The studio
Petra MJ Designs is a founder-led landscape and exterior design studio. Petra MJ Longley works closely with each client, from the first conversation through to the details on site.
Petra MJ Longley
When undertaking a new project, the approach is similar to that of a painter, carefully evaluating its various elements. The project’s flow is scrutinized to ascertain whether there is a central point of focus. Texture, height, color variations, and the presence of sunny and shady areas are all carefully analyzed.
“My passion lies in bridging the gap between outdoor and indoor living, creating spaces that blur the boundaries between indoors and out.”
In her words
My love for gardening blossomed when I was a child, working alongside my mother, cultivating a deep-rooted appreciation for plants and nature. She found joy in sharing her garden with others, which inspired my journey into the design world.
Growing up in Vermont, the first sight of hyacinths always brought immense happiness, signaling the start of the garden season. The silence of winter, while the plants were sleeping, was always an opportunity to look at the garden in a new light — a chance to rearrange the furniture, add a new color, texture, and pattern.
Although gardening was my first love, in New England we needed a career that would keep us out of the cold during the long winter months. I was fortunate to work alongside a special friend and interior designer who encouraged me to study at an interior design school in Boston.
Design philosophy
Each site is read before it is drawn: where the light falls, how people move through it, which trees stay, and where the eye should rest. From there, a focal point is established and the rest of the composition is built around it — texture, height, and color variation set against sunny and shaded ground.
The result should feel continuous with the house. Materials, planting, and lighting are chosen so the indoor rooms and the outdoor rooms belong to the same place, and so the garden keeps changing quietly through the seasons.
Flow and focal points
Texture, height, and color variation
Sunlight, shade, and movement
Indoor and outdoor continuity
Credentials
Petra MJ Designs is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Education: interior design study in Boston. Any further credentials will be listed here once confirmed.
Best fit for
Properties where the garden, terrace, and house should read as one continuous place to live.
Patios, fire features, kitchens, and structures for households that gather and entertain outside.
Guest-facing outdoor spaces where arrival, atmosphere, and detail carry the experience.
Neglected or tired landscapes that need a considered plan rather than a quick refresh.
Share a little about your site and how you want to use it. We will be in touch within two business days with the best next step.
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