Stonework for estates & gardens
Led by stonemason Emily Shepherd, Stonefruit creates custom stonework for gardens and estates. Based in the Triangle, we serve Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and distinctive properties beyond.
A true estate is rich in stones: flagstones, field stones, bluestones, quoin stones, river rock, creek rock, boulders, cobbles, slabs, setts, sills, and lintels. A flagstone patio can be luxe yet worn-in like leather. A stone retaining wall can be a pleasure to the artist’s eye.
The Earth bears fruit in the form of stones and pushes them into the sunlight every spring. Stones make topography for mighty mountains, stones make the sinuosity of the deepest canyons, and stones make habitat for the most delicate mosses. The home is the heart, and a stone pathway is the artery of a well-loved manor.
Featured work
Duke Gardens-Style Patio
Each massive stone in this 350-square-foot Chapel Hill patio was hand-fit without mortar, a detailed geometric puzzle of flagstone and boulder designed to create seamless joints and lasting strength.
Chapel Hill
Elliptical Patio and Retaining Wall
This Durham patio was designed around two symmetrical ellipses. The curved brickwork follows the natural topography, blending structure with landscape, and showcasing precise, custom stone and brick detailing.
Durham
Meditation Garden
This Raleigh pathway project features a shift from order to organic form, blending function, symbolism, and design. Distinct gravel textures meet and merge, framed by brick edging that intentionally fades, as if time itself is softening its boundaries. Subtle details, like scattered bricks and a small patio beneath the bird feeders, turn the space into both a meditative walk and a living installation within the landscape.
Raleigh
Boulder Installation
Boulder placement is part art, part geology. Each stone has a natural grain, and setting it well means reading those lines, angles, and layers until the arrangement feels inevitable. These Chapel Hill boulder installations are buried partly below ground and oriented to the landscape, balancing peaks, and shadow, so the boulders appear not added, but uncovered.
Chapel Hill
Flagstone Pathway with Brick Edging
This Durham flagstone and brick pathway extends from the front porch to the street. The new design adds curb appeal, featuring a custom step with a hand-cut brick leaf pattern.
Durham
Reclaimed Brick Pathway
A new life for 300 salvaged chimney bricks. We adapted a homeowner’s original idea to develop this Durham brick pathway for functional drainage and stability, resulting in a durable walkway that stays clean and easy to navigate.
Durham
Testimonials
“Emily not only immediately grasped what I was trying to do on the landscaping level, she strongly related to the spiritual aspects of the work, and went on to make several suggestions that were perfectly in tune with the overall themes.”
—owner, Raleigh meditation garden
“We’re so happy with our beautiful patio. It’s wonderful to be able to sit outside and enjoy the space. We highly recommend Emily and Stonefruit Construction Co. for work that is not only beautiful, but structurally sound and well-designed.”
—owner, Durham garden patio
Built on tradition
Stonefruit’s work is grounded in study, observation, and practice. Under the mentorship of master mason Brooks Burleson, Emily refined her understanding of structure, balance, and the dialogue between stone and setting. Their work together has included large-format projects such as a dry stack retaining wall in Hillsborough and a reclaimed millstone patio at Duke Gardens, both built with the precision and care that define this tradition.
Contact
stonefruitconstructionco@gmail.com
(913) 907-6077
