After looking for paradise someplace else, the owners found it right at home with a complete re-envisioning of their steeply wooded site. In alliance with architect William B. Litchfield, who renovated the existing Georgian house, Howard Design Studio brought the garden to life. The octagonal pavilion is the focal point, a component that engages the graded, stepped lawn, the house, and the woods below. The long narrow corner lot made for a special, intimate garden, which completely unfolded based on the owners’ desire for a place in the woods to relax, paint, or entertain. Retaining walls of reclaimed brick, Chippendale fencing, and large magnolias provide pleasing, layered privacy and spaces to enjoy. Rounding a corner, the potting shed with jasmine and roses climbing on trellises is a charming surprise.