Topo d'Oro Landscape Design
(847) 387-9509
North Shore

Landscape Design & Build in Kenilworth, Illinois

Call (847) 387-9509Request a Design Consultation
Landscape design and build project by Topo d'Oro in Kenilworth, Illinois

Kenilworth is the most deliberately planned village on the North Shore, and its founding plan is still the thing that shapes landscape work here. Joseph Sears bought 223.6 acres between the railroad and Lake Michigan in 1889 and laid the village out on four principles — among them large lots, high standards of construction, and no alleys. That last one is not trivia. With no alley, every service function, utility run and garage approach happens from the front or the side of the lot, which changes how driveways, screening and garden rooms have to be arranged.

Services

What we build in Kenilworth

  • Landscape Design

    Custom landscape design for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore. AutoCAD site plans, 3D renderings, planting design and full build documentation.

  • Hardscaping

    Natural stone patios, walkways, driveways, retaining walls and stone fireplaces built for Chicago freeze-thaw. Serving Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicagoland.

  • Decks & Pergolas

    Custom cedar and ipe decks, pergolas, railings, fences and privacy screens built in-house. Iron and woodwork for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicagoland.

  • Outdoor Living

    Custom outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits and rooftop terraces designed and built for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore.

  • Lighting & Water

    Low-voltage LED landscape lighting, color-changing systems, fountains and ponds designed and installed for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore.

  • Artificial Turf

    Professional artificial turf installation for lawns, pet areas, putting greens and rooftops in Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicagoland. Built on a drained base.

  • Commercial Landscaping

    Commercial and association landscaping across Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore. Grounds care, hardscape restoration, drainage and entrance work for property managers and condo boards. Call (847) 387-9509.

  • Snow & Ice Management

    Snow plowing, sidewalk clearing and ice management for residential and commercial property across Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore. Seasonal contracts. Call (847) 387-9509.

A village designed around its landscape

Sears used generous lot sizes, deep setbacks, coordinated street tree plantings and substantial park land specifically to maintain what the plan called a country atmosphere. Incorporated on February 4, 1896, Kenilworth still runs at about 4,142 people per square mile, which is very low density by any suburban standard. The result is that the landscape is not decoration around a house here — it is most of what you see from the street.

That raises the bar. On a lot where the setback is deep and the canopy is coordinated, a poorly proportioned front walk or an undersized terrace is visible from a block away. Kenilworth work has to be right at the scale of the whole property, not just at the scale of the patio.

No alleys, and what that means for a design

In most North Shore villages, the alley absorbs the ugly parts of a property — bins, utilities, service access, the back of the garage. Kenilworth has none, so those functions come to the front or the side and have to be designed rather than hidden.

In practice that means screening that reads as garden rather than as a fence, driveway courts that work as arrival sequences instead of as pavement, gates and enclosures fabricated to match the house, and planting that carries the eye past the service side of the lot. This is custom ironwork and site planning territory, which is the part of our work we do in-house.

The architecture

Franklin Burnham joined The Kenilworth Company early and designed the railroad station, Kenilworth Union Church and display homes for the village. Frank Lloyd Wright's Hiram Baldwin House of 1905 is here, as is a George W. Maher house. The predominant character is turn-of-century through 1920s architect-designed revival and Prairie work.

In 2008 the village was nominated as a Historic District and the designation was rejected and withdrawn, so there is no village-wide historic district — though eight individual properties are on the National Register. Practically, that means design review here comes from the neighbors and from the plan itself more than from a commission, which does not lower the standard.

Local detail

Local conditions and village requirements

Tree permit before construction
Village Code §150.157 requires a tree ordinance authorization or tree permit from the Village Manager before commencing any construction activity. We confirm the current thresholds with the Village for each project.
No alleys
A founding design principle. Service access, utilities and garage approach all occur from the front or side of the lot, which has to be designed rather than concealed.
Large lots and deep setbacks
Part of the original 1889 plan, along with coordinated street tree plantings and substantial park land.
No village-wide historic district
A 2008 district nomination was rejected and withdrawn. Eight individual properties are on the National Register.
Where we work

Neighborhoods and areas we serve

  • The village is a single planned district with no formal sub-neighborhoods — Kenilworth was platted as one coordinated plan and remains that way.
Questions

Frequently asked in Kenilworth

Do I need a permit for landscape work in Kenilworth?

Village Code §150.157 requires a tree ordinance authorization or a tree permit from the Village Manager before commencing any construction activity. Other permits depend on scope. We confirm the full set of requirements with the Village for your address before design is finalized.

How do you handle the no-alley problem?

By designing for it instead of apologizing for it. Bins, utilities and service access get purpose-built screening that reads as garden structure, driveways get treated as arrival courts rather than as pavement, and planting is used to carry the eye past the service side. Custom metalwork and carpentry are done in-house, so the screening matches the house rather than looking bolted on.

Is there design review in Kenilworth?

There is no village-wide historic district — a 2008 nomination was rejected and withdrawn — though eight individual properties are on the National Register. Permit review still applies. In practice the strongest constraint in Kenilworth is the original village plan and the visibility of deep-setback lots, which is a design standard rather than a regulatory one.

Can you work on a Frank Lloyd Wright or Maher house?

Landscape work around architecturally significant houses is careful, research-led work. It starts with understanding what the architecture is doing and designing something that supports it rather than competing with it. We scope those projects individually and we are candid when a proposal would be wrong for the building.

Do you serve Kenilworth regularly?

Yes. Our studio is at 1329 Dodge Ave in Evanston, a short drive south, and Kenilworth is part of our core North Shore service area.

Nearby communities

We also work in

  • Winnetka

    Landscape design, hardscaping, outdoor living and lighting in Winnetka, IL — designed to Winnetka's 50% impervious surface cap and tree protection plan requirements.

  • Wilmette

    Landscape design, hardscaping, decks, outdoor living and lighting for Wilmette, IL — from Indian Hill Estates to the lakefront and the postwar streets west of Ridge.

  • Glencoe

    Landscape design, ravine and bluff work, hardscaping, outdoor living and lighting in Glencoe, IL. Built to the Village's 8-inch tree removal permit threshold.

Begin your golden sanctuary.

Tell us about the property and how you want to use it. We will walk the site, scope the work and put it in writing.

Call (847) 387-9509Request a Design Consultation