Featured Designer | Cara Huang
November 2025
Designer at To Flora Studio
Cara Huang, Designer at To Flora Studio Photo: Linna Yang
When did you start designing gardens? Tell us about your path from then to now.
I began working as a landscape designer in 2014 after earning my Master of Landscape Architecture from Rutgers University in New Jersey. My career started in New York, where I worked on rooftop terraces, courtyards, and balcony gardens nestled into the dense cityscape. Later, in Los Angeles, I was immersed in fast-paced design offices, tackling projects of varying scales and contexts. Since relocating to Seattle, I’ve shifted my focus to residential design.
Over the years, working in design offices taught me technical precision, the importance of collaboration, and the art of balancing creative vision with real-world construction challenges. Over time, I felt drawn to work more closely with clients and spend more time on site, shaping spaces that respond to each homeowner’s lifestyle and each site’s unique conditions. Starting my own practice, To Flora Studio, gave me the opportunity to bring that vision to life and to focus on projects that feel both personal and connected to place.
Becoming independent has been both exciting and humbling. In these early years, I’ve learned not just about design but about what it means to run a small business—developing a website and business cards, posting on social media, joining professional networks, and, most importantly, building trust with clients one project at a time. I see this transition not only as professional growth, but also as a form of self-cultivation, an opportunity to deepen my practice both creatively and spiritually.
A layered entry sequence begins to create the interplay between outdoors and indoors. Photo: Cara Huang
How would you describe your design style?
For me, landscapes are an extension of the interior. The interplay between indoors and outdoors composes the full living experience. I see landscapes as an essential part of everyday life—places to restore balance, create beauty, and connect people to the rhythms of nature.
My design style bridges Eastern and Western aesthetics, which are sometimes intertwined. I draw on the structure and rhythm of contemporary design while incorporating the subtlety and timelessness found in Asian traditions. I admire how Japanese gardens use natural materials, asymmetry, and seasonality to create harmony and depth, while also offering space for contemplation. In the Pacific Northwest, with its abundance of texture and shifting seasonal moods, I see opportunities to adapt these principles in contemporary ways.
Who inspires you and your designs?
I find inspiration in both cultural traditions and everyday experiences. Last month I participated in Waza to Kokoro: Hands and Heart, an immersive seminar hosted by the Portland Japanese Garden’s Training Center. The program included hands-on instruction in stone setting, pruning, and cultural philosophy. It deepened my appreciation for how garden-making is a collective work of human, nature, and time. Walking through a Japanese Tea Garden is a transcedant experience. The thoughtfully choreographed spaces are a tribute to nature that quiets your mind and body, coming from utmost respect to human, nature and time. I’d love to have the opportunity to translate these traditions and principles which emphasize simplicity, seasonality and the beauty of restraint, into our Pacific Northwest setting.
From left: Front yard pollinator garden contrasts with the clean lines of the modern-style house. The clean lines of the design of the custom gate complement the beds and paths. Photo: Cara Huang
I am also inspired by contemporary architects and designers who push boundaries while respecting ecological integrity. Travel is another rich source of inspiration—seeing how different regions respond to culture, climate, and ecology is both humbling and energizing. Yet I am equally inspired by simple neighborhood walks, noticing how a single mature tree can anchor a block, or how a small planting can transform the mood of a street. These everyday observations remind me that design doesn’t always have to be grand; sometimes the smallest interventions carry the most meaning.
And, perhaps most importantly, I am inspired by clients—their stories, their ways of living, and the opportunity to create spaces that reflect who they are.
What would your ideal project be?
My ideal project is one that allows for collaboration and creative exploration, where the client sees the garden not as decoration, but as an essential part of life. I imagine a residential garden that weaves cultural aesthetics into a Pacific Northwest context—where stone, wood, and water balance with native and seasonal plantings. A place that feels serene and restorative, yet vibrant with life, supporting pollinators and birds.
What experiences as a designer have you found to be most challenging?
The transition to independent practice has been one of the most challenging experiences of my career. After nearly a decade in design offices, I suddenly found myself wearing every hat—designer, project manager, marketer, accountant, and business strategist. Navigating the ebb and flow of workload and the realities of financial instability has tested my patience and perseverance.
Marketing and visibility remain areas I continue to work on. While I’ve always focused on design quality, I’ve learned how important it is to share my process, engage with the community, and grow networks that connect me with potential clients. This has meant experimenting—posting about my work online, offering free consultations, and showing up at professional events. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been essential for growth.
Changing the garden space can change families' relationships to nature or inspire a whole neighborhood. From left: a front yard meadow replaced the lawn. A backyard reimagined with raised vegetable beds and fruit trees. Photo: Cara Huang
Which experiences have you found to be most rewarding?
The most rewarding moments are when a garden begins to shape people’s lives. This year, one client told me that after their front yard was planted, neighbors began stopping by to admire the plants. Soon several other households on the street started working on their own yards. The ripple effect—where design not only transforms a home but inspires a community—is deeply fulfilling
I also value the way this profession keeps me learning. Design is a field of continual discovery—whether through seminars, collaboration, or time spent observing plants and landscapes. It’s not only about solving problems or creating beauty, but also about cultivating relationships with clients, with the land, and with time itself.
I’ve been reflecting on the designer’s role in the age of AI. Rather than being predictable, compressible, and being part of the algorithm, being original is the way to stay relevant. I see our role as continuing to cultivate creativity while embracing tools that can support, but never replace, the human spirit behind design.
As I continue to grow To Flora Studio, I’m excited to expand collaborations with architects, builders, and homeowners who see gardens as an everyday art form. My goal is to keep exploring how design can enrich daily routines, connect cultures, and support local ecology.
Cara Huang
To Flora Studio