Circular Entry Steps

LandscapingNetwork.com in Calimesa, CA

Recently we posted this photo of an entryway in Palm Springs, California on our Facebook page and got quite the response. More than eighty people chimed in with their opinion of the steps. Here is a sampling of what they had to say:

Love Them:

• I think that's beautiful, I love that kind of landscaping... and the trickling water...cool.
• Kids will LOVE it!
• If you're an eccentric, than this is great... It does have that leapfrog/mote feel to it... Okay... it's fun but still not practical at all.
• I like them just think they shouldn't be in moat! On a grass surface the effect would be fantastic.
• Wouldn't have it in my yard, but it's interesting. Love the water...good for them for being different!

Hate Them:

• Probably have a problem getting my walker past that.
• From the appearance it seems the one in the foreground is higher, thus not a step up like the others which does make it a tripping problem for the un-coordinated.
• It would be more appropriate incorporated into a garden in the back yard. Not a front entrance.
• Okay for a front entrance of a larger estate home. As long as the service entrance is nearby and well-marked. The concept would be better in a garden. And what's the point of those cheap looking solar lights? Would professional lighting really have blown the budget? And all turf? Where are the plants?
• I have concerns about maintenance, especially snow shoveling in winter. Does not look very safe for people to walk on, either ... lawsuits look likely!
• Not soft around the edge's like a stream needs more to it plants, trees flowers and boulders for the edges!!! Than it would work for me! Just to grey not enough life to it, not very welcoming! Looks like a dark hole for a front entrance!
• Doesn't really work without some soft planting.
• Needs more water and plants for a more natural look, but playful. A maintenance nightmare. Definitely not a place to grow old in. Not scooter accessible.
• I take it no wheelchair person is welcomed and they don't have very cold winters like in Canada!
• Very cool, but I totally can see myself tripping on the uneven steps.
• A designer should only design what the client wants. If the client requested a river with concrete lily pads, that that is what they should have. I do love the idea, but not executed in this way. Perhaps as a path through a garden instead of a main residence entrance. I'm not a fan of the walls either side of the stream. They look too forced and perhaps a better contrast with the exposed aggregate steps/stepping stone would be to use large boulders and soften with lots of planting instead. Walls of this type remind me of Disneyland - bit too forced and false...Overall - love the idea but not the execution.
• This is a perfect example of an interesting concept that was not though out or executed properly (in my humble opinion). Sometimes a design is really cool on paper, but not very safe and functional in reality. So much potential for this idea, maybe a cool handrail for safety I would have used natural select size flagstone steps and tall reed like plantings along the sides, with beautiful water plants. On a safety point, the step height doesn't look to code so that could be a liability issue. There is still hope. Yes ditch those unattractive outdoor lights, so many more beautiful options out there. I love the water flowing along both sides of the path, although on a Feng Shui principle this represents wealth leaving the home.
• Looks like an ankle twisting insurance nightmare begging for falls, broken bones and lawsuits.