Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg Rushing Coffee.
Hi Meg, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My interest and passion for landscape architecture continue to catch me by surprise. I become most aware of it when I meet new people or am visiting a new place. I was always more interested in art & architecture and never imagined working for myself much less in California. But the universe works in mysterious ways, and now I can’t imagine my life being any different–it seems “meant to be”.
Growing up in Austin, TX, I watched my dad work at his own design/build landscape irrigation design office and listened to his stories. Come to find out, his lessons seeped in and impact how I practice, interact with clients & contractors, and what I value in life.
I started my own landscape architectural design office in 2013 after being laid off for the second time in 3 years. Luckily I had been working in Los Angeles for a decade and had made valuable connections working at well-known design firms and teaching at UCLA Extension in the Landscape Architecture Program. At first, I cobbled together as many design-related jobs as possible, from home inspections to drafting for a lighting designer, to small design projects. Eventually, I built up a portfolio and was able to focus on larger design projects. Now ten years later, I have work that has been featured in Regional Landscape Architecture: Southern California (2019) by Jeffrey Head; LUXE Interiors + Design magazine, Garden Design magazine, and Landscape Architecture Magazine.
My landscape designs tend to be thoughtful and organized; focusing on the site and client needs while balancing practicality with beauty. Although I consider my strength to be site & hardscape design (outdoor rooms, dining terraces, entertaining areas, pools/spas, etc.) I also enjoy designing with plants. Some of my favorite plants are California natives and I like to incorporate them to create drought-tolerant, contemporary gardens.
In addition to my design work, I have been an Instructor in the Landscape Architecture Program at UCLA Extension since 2002, am President of the Association for Women in Architecture and Design (AWA+D), and am Chair of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors Marina del Rey Design Control Board.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My road has been smooth but with many missed exits, u-turns, scenic bypasses, and circuitous routes. I certainly haven’t always ended up where I thought I was headed. To continue the metaphor, after I graduated from college, I did a solo road trip from Austin, TX to Minneapolis, MN for a summer internship at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Along the way, I visited friends and relatives and saw some sites. Two weeks later, I arrived safe and sound in Minneapolis. There were a lot more direct routes I could have taken in a shorter amount of time. But I would have missed out on a lot. As in life…
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in creating thoughtful & beautiful landscape designs for people’s yards. The majority of my projects are for houses on regular-sized city lots, not large estates. Most of my clients want to improve their yards for themselves & to enjoy with their families and friends rather than for resale value, renters, etc. I am always delighted to hear how their improved yards increase the time the family spends with each other; how the designs impact their daily lives and how useable they are. That’s what I think I’m known for, making landscapes that feel comfortable, thoughtful, and fun to be in.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Risk is part of living. It’s a risk getting out of bed each morning. Having one’s own business is seen as risky, mainly because of the perceived lack of security. Yes, I don’t get a regular paycheck every other week, but I plan for that as well as for slow times. It’s not less secure than working for someone else, it’s just different. And it allows me more flexibility in other aspects of my life. I prefer to think of it as a matter of balance rather than risk. Everything has pros and cons, it just depends on how you look at it.
Pricing:
- My design fees are based on the complexity of the project.
Contact Info:
- Website: mrcladesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrcladesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrcladesign
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-rushing-coffee-84981815/
Image Credits
Robyn Beck Dan Arnold Joe Wright
