WorkAboutServicesService AreasProcessContactSchedule a Consultation
Rare Landscapes

Luxury Landscape Design & Outdoor Living in Excelsior, MN

Rare Landscapes creates luxury landscape design and outdoor living spaces for homeowners in Excelsior, MN. We plan patios, pools, outdoor kitchens, fire features, structures, planting, and lighting around the property as a whole so the finished landscape feels connected to the home instead of assembled one piece at a time.

Founder Will Archuleta personally guides the design process, and 3D landscape planning helps homeowners understand layout, materials, scale, and major features before construction begins. Rare already serves Excelsior as part of its Lake Minnetonka service area.

Trust: 4.3 Google Rating · 24 reviews
Schedule a Landscape Design Consultation

Start Planning in Excelsior

Replies personally within 1 business day
Why Choose Us

Why Excelsior Homeowners Choose Rare Landscapes

Rare Landscapes uses a design-first process so major outdoor decisions are coordinated before construction begins. That matters on established properties where new features need to work with the home, existing landscape, available space, and the way homeowners already move through the property.

01

Founder-led

Work directly with Will Archuleta throughout planning and construction.

02

3D landscape design

Review the size and relationship of major outdoor features before building.

03

Whole-property planning

Pools, patios, kitchens, structures, planting, and lighting are coordinated together.

04

Architecture-aware design

New outdoor spaces are planned to feel appropriate beside the existing home.

05

High-end residential focus

Each plan responds to the specific property rather than starting with a standard backyard layout.

What we do

Landscape Design & Outdoor Living Services in Excelsior

Rare Landscapes designs complete outdoor environments for Excelsior homeowners, from focused patio projects to full backyard transformations.

01

3D Landscape Design

Custom outdoor living plans that help you see the space, layout, and details before the project begins.
02

Landscape Design

Custom landscape design that blends hardscape, planting, and premium materials into one cohesive outdoor living plan.
03

Custom Swimming Pools

Custom pool layouts, poolside patios, landscaping, lighting, and full backyard pool environments.
04

Patio Design & Installation

Paver patios, natural stone patios, poolside patios, and outdoor entertaining areas.
05

Decks

Maintenance-free decks, cedar decks, and premium wood options such as Ipe.
06

Pergolas & Pavilions

Outdoor structures that add shade, comfort, architecture, and year-round usability.
07

Retaining Walls

Block, boulder, and outcropping walls designed to shape the property and support the space.
08

Outdoor Kitchens & Bars

Custom outdoor cooking, dining, and entertaining areas.
09

Outdoor Living Design

Complete outdoor living plans that connect patios, kitchens, fire features, lighting, and more.
10

Fireplaces & Fire Pits

Fire features that create warmth, gathering space, and a natural focal point.
11

Driveways

Paver and concrete driveway solutions designed to complement the home and landscape.
12

Landscape Lighting

Outdoor LED and landscape lighting that brings the space to life after sunset.
13

Saunas

Custom sauna integrations for homeowners who want a private wellness-focused outdoor retreat.
14

Screened-in Porches

Three-season and four-season porches, including motorized screen solutions.
Our work

Outdoor Living Projects in & Around Excelsior

A strong outdoor living plan can give an established property new function without losing the features that already give it character.

Reviews

What Homeowners Say About Rare Landscapes

Homeowners trust Rare Landscapes for design-led outdoor living projects that feel personal, refined, and built around the property. Rated 4.3 stars across 24 Google reviews — browse every 5-star review below, or open the full list on Google.

★★★★★
Google

We recently worked with Will at Rare Landscapes to redesign and replace our old paver patio, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. Will created a beautiful patio design while also reusing our existing pavers, which helped us maintain our budget without sacrificing quality or appearance. What stood out most was how involved and communicative Will was throughout the entire project. Highly recommend Will and Rare Landscapes if you’re looking for creative design, professionalism, and great value.

Todd WhiteGoogle Review
★★★★★
Google

We had a dead lawn after we bought the place in winter. Bill came in with his crew, removed the lawn, took out the tree blocking the front of our wonderful home and installed class 5 to store our truck and boat. Fantastic work. On time, responsive, great quality work, great price, nice and professional crew.

Joey ReillyGoogle Review
★★★★★
Google

We had a great experience working with Bill and his team. Very professional work and the results were outstanding. Added a top level rock wall, modified existing steps to make safer and added more interesting curve and additional level, and replaced old stone walk way with nicely color contrasting pavers.

william gabbyGoogle Review
Read Google Reviews
Reviews

What Homeowners Say About Rare Landscapes

Get started

Planning an Outdoor Living Project in Excelsior?

A smaller or established property still benefits from a complete plan. Rare Landscapes can organize the patio, kitchen, fire feature, planting, structures, and circulation before individual features compete for limited space.

Start Your Landscape Design
Who we design for

Landscape Design for Excelsior Homes & Lifestyles

01

Owners of Established Homes

Existing patios, mature planting, walls, and older hardscape may still have value even when the overall yard no longer works. Rare Landscapes can build a new design around the elements worth keeping and create a clearer plan for what should change.

02

Homeowners With Smaller Premium Lots

Excelsior properties do not always need estate-scale acreage to support high-end outdoor living. Careful placement can create separate dining, cooking, gathering, and planting zones without making the backyard feel crowded.

03

Lake-Oriented Homeowners

For properties influenced by Lake Minnetonka, the layout can respond to views, outdoor gathering, privacy, access, and the visual relationship between the home and landscape.

04

Families Who Entertain Outdoors

Rare Landscapes can organize outdoor kitchens, patios, fire features, covered structures, and seating so one area supports another rather than creating several isolated destinations.

Local design

What We Consider When Designing Landscapes in Excelsior

01

Working Within Established Properties

Competitors ranking in Excelsior emphasize established neighborhoods, historic homes, lakefront settings, and more compact properties. NRD, for example, specifically positions its Excelsior work around established neighborhoods and lakefront conditions.

That makes scale especially important. Patios, planting, fire features, and structures need to fit the property without overwhelming the home or consuming the entire yard.

02

Privacy, Views & Outdoor Rooms

Smaller lots can put neighboring properties closer to outdoor living areas. Planting, screens, walls, and carefully positioned structures can help create privacy while still keeping the backyard open and comfortable.

03

Mature Trees & Existing Landscape Character

Excelsior's planning documents emphasize preserving lakes, wetlands, trees, and historic character as meaningful community assets.

On individual properties, existing trees and established planting can become part of the new design rather than automatically being replaced.

04

Connecting Multiple Uses in Less Space

An outdoor kitchen needs a relationship to dining. A fire feature needs space around seating. A patio needs circulation back to the home. 3D landscape planning helps organize those relationships before the available space is committed.

About Excelsior

Living in Excelsior, Minnesota

Excelsior's identity is closely tied to Lake Minnetonka, its historic downtown, and its public lakefront. Local entities include Water Street, Excelsior Commons, the Port of Excelsior, and the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail, which passes through the community. City materials also emphasize the importance of lakes, wetlands, trees, and historic assets to Excelsior's character.

The relationship between downtown streets, the regional trail, public spaces, and Lake Minnetonka makes Excelsior one of the lake area's most distinctly walkable communities.

Excelsior, Minnesota
Where we work

Serving Excelsior & the Lake Minnetonka Area

Rare Landscapes serves Excelsior and surrounding residential communities throughout Lake Minnetonka and the west metro.

MoundMinnetristaOronoWayzataExcelsiorMedinaLong LakeMinnetonka BeachTonka BayShorewoodDeephavenGreenwoodMinnetonkaPlymouthChanhassen
Open in Google Maps
3D Landscape Design

See Your Excelsior Landscape Before Construction

3D landscape design is especially useful when an established property needs several new features to work within a defined footprint. Rare Landscapes can visualize patios, outdoor kitchens, structures, fire areas, planting, and circulation together before construction begins.

3D landscape design rendering by Rare Landscapes
Explore Our 3D Design Process
Questions

Landscape Design in Excelsior, MN FAQs

Rare Landscapes provides landscape design and outdoor living services including 3D design, custom pools, patios, outdoor kitchens, fire features, retaining walls, landscape lighting, pergolas, pavilions, saunas, screened porches, and complete backyard planning.
Yes. Existing trees, patios, walls, walkways, and planting can all be evaluated as part of a new master plan. The goal is to determine what still supports the property and how new improvements can fit around it.
Yes. A smaller property can still support distinct cooking, dining, gathering, and planting areas when the space is carefully planned. Scale and circulation become especially important when several functions need to share one backyard.
Yes. Rare Landscapes uses 3D landscape design to show homeowners how the major outdoor elements will fit together before the project is built.
Start with a consultation about your property, priorities, desired features, and how you want to use the space. From there, Rare Landscapes develops the design before estimating and construction planning begin.
Get in touch

Start Your Landscape Design Project in Excelsior

Contact Rare Landscapes to plan an outdoor environment that fits your Excelsior home, available space, and the way you want to live outside. Work directly with Will Archuleta to develop the design and see the major features in 3D before construction.

Location: Mound, Minnesota
Schedule ConsultationCall 952-258-3553

Start Planning in Excelsior

Replies personally within 1 business day