GardenWise’s Second August Episode of CURB APPEAL
It’s a busy month for GardenWise as Mark is featured in his second episode of CURB APPEAL this month, airing on HGTV on Saturday, August 15th at 7PM.
In this program, Mark creates a more classic look for homeowners Matt and Chris who wanted to put their own stamp on their home with a more open and welcoming approach. Mark replaced the dated and uninspired entrance with a bold and broad open staircase that leads directly to the front door. By adding a small landing at the top of the first staircase, Chris and Matt were able to add a bench to create an intimate and gracious seating area.
The staircase continues to a new front door, and a new flagstone porch and stair treads that are highlighted by a decorative wrought iron railing. Furnari Iron Works did an excellent job bringing life to Mark’s iron work design which adds sophistication and elegance to the home. Mark also created a shade garden, that includes a lot of woodland planting. Other design elements include additional hardscape features and new retaining walls, additional landscaping, flanking piers, and new decorative lighting.
This episode was great fun to shoot as Mark’s real life clients Matt and Chris are a pleasure to work with, and Mark had the chance to bring Matt to his own home to see the different types of flowers and plants that thrive in the Washington, D.C.-area. If you look closely, you’ll see a souvenir Mark picked up from an earlier trip to Greece — a cast! Mark injured his foot in a motorcycle accident, and this episode was shot a few weeks after his surgery.
Here’s an inside scoop for this episode — Mark reached out to popular Washington, D.C.-area architect Dwight McNeill, AIA, who met with the homeowners to go over choices for the exterior color palette. Dwight’s taste is unmatched, and he saved the day by giving Chris and Matt the exact color combinations they hoped to find, which were used in the episode. To see more of Dwight’s work, check out this feature story from Better Homes & Gardens http://morris-day.com/publications/SavedByGrace-BetterHomes.pdf and his web site, http://dwightmcneill.com/
Below is the GardenWise, Inc. plan for the Curb Appeal of it all, as well as before and after pictures.