GA_071119

glencoeanchor.com life & arts
the glencoe anchor | July 11, 2019 | 19
Four New Trier alumnae create platform for custom landscape plans
Libby Elliott
Freelance Reporter
We call them “disrupters.”
They’re the tech-driven
businesses like Uber,
Airbnb and Netflix that
displace established market
leaders and radically
change the way a product
is delivered or consumed,
from hailing a taxi, to
booking a hotel, to watching
to TV.
Now, disrupters are
changing the world of
landscape design.
Launched in February
2019 by four New Trier
graduates, the website
tilly-design.com uses a
simple online platform
to deliver custom landscape
plans for outdoor
spaces, eliminating costly
face-to-face meetings and
challenging an industry
that hasn’t innovated in
decades.
“Up until now, there’s
typically been only two
angles in the landscaping
industry,” said Tilly cofounder
and Winnetkanative
Blythe Yost, a New
York-based landscape architect
with 15 years experience
in landscape design
businesses. “There’s
the mow-and-blow guy or
the high-end landscape architect
with big ideas that
cost big money. There’s
nothing for your average
customer that’s cost effective.”
Yost’s three additional
co-founders, Sarah Finazzo
and Alexis Sutton,
both from Wilmette, and
Heather Hoeppner, a
A landscape design by TillyDesign.com, a company
created by New Trier graduates. Photo submitted
Glencoe native, remained
close friends after graduating
from New Trier
in 2001. The foursome
hatched the business plan
for Tilly last year during
their annual summer
friendship reunion with
husbands and children.
While the price of a
traditional landscape architect
generally ranges
from $2,000 to $7,000-
plus before plant materials
and installation, Tilly
offers four discrete design
packages: The Mini ($95),
The Front ($275), The
Back ($375) and The Full
($575) for a redesign of an
entire yard.
“Through initial research
and testing, we’ve
seen that especially the
millennial demographic
— who are now entering
homeownership by the
masses — are extremely
receptive to digital design
and service,” Yost
said. “Being online is the
norm.”
Tilly co-founders use a
web-based, streamlined
process to engage with
homeowners without
time-consuming, in-person
meetings.
After completing a
high-level intake questionnaire
on the company’s
website, customers
purchase a design package
before moving into a
deeper space assessment
based on detailed photos
and a property survey.
A video-based personal
consultation offers Tilly
the chance to get to know
their customers’ lifestyles
and familiarize themselves
with a home’s indoor and
outdoor spaces, whether
its new construction or a
renovation project.
After a bit of back and
forth, Tilly provides customers
with a detailed,
scaled landscaping plan
along with a shopping list
and detailed installation
instructions.
“Our primary focus is
plants,” Yost said. “We
can design walkways,
Please see Tilly, 22
Be Bold
Stop by or call for
an appointment with
our award-winning
designers. Begin the
process of designing
and building the
kitchen of your
dreams.
Glenview Showroom
1700 Glenview Rd
847.998.1552
DDK
Kitchen Design Group
Monday-Friday 10-6 Saturday and Sunday 12-4
www.ddkkitchens.com
Bring your color
wheel. Let’s find a
way to make your
dream kitchen a
reality. Choose
any paint, stain, or
even match
an heirloom. We love
a challenge.
Wilmette Showroom
400 N. Ridge
847.728.0823