Grace Design Associates
Grace Design Associates is a privately held, founder-owned landscape design-build firm in Santa Barbara, California, founded in 1988 by Margie Grace. It integrates custom landscape architecture with in-house construction to deliver high-end residential gardens for affluent property owners, with 350+ projects completed over 30+ years.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersSanta Barbara, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Grace Design Associates does
Grace Design Associates is a privately held, founder-owned landscape design-build firm headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 1988 by Margie Grace (with Dawn Close as co-founding Principal and Chief of Operations), the firm operates with 11-50 employees and delivers integrated landscape design and in-house construction services for affluent residential property owners. Over 30+ years the firm has produced 350+ gardens, primarily in the Santa Barbara region with select international commissions in Spain, Australia, and New Zealand.
The firm's core offering combines custom landscape architecture with full construction execution under one team. Each project is individually designed by Margie Grace and built by the firm's in-house construction crews, with all materials — plants, trees, stone, fountains, art, statuary, furniture, lighting, and accessories — hand-selected by the designers. Core technical competencies include site-sensitive plantings, environmentally-sensitive design with attention to soil and water conservation, biodiversity, fire-smart landscaping, and old-world craftsmanship; sustainable design metrics reported across projects include 95% local/sourced materials, 64-95% drought-tolerant plantings, and Certified Wildlife Habitat restorations. The firm is recognized as the leading design-build landscape firm in Santa Barbara, has twice won APLD International Landscape Designer of the Year (2009, 2018), and earned consistent Best of Houzz recognition from 2013-2020.
Revenue is generated through professional services fees on a project basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined by project scope, materials, and client requirements. The go-to-market motion is sales-led direct client engagement supported by earned media in top shelter publications (Garden Design, Veranda, Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times), a published monograph ('Private Gardens of Santa Barbara,' Gibbs Smith, February 2020), speaking engagements, and organic social channels (Instagram, Houzz, Facebook, Pinterest, theartofoutdoorliving.com blog). The firm has no external investment and no parent company.
Grace Design Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grace Design Associates
- Legal name
- Grace Design Associates
- Website
- https://gracedesignassociates.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Grace Design Associates is a privately held, founder-owned landscape design-build firm in Santa Barbara, California, founded in 1988 by Margie Grace. It integrates custom landscape architecture with in-house construction to deliver high-end residential gardens for affluent property owners, with 350+ projects completed over 30+ years.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grace Design Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Landscape Architecture & Design-Build Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscaping Services (561730)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Landscape Construction Project Management & General Contracting (HSAIABAK), Residential Landscape Design (HSAIABAA), Landscape Installation (Plants, Sod & Soil) (HSAIABAB)
Keywords
Where Grace Design Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Barbara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Grace Design Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Landscape Design Services: Custom landscape design services for high-end residential properties. Each garden is individually designed and custom built with all materials hand-selected by the firm's designers.
- Landscape Construction Services: In-house construction team trained to the firm's discerning aesthetics and standards. The firm builds the gardens they design.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Grace Design Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grace Design Associates provides custom landscape architecture and integrated design-build construction services for high-end residential properties. Each garden is individually designed with materials hand-selected by the firm's designers, and the in-house construction team executes projects from concept through completion under a unified design-build process. The firm also published the monograph 'Private Gardens of Santa Barbara' (Gibbs Smith, February 2020) showcasing its portfolio.
Product overview
Grace Design Associates is a landscape design studio and construction firm offering integrated design-build services. Their core offering combines landscape design with in-house construction execution under one team. The firm specializes in creating exceptional gardens for residential properties including estates, modest homes, and coastal retreats, with a design philosophy focused on 'The Art of Outdoor Living.' They offer custom landscape design services, full construction services, and have published a book 'Private Gardens of Santa Barbara' showcasing their portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Landscape Design Services Custom landscape architecture services for high-end residential properties, including gardens for estates, bungalows, and coastal family retreats, creating formal, casual, rustic, and coastal outdoor environments tailored to the client, architecture, site, and surrounding environment.
- Design-Build Construction Services Integrated design-build landscape construction services with an in-house construction team trained to the firm's discerning aesthetics and standards, executing the gardens the firm's designers create from concept through completion.
- Private Gardens of Santa Barbara (Book) Monograph book published by Gibbs Smith featuring eighteen distinctive private gardens in Santa Barbara, from large estates to modest homes and surf retreats, showcasing designs ranging from sublime and naturalistic to bold and urban.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of landscape materials are local (within 15 miles) or site-found
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Grace Design Associates
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Grace Design Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Grace Design Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Local Nurseries and International VendorscoreThe firm maintains close relationships with local nurseries and international vendors to hand pick the best plant materials, accessories, lighting and furnishings for projects.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Grace Design Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture: Award-winning San Francisco-based landscape architecture firm specializing in high-end residential and select commercial projects. Highly comparable in design philosophy, prestige positioning, and integrated design-build sensibility to Grace Design Associates.
- Bernard Trainor + Associates: Monterey, California landscape architecture studio focused on refined residential gardens and estates along the California coast. Directly comparable in clientele, aesthetic, and project scale to Grace Design.
- Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture: Sausalito-based design-build landscape firm serving affluent Bay Area and California coastal residential clients. Comparable in combining landscape design with in-house construction execution.
- Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture: California-based landscape architecture practice known for high-end residential gardens with strong published portfolio. Comparable in prestige, residential focus, and design-led delivery model.
- Studio MLA (Mark Lee and Associates): Culver City landscape architecture firm with strong residential and multi-family portfolio in California. Comparable in design-led approach and California coastal residential market presence.
Broad incumbents
- Oehme van Sweden: Established national landscape architecture firm with a broader portfolio spanning residential estates, public gardens, and institutional projects. Comparable in high-end design pedigree but materially larger in scale and geographic reach.
- Marmol Radziner: Los Angeles-based integrated architecture, landscape, and construction firm serving luxury residential clients. Comparable in California coastal luxury market and integrated design-build model, though broader in scope than Grace Design.
Regional players
- Arterra Landscape Architects: San Francisco Bay Area landscape architecture firm serving high-end residential projects. Comparable in craft and client caliber, though operating primarily in Northern California rather than the Santa Barbara / Southern California market.
Emerging players
- Laurie Chetwood Architecture & Landscape: Smaller California-based studio with selective luxury residential commissions. Comparable in boutique positioning, though smaller in portfolio depth and recognition than Grace Design.
- Sagan Piechota Architecture: Los Angeles architecture and landscape studio focused on high-end residential projects with sustainability emphasis. Comparable in California luxury residential positioning and design-build sensibility, though with smaller brand footprint than Grace Design.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Grace Design Associates social profiles
Digital presenceGrace Design Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grace Design Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Grace Design Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grace Design Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Grace Design Associates
What does Grace Design Associates do?
Grace Design Associates provides custom landscape architecture and integrated design-build construction services for high-end residential properties. Each garden is individually designed with materials hand-selected by the firm's designers, and the in-house construction team executes projects from concept through completion under a unified design-build process. The firm also published the monograph 'Private Gardens of Santa Barbara' (Gibbs Smith, February 2020) showcasing its portfolio.
Is Grace Design Associates a public or private company?
Grace Design Associates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Grace Design Associates founded?
Grace Design Associates was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Grace Design Associates based?
Grace Design Associates is headquartered in Santa Barbara, United States, in the North America region.
How does Grace Design Associates make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Landscape Design Services are the primary driver. The others are landscape Construction Services.
Who are Grace Design Associates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, Bernard Trainor + Associates, Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture, Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture and Studio MLA (Mark Lee and Associates). Broad incumbents are Oehme van Sweden and Marmol Radziner. Arterra Landscape Architects is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Laurie Chetwood Architecture & Landscape and Sagan Piechota Architecture.
Does Grace Design Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grace Design Associates.
What industry is Grace Design Associates in?
Grace Design Associates's product category is Landscape Architecture & Design-Build Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design, with a secondary code of HSAIABAK, Landscape Construction Project Management & General Contracting. Its NAICS code is 541320 and its SIC code is 8700.