10 Timeless Landscape Lessons from Silver Sands Motel’s Redesign

By drawing inspiration from Silver Sands Motel’s acclaimed landscape redo, home gardeners and design lovers can learn valuable, real-world lessons in creating inviting, ecologically vibrant outdoor spaces. Hollander Design’s approach—particularly through the eyes of landscape architect Melissa Reavis—shows how nostalgia, sustainability, and a thoughtful palette can coexist beautifully.

Introduction: A Legacy of Style and Stewardship

Set on the windswept North Fork, the Silver Sands Motel in Greenport, NY, has charmed guests since 1957 with its unfussy, home-away-from-home spirit. When new stewards acquired the property, they turned to Hollander Design and landscape architect Melissa Reavis to refresh the grounds. The resulting master plan weaves together preservation, modern comfort, local plants, and eco-sensitivity. As Reavis says, “We wanted to honor what Silver Sands had been and try to retain that sense of nostalgia, while still creating a modern, comfortable destination for new travelers.”

1. Start with the Spirit of the Place

Silver Sands’ redesign began with respect for history and a desire to protect its unique coastal ecosystem. Rather than imposing alien styles, the team studied site lines, old plantings, and seasonal rhythms. The goal: let the site itself guide the plan.

• Note pre-existing mature trees and shrubs—keep what’s healthy and valuable.
• Map natural circulation patterns (where people move or pause).
• Ask what emotional tone the site evokes: playful, peaceful, or social?
• Embrace the past but plan for current needs.

2. Preserve Nostalgia—Without Being Stuck in the Past

Silver Sands’ guest loyalty is rooted in decades-old family memories. Hollander Design balanced honoring this heritage with gentle updates.

• Retain key vintage features (old signage, classic walkways, landmark pines).
• Supplement with streamlined new elements—think modern lighting discreetly installed alongside 1950s plantings.
• Curate heirloom details, like shell driveways or midcentury color schemes, then blend them with new furnishings and native flora.

3. Plant for the Native Ecosystem

The new garden beds at Silver Sands rely on a native plant palette. This not only supports local birds and pollinators but is crucial for long-term sustainability. As Reavis underscores, “We tried to help highlight that unique ecosystem that surrounds Silver Sands… the property is still fully maintained without the use of any chemicals, and minimal irrigation and intervention.”

• Research and use native perennials, shrubs, and grasses endemic to your region.
• Group plants with similar water and light needs for easy care.
• Let seasonal changes—grasses in fall, wildflowers in spring—set the rhythm for your landscape.
• Sustain wildlife: Birds, bees, and butterflies thrive in native plantings.

4. Strengthen the Indoor-Outdoor Connection

The new owners wanted guests to move effortlessly from the motel interior to its beachy outdoors. Designers linked the two by mirroring colors and motifs between inside spaces and outdoor plantings. For example, a soft peach found in room décor reappeared in ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum blooms on private garden patios.

• Coordinate your garden palette with interior finishes—carry out a color or shape theme.
• Frame doors or large windows with landscape “vignettes” that invite the eye outside.
• Use pots or built-in beds to draw greenery close to entryways and patios.

5. Design Flexible Social Spaces

Silver Sands has a tradition of families gathering for lawn games, barbecues, or quiet reading. The redesign kept this in mind, with multipurpose communal greens and intimate nooks.

• Mix large open lawns with smaller, secluded spots for variety.
• Use swaths of meadow, hedging, or native grasses as organic dividers.
• Provide durable, moveable seating so guests can adapt spaces to their needs.

6. Celebrate Seasonality

Instead of striving for constant bloom, the landscape at Silver Sands highlights the drama of change: waves of flowers in summer, golden meadow grasses in fall, and evergreens for year-round structure.

• Choose plants for a succession of interest: spring bulbs, summer perennials, autumn berries, winter seed heads.
• Let a portion of your lawn become a wildflower meadow in late summer.
• Add ornamental grasses for movement and texture, especially at season’s end.

7. Use Minimal Intervention and Low Input

Silver Sands is managed with minimal chemical inputs, low water demand, and little fuss—proof that a beautiful garden need not be high-maintenance.

• Favor drought-tolerant, pest-resistant native plants.
• Limit turf grass to essential areas; use meadows or groundcovers elsewhere.
• Mulch beds to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

8. Curate Pathways That Invite Exploration

Circulation is an experience at Silver Sands, thanks to meandering shell paths, soft lawn walkways, and charming sightlines between cottages and the water.

• Vary path materials (crushed gravel, shells, bluestone) to suit the tone of each area.
• Gently curve paths to create a sense of journey and curiosity; avoid strictly straight lines.
• Border paths with perennials or grasses to soften the edges.

9. Let the Landscape Tell a Story

The new gardens don’t suppress or disguise the motel’s roots—they amplify them, giving guests a sense of place and history.

• Incorporate heritage plants or family mementos, such as passed-down roses or vintage garden ornaments.
• Install interpretive signage or simple markers where meaningful events or plants reside.
• Use lighting to highlight sculptural trees or pathways at night, subtly extending the story after dark.

10. Practice Thoughtful Hospitality Outdoors

Above all, the spirit of Silver Sands aims for approachable comfort and relaxed luxury. Every landscape feature—whether a hammock, BBQ station, or flower-framed lounge—invites guests to unwind.

• Think in terms of experience: What does a guest, friend, or family member feel in your garden?
• Layer functional pleasures (shade, scent, sound of birds) with visual appeal.
• Keep it relaxed: Let turf and planting lines be softly imperfect; use weather-tolerant furniture from natural materials.

Table: Key Elements of the Silver Sands Approach

Bonus: Practical Tips for Borrowing These Ideas at Home

• Start small: Pick one zone to refresh using a native plant list or simple color echo from indoors to out.
• Let the existing landscape speak first—don’t rush to replace mature plants.
• Photograph your site at different times to observe light, movement, and gathering spots.
• Experiment with a relaxed, less-formal style—meandering beds, irregular edges, and a bit of old mixed with new.
• Prioritize sustainability: Reduce chemicals, water use, and high-maintenance turf.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can a small urban garden benefit from the Silver Sands approach?

A: Absolutely. Even a city patio can “borrow” native plant groupings, mindful color palettes, and a mix of vintage and modern features for relaxed, ecological charm.

Q: Do I need to replace my whole garden to be more eco-friendly?

A: Not at all. Start by integrating native plants into existing beds, using chemical-free maintenance and reducing lawn. Gradual changes preserve the spirit of your place while boosting sustainability.

Q: How do I make my indoor and outdoor spaces feel more unified?

A: Pick one or two key accent colors or natural materials from your interiors and repeat them in containers, cushions, or adjacent garden beds just outside.

Q: What are easy ways to attract pollinators?

A: Grow swaths of native flowering plants, avoid synthetic pesticides, and provide fresh water (like a pebble-filled birdbath) for visiting bees and butterflies.

Designer Spotlight: Melissa Reavis

Melissa Reavis of Hollander Design is renowned for her ecological sensibilities and eloquent updates of historic landscapes. Her work at Silver Sands Motel was led by the desire to honor the landscape’s emotional resonance and biodiversity, a commitment reflected in every nuance of the redesign. Melissa is a recognized advocate for pollinator-friendly gardening and lectures widely on merging aesthetics with ecological function.

Award-Winning Vision

The Silver Sands Motel & Beach Bungalows project has drawn accolades, recently earning the 2025 Hospitality Design Landscape Design Award—a testament to its thoughtful merging of hospitality and sustainability.

Conclusion: Hospitality, Heritage, and Habitat

The Silver Sands redesign shows that outdoor spaces—whether a grand coastal hotel or a modest backyard—can blend comfort, history, and ecological care. The project invites everyone to see their landscape as both a setting for joyful gathering and a magnificent, living legacy.