We started with an exposed aggregate PORCH, luckily, it was a low enough that Todd could come in and cap it. To cap it Todd started with the turned down tiles. They fabricate those turndowns in the Louisville underground in a controlled environment, which means they're very, very strong. Those tiles allowed to him to make that 90 degree turn all in one piece and keep it thin enough to where it makes sense. It works because of the strength of the product.
Eric would like to talk about the STEPS because they are another example of Hartstone custom work. We could go to a stone store or a paver store and buy things that we could make steps out of but there's no way to just pick up something like this off the shelf. When one goes to a store or a stone distributor you must take what they offer. These steps had to be built to size.
And now we've got the WALL which really ties everything together. In fact, in many ways it's given the home an even more grand appearance. Todd has added beautiful cap stones to the top of the wall which really helps tie all these elements together.
Eric would like to talk about the the MATERIAL Todd used in the turn-downs, steps and wall caps. If he wasn't familiar with the materials Todd has used, as he walked up the steps he would think that we're looking at an old world European cut limestone material. It really has that feel. It has character, it has some pitting and some variance to it but it's 6500 to 7000 psi cast stone.
Eric meets TK. We're on the BACK PORCH and this is an amazing wide-open space with some great borrowed views. TK has done an outstanding job with the furniture and Eric would love to know when TK first comes in and looks at a space what's going through her mind, what is she thinking about as a designer to make this space feel like home and to really make it match its surroundings? The first thing TK likes to think about is what the family will be doing here?
Here we are right off of the living room and the dining room, so she wanted to extend those two areas to the outdoors. So, on one side of the porch she was able to make a really generous and beautiful LIVING ROOM SETTING, then on the other side of the porch tied it to the DINING ROOM providing an extra outdoor eating area where they can enjoy the fresh air and enjoy the beautiful views. So, in order to tie these two areas together she carried a color theme throughout.
One of the architectural features of this home that Eric thinks is really neat is the little BALCONY that's right off the master bedroom. It's not just decorative it's a very functional balcony.
Eric feels that TK has really shown off the versatility of what one can do with an outdoor space. It goes way beyond the furniture, having something to sit on or something to set a drink on. She's really made this look like a true extension of the indoors and much of that can be attributed to the really neat ACCESSORIES she brought in, the throw pillows, the rugs. Eric would like for TK to talk about that a little bit. The nice extra textures and colors that the pillows bring in can really tell the color story.
The FRONT PORCH is perhaps one of the most beloved American outdoor living spaces. Think about all the memories we have throughout life from the time that we spent out on our front porch. At this home they built a beautiful and expansive, very, very generous front porch. It has high ceilings and a lot of space.
Chris, Leslie we're finally done. After weeks and weeks of contractors working together tirelessly all these different elements have come together. Eric thinks it turned out great. What do LESLIE AND CHRIS think? It's absolutely unbelievable, it's gorgeous, it blows their minds, it's more than anything they ever envisioned or could have imagined it being. All of the different aspects -from the beautiful hard-scape, the trees, the flowers, the flagstone, it's all just so much more than they ever imagined that it would be, it's gorgeous. They truly appreciate it more every day now that they've had an opportunity to take it all in.
In this episode, after lots of hard work, we put the finishing touches on our Louisville, Kentucky landscape design and installation project. And finally unveil it to the homeowners.
When installing a new landscape there are so many moving parts that must come together correctly to make sure the vision of the designer is carried out and ensure the hardscape and plantings are executed just right. We've had an amazing team working tirelessly on this site and the results are beautifully evident.
We start the show start by catching up with Todd Hart from Hartstone Tile. Todd has been a huge part of this project and his unique and beautifully designed hardscape is pivotal to this design.
Eric welcomes Todd back, it's great to see him. Todd returns the compliment, great to see Eric as well. Talking about the grand entryway to this home, there are so many different moving parts involved. We've had masons working here, we've had different designers, different contractors all working on getting these many pieces to come together. The entranceway really is the focal point of the home, it establishes what's going on with all the plant design and with many other aspects as well. What's happening here really sets the tone. And the beautiful custom pavers are ones Todd made just for this job. The pavers on the walkway and caps on the wall tie in beautifully with what we have on the porch.
We started with an exposed aggregate PORCH, luckily, it was a low enough that Todd could come in and cap it. To cap it Todd started with the turned down tiles. They fabricate those turndowns in the Louisville underground in a controlled environment, which means they're very, very strong. Those tiles allowed to him to make that 90 degree turn all in one piece and keep it thin enough to where it makes sense. It works because of the strength of the product. They can make the turn down tiles in many sizes but these are about 9-inches. Everything then feeds off of those 9-inch turndowns and it did turn out really, really well. Those turn down tiles were the first Eric has ever seen and they are super fascinating. It's basically a tile that's maybe an inch an a half thick that turns down 90 degrees so it covers the entire porch slab. When one looks from the driveway it looks like you have a giant 9-inch piece of cut limestone as the border of the porch. It works out really well, Todd uses it a lot on porches like this and as well on the upper decks of homes. They can produce it where it is as thin or as thick as it needs to be. It looks fantastic here.
Eric would like to talk about the STEPS because they are another example of Hartstone custom work. We could go to a stone store or a paver store and buy things that we could make steps out of but there's no way to just pick up something like this off the shelf. When one goes to a store or a stone distributor you must take what they offer. These steps had to be built to size. The architect designs them and Todd builds them exactly to the specs the designer wanted to showcase the grand entrance to this house. They're heavy, they will last a long time, there is no mortar, there's no veneering, there's nothing that can fail, it's kind of old school but it's really the correct way to do it right. And think about what was needed here from an architectural standpoint. If we had just incorporated some basic wooden steps it wouldn't match the scope and size of this home. The entry way is introducing a very open area. It's a large home, so we needed steps that basically feed all the way out to the driveway. These have the correct weight and are the correct size.
And now we've got the WALL which really ties everything together. In fact, in many ways it's given the home an even more grand appearance. Todd has added beautiful cap stones to the top of the wall which really helps tie all these elements together. The weight and the feel of these steps pulls one's eye up and as you look up you don't want to see anything thin on a house this size, they would look totally out of sync. So, these are architecturally driven, the turn-downs help predicate what size we're going to use and then the wall caps and the column caps fit all of this so it flows and works all the way down to the driveway. It turned out really well, it really did.
Eric would like to talk about the the MATERIAL Todd used in the turn-downs, steps and wall caps. If he wasn't familiar with the materials Todd has used, as he walked up the steps he would think that we're looking at an old world European cut limestone material. It really has that feel. It has character, it has some pitting and some variance to it but it's 6500 to 7000 psi cast stone. Normally, it's a wet cast or a dry cast Todd feels like they're somewhere in between because they get their texture from how dry they pour it, so it provides a look and feel of a natural stone which is what Todd was after when they made it. Each piece is handmade, hand fabricated, nothing's machine produced. Eric concurs, these pieces definitely have that authentic hand-crafted look. And they are such an important part of making all of this come together. The stones are the design element that everything else is playing off of. And everything fits, even the size of the column caps. The column caps are made to match the face of the steps, so it just kind of all flows and then flows down to the driveway where they bordered the driveway with it so it is really impressive when you pull up. It absolutely is, a great job Todd.
One of the fun finishing touches of this project is the elegant outdoor furniture. Great outdoor furniture can transform a space from something ordinary into something stunning that beckons visitors to sit down, get comfortable, and enjoy the day. TK Wismer is a talented designer with a real eye for outdoor rooms and she talks us through her vision for our outdoor spaces.
Eric meets TK. We're on the BACK PORCH and this is an amazing wide-open space with some great borrowed views. TK has done an outstanding job with the furniture and Eric would love to know when TK first comes in and looks at a space what's going through her mind, what is she thinking about as a designer to make this space feel like home and to really make it match its surroundings? The first thing TK likes to think about is what the family will be doing here? What makes sense for the function of this area?
Here we are right off of the living room and the dining room, so she wanted to extend those two areas to the outdoors. So, on one side of the porch she was able to make a really generous and beautiful LIVING ROOM SETTING, then on the other side of the porch tied it to the DINING ROOM providing an extra outdoor eating area where they can enjoy the fresh air and enjoy the beautiful views. So, in order to tie these two areas together she carried a color theme throughout. Even though it's kind of mixed and matched with different furniture and the different tones it still provides a cohesive look to the entire area. Eric notes that TK has really created two very distinct rooms with a little bit of a foyer in between. It has a wonderful living space and then of course an outdoor dining space. Eric would like to talk a little bit about the furniture because he thinks she has done a really great job of matching the surroundings, making everything look like it fits here, plus it's an extension of the indoors. The first thing TK wanted to do was to make sure that she chose furniture that's going to look good today but also a few years from now. And, that's why she went with the Bahama's line. It is wonderful durable furniture, everything is solution dyed, they have aluminum frames that are hand-woven. It has the durability to last. Even though we're lucky enough to have this nice covered setting the furniture could be right out in the elements if needed. That's important. And, comfort is a big thing, these are huge deep seats, and the cushions don't sink when you sit down. It's a wonderful set of furniture.
The same goes for the dining area. TK likes the soft look of wicker, but remembers that old wicker that cracked and kind of ended up looking mangy after a few seasons. This furniture is built to last, one cannot crack this wicker. The beautiful table has a look of reclaimed wood which is such a hot item right now but the beauty of this is it doesn't continue to deteriorate the way reclaimed pieces might. It's important to remember with outdoor furniture, not all furniture belongs outdoors. Find something that is durable, something that's going to last, something that will withstand the test of time. Another element that Eric really likes in this design is there's almost a mix and match of furniture but they are tied together with the blue themes and that's kind of the way we design interiors, which is also the way that we design gardens. We'll have all these different elements but we're looking for themes that tie the different parts of the garden together. TK has done a great job of doing that here. TK strives to create interest, you don't want to look at everything that's just so matchy-matchy, it's kind of like - Oh let's look over here, it draws ones eye around to the different areas. As Eric said it's the same way in the garden if everything were just one-color, or one flower it wouldn't be as interesting as a mix. So, that's why she tried to stay in the same tones and make it somewhat cohesive but even the dish ware is mixed and matched, everything's kind of a collection which is what we like to do inside, we don't buy the whole set any more we have a well curated collection in our home. That translates to the outdoors as well.
One of the architectural features of this home that Eric thinks is really neat is the little BALCONY that's right off the master bedroom. It's not just decorative it's a very functional balcony. Eric loves what TK has done with the furniture on the balcony. It really gives the homeowners an extension of that bedroom. Eric asks TK to tell him about her thought process with that area. It was a usable area, kind of an intimate space right off the bedroom, somewhere you get away to read a book or have a cup of tea in the evening, even coffee in the morning. TK wanted something that was just a small setting, but something that was highly functional as well. So, she actually took chairs from the same coalfax line used on the back porch. That way if they have a large gathering they can pull those chairs back over to the porch space. So, the dual use is a nice feature.
Eric feels that TK has really shown off the versatility of what one can do with an outdoor space. It goes way beyond the furniture, having something to sit on or something to set a drink on. She's really made this look like a true extension of the indoors and much of that can be attributed to the really neat ACCESSORIES she brought in, the throw pillows, the rugs. Eric would like for TK to talk about that a little bit. The nice extra textures and colors that the pillows bring in can really tell the color story. Importantly with outdoor settings in terms of accessories TK likes to go larger in scale because it's windy and active in these areas so she didn't want a lot of little trinkets that were going to get tossed around. Instead she went with kind of bigger heavier items that can withstand the elements. As well, she likes to consider additional lighting sources. She loves working with candles and lanterns so brought those out here just to have some mood lighting in addition to what's going on overhead. Also, this is a family space so thought a basket of games and a big generous coffee table to throw a bunch of toys on and play in this area would be fun as well.
Then she added some art out here. She basically took outdoor fabric and put it on a frame and it will stand up to the elements. You can do that with coordinating fabrics used in the pillows or anything like that. The rugs are all indoor-outdoor use so you don't have to worry about them getting wet and never drying which many of us have experienced if you've ever put a rug outside that doesn't belong there. Then in the dining area, again just kind of mixing and matching and carrying the color story on to that area. Even the pillows are all mix-match but you might not notice it at first until you take a closer look and realize it's just a play on different patterns and textures. Kind of keeps it visually exciting.
The FRONT PORCH is perhaps one of the most beloved American outdoor living spaces. Think about all the memories we have throughout life from the time that we spent out on our front porch. At this home they built a beautiful and expansive, very, very generous front porch. It has high ceilings and a lot of space. Eric really likes the way TK laid this out. From a furniture design standpoint what did TK think about, how did she envision the way that the space was going to be used. The first consideration really is function. She didn't want the walkways to be obstructed, wanted the area to have a nice flow but then to provide plenty of extra seating areas that would allow folks to get away. Looking out at the scenery, watching the sunset, kind of coming outside after dinner, enjoying dessert outdoors, all those were the kind of things she thought the family might be doing out here and wanted to design areas for those activities. But also, when you pull up to this house it's such a beautiful front grand entry and TK loves the contrast of the white home with the dark doors and wanted to pick furniture that mimicked that look. So she chose natural stone dark table tops that tie those areas together. But she also wanted the furniture to blend a little bit with the front porch, furniture that didn't take away from the look of the house, she didn't want a few pieces standing out when you first come up. So she chose furniture that has a nice weathered, kind of washed look. The aluminum frames are hand-painted to look distressed and really add a subtle element out front. It's a very thoughtful design, we have wonderful views of the garden which is beautiful. TK has created two intimate spaces that are distinctly different from each other which means there are now two whole new rooms that are an addition to this home. Eric really loves the way TK put this together. Thank you. TK thinks the area on the right would be an area that a group of people could gather while the area on the left is set up for more of an intimate gathering, just two people kind of enjoying a glass of wine or whatever after dinner. So, two different areas that provide a lot of extra seating and a lot of extra outdoor living opportunities.
Our homeowners have been so patient through the weeks its taken to transform their space into something that is not only beautiful, but particularly well suited for their family and the way they love to entertain. After the long wait its time to show Chris and Leslie the finished product.
Chris, Leslie we're finally done. After weeks and weeks of contractors working together tirelessly all these different elements have come together. Eric thinks it turned out great. What do LESLIE AND CHRIS think? It's absolutely unbelievable, it's gorgeous, it blows their minds, it's more than anything they ever envisioned or could have imagined it being. All of the different aspects -from the beautiful hard-scape, the trees, the flowers, the flagstone, it's all just so much more than they ever imagined that it would be, it's gorgeous. They truly appreciate it more every day now that they've had an opportunity to take it all in. It's just really amazing. It's been such an incredible journey starting with just that sheet of paper that was sitting on the kitchen counter. Looking at a plan which was in one dimension, it can be hard to see exactly what the designer has in mind. Taking the ideas that they had for the way they wanted to use their space, showing it on paper, then translating that onto what is basically a barren piece of dirt. How was that experience for them starting from that initial discussion then seeing what is here right now? It really was a tremendous process to watch unfold, to see just a mound of dirt transformed now into this gorgeous, lovely garden, it's a beautiful undertaking they've seen come together and now to be able to just sit back and enjoy it. It has been amazing to witness all these different little pieces and the different points in time. There have often been 20 to 30 different people on site, all working on different components but all referencing back to that master plan. And that's how everything was able to come together in a very cohesive manner. Now we have these whimsical little paths that go between all these different outdoor rooms, they all kind of feed into this grand entryway that is gorgeous. It's completely in scale with the house, very architecturally appropriate, some pieces were custom built for this application. The outdoor living spaces provide several additional living rooms as well as an additional dining room. It's really neat, it is unbelievable, it's like each space is its own little room that you go in and you appreciate the different aspects of that space, that inpidual space. It really does provide an opportunity to entertain differently, it's an opportunity when you have people over to just appreciate the different aspects of all that's gone into putting this together. Each one allows you to enjoy the area that's been put together but then importantly appreciate the garden in so many different ways, from the different perspectives from where you can look at it and the spaces that have been created to do that. Eric thanks Leslie and Chris for sharing their home with GardenSMART and for letting us invade their space. He's sure they're probably glad to see all the contractors gone, not in their front yard anymore, Eric is really excited for them both. We'll have to come back in a year or so and see how everything's grown in. We're just really glad that you guys love it. Chris and Leslie appreciated all the workers and there were a lot of them and all the work that went into it this landscape installation. The workers were actually very nice to have around. But they do invite GardenSMART back any time.
We've had so much fun tackling a garden from bare ground to a beautiful finished paradise. And we've learned so much about what it takes to build a successful garden that will last. But there is always more to learn so join us next week for more great gardening tips and ideas as we GardenSMART.
By Delilah Onofrey, Suntory Flowers
Photographs courtesy of Suntory Flowers
Planting annual beds of flowers, especially those that are bred to take the summer heat, thereby extending their glory into fall makes a lot of sense.
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