nolan’s thoughtful editing and decisiveness. As someone who dislikes shopping, he doesn’t accumulate much but always finds room for something new if it speaks to him, saying, “If I love something, I make it fit.”