Outdoor Spaces
That Feel Like Coming Home
Your outdoor space should feel intentional, composed, and deeply personal.
At Refuge Landscape Design, we create artistic residential landscapes that function as natural extensions of your home.
Our work is focused on environments that feel grounded, restorative, and carefully crafted.
With almost
31
Years of experience
A Design-Led Practice
We are a landscape design studio first.
Our work begins long before installation. Through site analysis, spatial planning, and material study, we develop comprehensive landscape plans that integrate:
Architecture and surrounding environment
Circulation and gathering space
Hardscape and planting composition
Privacy, light, and seasonal change
The result is an outdoor environment that feels resolved — balanced in structure, layered in texture, and enduring in character.
For Homes That Deserve Intention
We work with both high-end and mid-range residential clients who understand that landscape is an investment in experience.
We approach each property holistically — ensuring beauty is supported by resilience, and artistry is grounded in performance.
Every line has purpose.
Every element belongs.
Whether designing for new construction or reimagining an existing property, our goal remains the same: to create outdoor spaces that feel composed, grounded, and unmistakably yours.
About Refuge
Refuge Landscape Design is a design-led studio based in Idaho Falls, founded on the belief that outdoor space deserves the same intention as architecture.
With almost 30 years of professional experience, founder Caleb Nelson brings both artistic vision and technical mastery to every project.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Design from Brigham Young University and a Certificate in Healing Garden Design from the University of Washington.
An Artist’s Approach
Caleb is an artist. Landscape is his medium.
Refuge was created from a lifelong passion for shaping environments — not simply installing them, but composing them. Each design is approached as a work of living structure: balanced, expressive, and built to endure.
What distinguishes Refuge is the integration of artistry and technical experience. With more than two decades of hands-on build experience, every design is grounded in a deep understanding of how landscapes are actually constructed.
Artistic vision is informed by practical experience.
Design Refined.
Today, Refuge operates as a dedicated design studio.
We focus exclusively on landscape design and, when desired, provide construction oversight to ensure the integrity of the original vision.
The goal is simple:
To create outdoor spaces that feel composed, restorative,
and unmistakably personal.
Spaces that feel like coming home.
Custom Landscape Design
Refuge Landscape Design provides comprehensive outdoor design for residential properties in northeast Idaho, from Pocatello to Driggs.
Our work begins with understanding how you live and how you want your space to feel. From there, we develop a cohesive design that guides every phase of your outdoor environment.
Design Focus Areas
Patios & Hardscapes
Architectural Elements
Outdoor Living
Intentional Planting Design
Water-Wise Design
Our goal is to create outdoor spaces that are visually refined, environmentally responsive, and built for long-term living.
The Refuge Design Process
Great landscapes are built on clarity of vision. Our process is structured to guide your project from initial conversation to final design with intention, precision, and creative focus.
Learn more about our in-depth processSelected Landscape Designs
Our portfolio represents a curated selection of completed and conceptual work. Each project reflects Refuge’s design philosophy: landscapes composed with intention, shaped by environment, and tailored to the way people live.
These projects are not simply installations — they are environments designed to feel settled, natural, and personal. Because great design is not about complexity. It is about clarity.
Explore Our Work
Zen Family
A small, awkward backyard was transformed into a calm outdoor retreat designed for family life.
The patio was expanded and shaped into a sequence of spaces that invite movement and discovery. Custom black granite pavers, reclaimed barn wood, pickled steel supports, and sculptural elements bring richness and craft to the garden, while frosted glass walls provide privacy and shelter from the elements. Guided by the owners’ desire for a Zen-like family space and informed by principles of Feng Shui, the garden balances structure and calm, creating a setting that feels both grounded and restorative.
Backyard Oasis
An open lawn was reshaped into a series of defined outdoor rooms for gathering, cooking, and quiet time outside.
Low stone walls frame planting beds and shape the patio into a sheltered central space. Timber pergolas introduce rhythm and light shade, while layered planting softens the structure and connects the garden to the surrounding landscape. A fireplace and outdoor kitchen anchor the far end, creating a natural destination within the garden.
Terraced Garden Retreat
A steep backyard hillside was shaped into a sequence of sheltered outdoor rooms for gathering and rest.
Stone terraces step down the slope, creating distinct spaces for dining, conversation, and quiet evenings by the fire. A pergola-covered dining area, a central patio with fireplace, and a secluded fire pit each offer their own atmosphere while remaining connected through layered planting and garden paths. Dense plantings soften the stonework and help each space feel tucked gently into the hillside.
