Just outside of downtown Dexter is the home of Mike & Erin Penn. The local couple completely renovated the inside of their duplex home, converting it into a single-family home just in time for the arrival of their first baby boy.
Mike and Erin submitted a video to “Desperate Landscapes” in an effort to win a nationwide contest to have their yard made over on DIY Network’s annual one-hour special of “Desperate Landscapes.”
Jason Cameron, host of Desperate Landscapes, credited the couples’ great personalities as one of the reasons they were chosen for the $25,000 project. In addition, the unique layout of the space was a project the show had never done before.
Watch the complete transformation, which will air on Wednesday, July 13 on the DIY Network.
Readers of AnnArbor.com were asked to vote for the Best Nursery/Garden Store in Washtenaw County. After a week of voting, The Potting Shed, in Chelsea, Michigan, was crowned champion. Abbott’s Landscape Nursery and Garden Center in Ann Arbor took 2nd and Pot & Box, a new Ann Arbor business, was took third place overall.
The Potting Shed is an antique shop located in the vibrant, historic downtown Chelsea. Known as a place where you can find vintage collectibles and contemporary treasures, The Potting Shed features vintage linens, antique furnishings, garden ware, birdhouses, handmade bath and body items and handcrafted herbal wreaths.
This week “Best Of” is looking to find the Best Bridal Shop in Washtenaw County. Cast your vote on AnnArbor.com for a chance to win a $50 gift card to a local bridal shop.
A majority of home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a home based on its curb appeal. Landscape designer, Micheal Glassman, provides 6 tips for guaranteed curb appeal.
- Add splashes of color. With every changing season, a landscape should provide a new display of colors, textures, and fragrances. “It’s best to use one or two and repeat them,” Glassman says. Example: white iceberg roses that bloom in spring, summer, and fall as a backdrop; in front, a contrasting punch of purple salvia or lavender that will flower at the same time; and as an accent, a crape myrtle tree that provides changing leaf colors in fall and interesting branches come winter.
- Size trees and shrubs to scale. These should be planted in the right scale for the house so that they don’t block windows, doors, and other architectural features on the home’s facade. A large two-story house can handle a redwood, Chinese pistache, sycamore, or scarlet oak, but a one-story cottage is better paired with a flowering cherry, crabapple, or eastern redbud. Too many trees cast too much shadow and cause potential buyers to worry about maintenance and costs.
- Maintain a perfect lawn. A velvety green lawn demonstrates tender loving care, so be sure sellers’ homes don’t have brown spots. Some rocks, pebbles, boulders, drought-tolerant plants, and ornamental grasses will generate more kudos, especially in drought areas.
- Light up the outside. Good illumination allows buyers to see a home at night and adds drama. Sellers should use low-voltage lamps to highlight branches of specimen trees, a front door, walk, and corners of the house. But less is better. The yard should not resemble an airport runway.
- Let them hear the water. The sound of water appeals to buyers, and you should not just reserve this for your backyard. A small fountain accented with rocks provides a pleasant gurgling sound, blocks street noise, and is affordable.
- Use decorative architectural elements. A new mailbox, planted window boxes, and a low fence wrapped in potato vines add cachet, particularly during winter months when fewer plants blossom. Colors should complement the landscape and home. Just don’t overdo it: too much can seem like kitschy lawn ornaments.
Source: RealtorMag
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