Southern-Style Ideas for Southern Living

The 2012 Southern Living Idea House is a place where visitors can be inspired by eye-catching style, design and décor. Simply put, ideas for the home abound in every corner. One look at the house from afar is a quick tell-tale that many experts had a hand in renovating the former farmhouse to what is now a breath-taking home that exudes a true sense of southern living.

From its very framework and well-designed architecture to the lush landscape and grounds to an elegant yet comfortable interior, the Idea House seems to have been a labor of love. A talented design team, generous sponsors, Southern Living and Time, Inc. staff members, and many others have created an absolute must-see experience not to be missed.

Through the end of the year when the house closes its doors to visitors, our team at ECPR will be featuring many of the participating companies in a blog article series that will be linked to various home, garden, design, and mainstream media outlets. It is our hope that our readers, followers, and the media members for whom we write, will come to know the house and appreciate the many obvious contributions as much as we do.

We begin our Southern Living Idea House blog series with Robert Martin, Vice President and Head Residential Designer, at Get More Curb Appeal, LLC. He was kind enough to spend some time telling us about his company and what this year’s Idea House involvement has meant to him and his colleagues.

Photo Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Robert’s company created the breath-taking beds, borders and other planted areas surrounding this year’s house. Their design and installation allows regional and native plants to greet visitors to the house with a welcoming combination of green foliage and blooming flowers. Read on, and see what Robert has to say…

ECPR: What is your role at Get More Curb Appeal?

Robert Martin: I design the exterior renovation portion of our services, per our client’s responses to our questionnaire (their likes, dislikes, and desired results of their home makeover). I also make product and paint color recommendations based upon what’s appropriate to the style of each client’s home.

ECPR: What is your company’s specialization?

Robert Martin: Get More Curb Appeal is the only online design service that offers both exterior home makeovers and landscape plans. For a fraction of the cost, we can create customized plans for our clients that any builder, remodeler, or landscape installer can follow.

ECPR: Why and how did your company become involved with the Southern Living Idea House 2012?

Robert Martin: Another unique distinction about Get More Curb Appeal is that my three partners and I collectively share 41 years of experience by previously working at Southern Living magazine. I served as Architecture Editor at Southern Living from 2000 to 2010. My partners, all Southern Living alumni and former colleagues at the magazine, are: Jason Somerville, a horticulturalist from Clemson University; builder / New Homes Specialist Ada Love, also a graduate from Auburn; and expert gardener Julie Thaxton.

ECPR: What design and / or products did you provide to the Idea House this year?

Robert Martin: Our Jason Somerville designed the landscape plan for this year’s Idea House.

ECPR: What was the inspiration behind your design work or the installation you provided for the Idea House?

Robert Martin: Because the house at Senoia is a remodeled / renovated farmhouse, we were instructed to keep the landscape design and selection of plants as indigenous and “informal” as possible. Thus, Jason designed a plan that both complimented the house and contained a variety of regional, hardy plant material – with an emphasis on low maintenance.

ECPR: Is there a home, garden or design trend specific to your area of specialization you have noticed this year?

Robert Martin: One trend we’ve noticed – which is basically why we started Get More Curb Appeal in the first place – is that despite the lagging economy, people still want their homes to look their best, within a set budget, of course. So, when shown a creative and doable way to achieve this, homeowners are willing to allocate a little more time and money to improve their home’s and yard’s appearances.

Learn more about Get More Curb Appeal online here.

Get inspired by visiting the Southern Living Idea House’s website and plan your trip to see it in person.

Stay tuned to our blog and other social media channels from now through December to learn more about the designers and others who have contributed their expertise to the Idea House.

~ The ECPR Team