Purcell and Elmslie set the house thirty feet behind the front property line, conserving a sense of privacy for its inhabitants and allowing them to look over their neighbors’ gardens to their north and south, rather than through their windows. Likewise, the Purcells and the neighbors could enjoy the home's front garden, created in collaboration with landscape architect Harry Franklin Baker, including a reflecting pool with water plants and small fountain, and native plants and trees. The back porch overlooked the Lake of the Isles, where the Purcells could enjoy a secluded natural haven in the center of Minneapolis, in concordance with Prairie School ideals.