26 / matters magazine / spring 2026
O
n any given day, Antho­
ny and Melanie Cor­
tese, the husband-and-
wife team behind Split 
Rock Design, a Maple­
wood-based landscape 
design firm, might be 
walking through a backyard – studying the slope 
of the land or imagining how a patio could con­
nect a home to the outdoors.
“Our work has always centered on helping 
homeowners see what’s possible,” Anthony says. 
“Recently, we’ve begun experimenting with a new 
tool to support that process – artificial intelligence.”
For many small business owners, AI may feel 
like something happening somewhere else – inside 
big tech companies or global corporations. But in 
quiet, practical ways, these tools are beginning to 
show up in everyday work. At Split Rock Design, 
that exploration is already taking shape.
“Clients often come to us with a vision, but 
they don’t always know how to picture what it 
could actually look like,” Melanie says.
AI can be incredibly helpful when it comes to 
refining ideas. “With a simple prompt, it can gen­
erate an image that brings our design concepts to 
life – not as a finished plan but as a starting point,” 
Anthony says.
Melanie and Anthony are using AI to generate 
visuals that show how a space might evolve over 
time. “A newly planted tree line, for example, can 
be imagined five or even 10 years out,” Melanie 
says. “It helps clients understand not just what 
their yard will look like today but how it will grow 
and change.”
But that visualization doesn’t replace the design 
process. It follows it. From fence styles to deck col­
ors to outdoor furniture arrangements, the couple 
is testing materials, finishes and layouts before 
anything is finalized. “Once a concept is grounded 
in real-world conditions and thoughtfully planned 
out, AI becomes a way for us to bring those details 
to life, helping our clients better understand the 
choices in front of them,” Melanie says.
Anthony sees AI as just a tool. “It can help with 
concepts,” he says. “But the real value comes from 
understanding the property and the client. Experi­
ence is what turns those ideas into something that 
actually works.”
Local regulations vary from town to town. “Ev­
ery municipality is different, and not everything 
is documented online,” Anthony says. “That’s also 
where years of experience come in.”
The balance between what AI can generate and 
what real-world experience requires continues to 
shape how these tools are being used. That balance 
is something Mike Skara often sees in the class­
room.
As an instructor at the South Orange-Ma­
plewood Adult School, where he’s been teaching 
since 1997, Skara leads classes such as AI Tools for 
AI, 
Right Here in SOMA
Small business owners keep their work human while taking advantage of the new tech
BY AMY LYNN-CRAMER
Anthony and Melanie Cortese with their family. The 
couple run Split Rock Design and use AI to help their 
clients visualize landscape designs.
Left: A back yard installation in progress by Split Rock Design. Right: An AI-generated image to help homeowners visual­
ize new landscaping in the newly-created planting bed. Split Rock Design specified the plants based on their expertise.

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