Your Sanctuary, Designed with Intention
Your home is a sanctuary where the world drops away, and we believe your landscape design should be its most restorative extension. As an investment in your home’s architecture, we solve the complex structural and aesthetic puzzles of your outdoor space to ensure your retreat is as effortless as it is enduring.
Prioritizing Your Vision: Design Without Compromise
Most homeowners feel forced to choose between a Design-Only architect who hands over a drawing and disappears, or a Design-Build firm where design decisions are dictated by on-hand materials, internal construction schedules, sales goals, and profit margins.
We chose a different path.
Botanical Living is a Design-Bid firm. We serve as your advocate throughout the entire lifecycle of your property enhancement, ensuring our loyalty is to the intention of the design and your best interests. Our role is to refine your outdoor aspirations into a definitive master plan that serves as the unwavering standard for every contractor on the project.
We don’t just imagine your sanctuary; we document it to a level of quality that leaves nothing to chance.
The Botanical Living Process
From Design Concept to Your First Evening Outdoors
Our process is designed to remove friction, ensuring the journey is as refined as the destination.
- Vision & Conceptualization: We do a deep dive into your lifestyle and site architecture to establish a singular design intent.
- The Technical Master Plan: We produce comprehensive documentation that serves as the guiding framework for your project and can be submitted to your HOA to aid in approval.
- Strategic Contractor Selection: We introduce you to one of our vetted affiliate contractors best suited to your requirements and budget, advocating for you to ensure clarity and fairness.
- Construction Advocacy: We remain your eyes and ears on-site, ensuring every stone, plant, and structure is executed exactly as envisioned.
A Design You Can Feel
We believe that more than a decade of design expertise should result in something you can feel. We provide a sensory preview of your future sanctuary through high-touch deliverables:
- 2D & 3D Visualizations: Meticulous 2D master plans and immersive 3D visualizations allow you to experience the flow and scale of your space before a single shovel hits the ground.
- Curated Lookbooks: A digital portfolio of textures, plant palettes, inspirational images, and hardscapes presents the vision tailored to your personal aesthetic.
- Technical Precision: “Unseen” complexities like drainage, grading, and strict setbacks, are handled with exacting care.
- Design Versatility: Whether your property calls for a Modernist retreat or a native Colorado xeriscape, our level of excellence remains the same.
The Value of Unbiased Design
Investing in a rigorous design phase is the only way to ensure your vision is never compromised by the “path of least resistance” during construction.
- Uncompromised Creative Freedom: Your design is never limited by an in-house crew’s skill set or on-hand materials.
- Advocacy & Transparency: You gain a partner who sits on your side of the table and provides honest, unbiased oversight.
- Project Continuity: With a single, dedicated point of contact you can be confident the design intent is never lost in translation.
Experience the luxury of total creative independence.
Botanical Living Designers
Abby Rupsa
Founder & Principal Designer
Abby is the driving force behind Botanical Living, a female-owned landscape design business dedicated to intentional design without compromise. As a designer, her strength is a rare stylistic fluidity; whether a project calls for a rugged mountain retreat, low-water Xeriscape, or sharp-edged Modernism, she possesses the innate ability to inhabit any aesthetic and execute it with mastery.
She seeks clients who are ready to push the boundaries of the “standard” yard. Specializing in high-end hardscaping and the sourcing of unique, rare materials, Abby’s goal is to move beyond the expected, utilizing textures and structures that redefine what a Colorado landscape can be.
Linda Steel-Hall
Associate Designer
Linda approaches landscape design with a focus on compositional balance and the foundational laws of design. With a background rooted in the study of design principles and classical art, she specializes in creating outdoor environments that feel naturally cohesive and suited to the Colorado regional landscape. She believes that a truly beautiful space isn’t an accident; it is the result of applying timeless aesthetics and appropriate materials.
When you work with Linda, you have a tireless advocate who ensures your project remains grounded in “good design” rather than fleeting trends. She is driven by a genuine passion for plants and creating gardens tailored to our local climate.
Award-Winning Landscape Design
Botanical Living was built on the belief that high-end design requires a more personal, protective, and detailed approach. This commitment to excellence has been recognized by the industry’s most prestigious voices and the community we serve.
- Silver Award: Planting Design | 2024 Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC)
- Top Landscape Designers Winner | 2024 & 2025 Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Magazine
- Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave | 2022, 2023, 2024, & 2025 Voted by the Denver Community
- Featured Industry Authority As seen in Voyage Denver, Shoutout Colorado, Down the Garden Path podcast, The Denver Post, and Ref Realty
These honors reflect our dedication to a higher standard of landscape design. We don’t just design gardens; we build legacies that are as technically sound as they are aesthetically influential.
Entrust your property to a dedicated authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What areas do you serve?
We proudly work throughout Denver and the Front Range. Our clients live in Cherry Hills Village, Washington Park, Park Hill, and surrounding enclaves, as well as suburbs like Broomfield and Erie. Complete the landscape discovery form to let us know where your property is and we’ll get back to you.
How does the “Design-Bid” model differ from “Design-Build”?
Traditional design-build firms often prioritize their own construction crews and internal overhead. As a design-bid firm, Botanical Living acts as your neutral advocate. We provide the vision and architectural precision first, then connect you with a vetted contractor to ensure you receive the highest quality craftsmanship at a fair market price.
What happens once the design is complete?
Our role extends far beyond the drawing board. We provide aftercare services which include attending pre-construction walkthroughs, on-site plant placement, and the hand-selection of unique boulders or specimen trees. We remain your representative until the final stone is set.
Do you handle HOA and municipal approvals?
Yes. We work within the requirements of Denver’s premier neighborhoods and HOAs. We provide comprehensive digital submittal packages designed to streamline the approval process and ensure your project meets all local architectural guidelines.
How do I determine a realistic budget for my property enhancement?
Most clients begin with a vision rather than a specific number. During our initial consultation, we discuss your priorities, whether that is a high-end hardscape, a custom fire feature, or unusual botanical specimens. We help you “value-engineer” the project, offering tier-based material options so you can make informed decisions about where to allocate your capital.
Why should I invest in a designer rather than going straight to a contractor?
If your project is a significant property investment, a designer is essential. We provide the design innovation and material expertise that a standard labor crew cannot. Having a professional design act as the guiding framework for the whole project ensures that the final result is cohesive rather than a collection of “standard” yard features, protects you from scope creep, respects your budget, and ultimately increases your property’s value.
Do you specialize in a specific design style?
We are able to work within a variety of design styles, each executed to our high standard of excellence. Whether your property requires a sharp-edged Modernist approach, a lush English garden, or a rugged, naturalistic Coloradoscape, we possess the design knowledge to execute your specific vision with mastery.
Can you help me solve complex drainage or privacy issues?
Absolutely. High-end design is as much about problem-solving as it is about beauty. We specialize in addressing “invisible” challenges. Whether your space has negative drainage and pool-grade complexities or needs sophisticated privacy screens, we ensure your sanctuary is as functional as it is aesthetic.