Withrow Serenity: An Award-Winning Japandi Backyard in Toronto
How Parkscape blended composite decking and fluted siding into a calm, low-maintenance Riverdale retreat.
A Riverdale backyard reimagined as a Japandi retreat
In Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood, a private residence had a backyard that no longer matched the home it belonged to. Designed by the homeowners with a blend of Mid-Century Modern and Japandi influences, the house called for an outdoor space with the same quiet confidence: clean lines, seamless transitions, and a calm, zen-inspired atmosphere built for relaxed entertaining. Landscape architect Tina McMullen of Bosque Landscape Architecture designed the space, and Parkscape brought it to life. The brief was deceptively simple, a backyard that felt like a natural extension of the home, balancing simplicity, function, and refined design, with planting that stays sculpted and low-maintenance year after year.
Why NewTechWood? Warmth without the upkeep
Parkscape has specified NewTechWood since 2023, and the reason is consistent client feedback. “Clients appreciate the low-maintenance nature of the product, as well as the wide range of colour options,” the team notes. For Withrow Serenity, composite decking in Red Cedar (US01) delivered the warm, natural tone the design needed backed by NewTechWood’s 360° UltraShield protective cap and a 25-year warranty, so the deck holds its look through Toronto’s seasons.
The challenge: access, drainage, and a punishing afternoon sun
Before construction, the space had become damaged and largely unusable, the result of limited maintenance, difficult site access, and ongoing drainage problems. Access was a defining constraint: the majority of materials had to be craned in and out of the property throughout the build.
Water was the other adversary. Runoff from the upper balcony was repeatedly directed into the backyard below, and over time that excess moisture had degraded the existing materials. Parkscape addressed it at the source adding a new drainage system to the balcony and installing soil cells beneath the deck to manage runoff in the yard.
The site also takes harsh afternoon sun, which is tough on traditional wood decking, and a neighbouring birch tree regularly drops debris into the yard. Both conditions pointed to a capped composite deck: durable, stain-resistant, and far less demanding to maintain than real wood under prolonged moisture and UV exposure.
The solution: clean lines, continuous flow
The guiding principle was continuous flow, long, uninterrupted sightlines that let each element of the landscape move seamlessly into the next. Clean and minimalist, but never cold: the space had to stay warm and inviting.
A fluted wall that ties inside to out
Parkscape selected Norwegian fluted siding (UH61) in Red Cedar to strengthen the relationship between the home’s interior and exterior. The same fluted textures appear throughout the residence, so extending the fluted wall panels into the landscape created a seamless visual transition and a unified design language, the backyard reads as part of the house, not a separate outdoor room.
Large-format composite decking, built to last
On the lower deck, large-format boards were used to minimize visible seams and cuts, producing the cleaner, more refined finish the design demanded. From the wide range of composite decking colours, Red Cedar was chosen to complement the home’s material palette and reinforce that inside-to-outside continuity while standing up to sun, moisture, and falling birch debris with minimal upkeep.
Two details elevate the project. First, the stone planters were built to align precisely with the fluted profile, creating a seamless transition between materials with no awkward gaps, a subtle move that adds real refinement. Second, after dark the fluted wall comes alive: landscape lighting rakes across the linear profile to cast dramatic shadow lines, giving the space depth and a completely different character at night.
An award-winning result
The finished backyard does exactly what it set out to do: it’s a calm, restorative retreat that offers privacy and an everyday sense of escape, while comfortably hosting small gatherings. In keeping with the homeowner’s measured personality, what resonates most isn’t any single feature, it’s the overall atmosphere, the clean lines and quiet visual rhythm that make the whole property feel at ease. The client was genuinely pleased, noting the project came together exactly as envisioned and praising the Parkscape crew’s professionalism and respectful approach throughout. He has stayed in touch and referred new clients since.
In 2026, Withrow Serenity won a Landscape Ontario Award of Excellence in Residential Construction ($250,000–$500,000) recognition of both the design vision and the craftsmanship behind it.
“Every project is fully custom, designed from the ground up to suit the client, the property, and the surrounding environment. NewTechWood lets us deliver that refined, low-maintenance finish our clients are looking for.”— Matthew Over, Parkscape
Frequently asked questions
Is composite decking a good choice for a backyard with harsh sun and tree debris?
Yes. Capped composite decking like NewTechWood’s resists fading, staining, and moisture far better than traditional wood, making it well suited to sites with strong afternoon sun, prolonged moisture, or debris from nearby trees with significantly less maintenance over time.
What is fluted siding, and why use it in a landscape?
Fluted siding is a wall panel with a repeating linear, ridged profile. In a landscape it adds texture and a strong linear rhythm, works beautifully as a privacy wall, and when it matches finishes used indoors visually connects the home to the backyard. After dark, the ridges catch landscape lighting to create striking shadow lines.
How did Parkscape solve the backyard’s drainage and runoff problems?
Runoff from the upper balcony had been draining into the yard and damaging materials over time. Parkscape tackled it at two points: a new drainage system on the balcony to capture water before it reached the yard, and soil cells installed beneath the deck to manage runoff below. A capped composite deck then stood up to the remaining moisture far better than wood would have.
How do you create a cohesive Japandi look between a deck and a feature wall?
The key is continuity of material and line. Here, the deck and the fluted siding share one Red Cedar tone and a strong horizontal/linear language, so they read as one composition rather than separate elements. Large-format deck boards minimize visible seams, the fluted profile carries textures used inside the home out into the yard, and stone planters were aligned precisely to the flutes all reinforcing the clean, calm sightlines at the heart of a Japandi design.
Matthew Over
Parkscape FounderFounded by Matt Over, Parkscape is a high-end landscape design-build company that has been transforming properties across Toronto’s west end for over 12 years. Every project is fully custom, designed from the ground up to suit the client, the property, and its surroundings. The team thrives on complex, creative work that blends innovative design, technical expertise, and exceptional craftsmanship.
