Often when we visit our clients’ homes, we notice they are underutilizing their backyard. More specifically, many homeowners are only using the space directly surrounding their home. Whether they have a front porch, rear patio or outside kitchen, the space being occupied is generally the area under the home’s roof. While this is a nice way to spend time outdoors protected from the elements, the desire to get into the yard is shared by many. Defining the home’s style and considering the flow is of upmost importance when enhancing to your landscape. That’s where Exterior Designs comes in! We want to see our clients using every square inch of their yard, but doing so in style and with purpose. Checkout some of our latest pergola designs and the inspiration behind them. Pergolas Come in Many Styles No wonder the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) listed pergolas as…
Guest article by Ali Sanderson. Photo by Fauzan Saari on Unsplash. Why Faking the Lawn is Worth the Trouble New Orleans set a new record with a temperature of 96 degrees in May 2018 according to the National Weather Service. Tending to your lawn in hot temperatures that come with humid warm air is not anywhere close to pleasant. However, people do spend several hours a week keeping their lawns immaculately manicured so that their grass is always greener than the other side. The reward is people constantly pausing at front lawns just to take a look and some even bending to touch the grass. So it’s not hard to imagine why a “veteran natural lawn-maintainer” would look down on people who go the easy route with synthetic turf. Artificial grass is cheaper to maintain Artificial grass or synthetic grass is simply an outdoor carpet that looks…
Mardi Gras in New Orleans is all about letting loose and celebrating a good time with friends and family. During carnival season, everyone becomes family! One of the families well known here in the City is the Randazzo’s – they are known for their world-famous king cakes. Their family recipe has been a New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition for decades. Exterior Designs wouldn’t be a true New Orleans designer without having a hand in a local legend’s landscape. We renovated the Randazzo Bakery store front in Metairie, LA by creating a Mardi Gras theme that continues year round. By selecting annuals that bloom in purple and gold, Mardi Gras colors are repeated throughout the landscape. We wanted to protect customers on those rainy days our city is known for, so we included a colorful awning that runs the length of the…