Colman Domingo's Mid-Century Modern Garden Shows Why It's Time To Replace The Lawn with Elegant, Low-Maintenance Gravel
The actor's former LA home uses a clever alternative to grass for simple, easy-to-maintain hardscaping – these are the lessons we're replicating
Gone are the days of the uniform lawn. In 2026, homeowners are opting for lower maintenance options, from wild clover to stone walls to biodiverse greenery. Colman Domingo's former home in the Northeast Downey neighborhood of Los Angeles presents an alternative: the gravel front yard.
The Euphoria actor took to Instagram to share an image of his gorgeous mid-century modern home as it hit the market earlier this year.
Known as The Hofkin residence, Colman's pool estate was built in 1964 by the architect Jules Salkin with Wrightian principles in mind. His single-story property emphasized horizontality, natural materials, and a seamless connection to the outdoors, which features a clever balance between greenery and hardscaping. Colman's post shows a front yard defined by a large tree, full of gravel and slate rather than traditional grass.
In the heat of California, the desert modernist design is the perfect choice to keep his landscaping both simple and stylish. As traditional lawns fade from favor, Colman's design is only growing more popular.
To explore, Homes & Gardens spoke with an expert about the rise of gravel gardens and how any homeowner can create a stylish outdoor space. We also curated an edit of the plants and accessories we spotted in Colman's front yard, to make it easy for you to shop the look.
Recreate Colman's Look at Home
A gravel garden is a practical and low-maintenance option to include in a sunny, weed-free, and well-drained position. It can perfectly set off drought-tolerant planting and can complement other hard surfaces.
Japanese Boxwoods are low maintenance, and provide structure and formality over a long period for gorgeous privacy planting. They are a fantastic option for garden novices and make great privacy screens when planted together.
Slate stones are one of the most stylish ways to upgrade your back yard and add some interesting texture to your greenery. These pretty, irregular ones come at a great price.
This premium windmill palm tree is carefully grown and shipped by experienced nursery professionals to ensure top quality. Cold-hardy and adaptable, it thrives in USDA zones 7-11, making it a versatile choice for many climates.
These solar-powered lights are the perfect way to keep your pathway lit for late-night walks and dining. The subtle shape will blend in well with any plants you choose. Their curved shape is similar to the ones in Colman Domingo's former front yard.
A well-positioned tree can completely transform your front yard, and these white birch trees add just the right amount of style to the outdoors. They are sculptural and gorgeous.
According to Google data, searches for 'gravel garden ideas' have risen by over 504% in the past year, indicating that in an increasingly dry climate, this grass alternative becomes a popular choice. RHS Gold-medal-winning landscaper Gareth Wilson explains that this comes down to a desire for visual interest and sustainability.
He explains: 'What we’re seeing is a real appreciation for mixed textures and aggregate blends – not just for looks, but for function. Contrasting shades – whether it’s light and dark stone, or the interplay between soft planting and hard landscaping – help people read a garden more easily and add a contemporary edge.'
A push for sustainable garden ideas also guides the shift towards home exteriors that look more like Colman's.
Gareth advises: 'There’s definitely a focus on creating gardens that use more regionally and locally-sourced materials. That has been a theme throughout all of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show exhibits, but clearly, that is then going to translate into everyday life. An aspect of sustainable landscaping gaining attention is the use of water-permeable surfaces – a practical response to growing concerns about water run-off and flash flooding. These materials, which allow rainwater to soak into the ground rather than overwhelming drainage systems, are increasingly being incorporated into RHS garden designs.'
Luckily, Colman Domingo's complex-looking method of landscaping with gravel is easier to recreate than you might think.
Grace Thornton, Domestic Landscaping at Marshalls Plc, advises: 'Gravel gardens can be achieved in a variety of ways, be that through small sections of gravel spread over the space, or a total revamp that predominantly uses gravel as a base. However, whichever option you go for, you won't have to sacrifice nature and plants in your landscape. If you just want to bring gravel into sections of your garden, consider the likes of lawn edging to help contain the stones and keep the garden tidy and contained. Garden walling can also be a great choice for containing gravel and flower beds, it’s just good to try and stay cohesive with your material colour schemes to tie the space together.'
She continues: 'In landscaping, gravel is mostly ideal for pathways as they can be laid into any shape to weave around your space or the side of your home, using edging as mentioned above to keep it neat. It’s also good for near your property doors and windows, as the sound of steps on gravel can alert you to visitors and even unwanted intruders. The problem with gravel is that it’s not a good base for furniture if you want to entertain in your garden, so it might be an idea to keep a solid patio for when you dine or relax outside, but use gravel as pathways, edging, or detail.'
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