HOT OFF THE PRESS
The value added to your home from good landscape design cannot be underestimated. Over the course of 25 years, I have enjoyed hearing clients describe how much our work has not only physically improved their home environment, but changed their lives. A livable, workable, beautiful landscape brings pleasure that affect all five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight and sound. Comfortable outdoor rooms join friends and families through play, cooking, dining, swimming and entertaining, encouraging people to spend more time enjoying Nature, and each other. It’s a win-win.
But, there’s more. A beautiful landscape is a solid investment that pays you back when the time comes to sell. Realtors over the years have often included Mierop Design in their listing descriptions, calling it out as a winning asset. These days, fewer buyers care to take on fixer-uppers, and this holds particularly true outside the four walls of the house.” It’s a boon when previous homeowners have done the heavy lifting”, as one new homeowner aptly remarked.
Recently several properties featuring our landscape work were placed on the market and sold immediately for well over asking price. Granted there is a strong Covid factor at play now as well, however, one happy client took the time to write saying, “Your landscape work sold our home immediately. We got multiple offers, at considerable premiums to the asking price. All the feedback from the prospective buyers touched on their love of the ‘thoughtful, well executed and beautiful garden design’. You have been a godsend.”
As designers and builders, it brings great satisfaction to both create beautiful havens for clients and to see the investment pay off with dividends in real time. And for those not selling and stuck at home through Covid, recent feedback has been equally grateful: “We feel so fortunate we chose to move ahead last year with our pool and property renovations. Sheltering at home has only been made tolerable only because of our beautiful outdoor spaces.”
As pandemic concerns keep us all closer to home, everyone is re-evaluating what matters. There is little doubt that home improvement work will be a strong trend moving forward in very uncertain times. Providing safe refuge, in addition to long term appreciation (pun intended), there was never a ‘wrong’ time to invest in your property but now may be the most ‘right’ time ever.
MANSION IN MAY
Late last year we decided to participate in a well-known and beloved designer showhouse event, Mansion in May. Held every few years, Mansion in May is a signature fundraising vehicle for Morristown Medical Center. I was cautious as charitable projects are an enormous effort, only to have the work dismantled a few weeks later. The hope, other than supporting a great cause, is to exhibit your skills to many new eyes. We opened construction in February, but along with the rest of the country were shut down a few weeks (and many thousands of dollars) later. Fortunately, Mansion in May was able to be re-marketed as ‘Splendor in September’ and doors will finally open to the public on September 4th.
For the show, we developed an extensive outdoor room called Luxe Farm to Table, a modern take on using the landscape to grow, cook, serve and enjoy more meals at home. Given the pandemic, plus prior observation that homeowners are looking to grow more of their own food (see my previous blog post on Kitchen Gardens), we know we’ve landed right on target. Go to mansioninmay.org to find out about tickets and dates of operation. In conjunction with the event, Mierop Design, placed a full page ad in the September/October issue of Architectural Digest.
HOUZZ –2020 AWARDS
During the early weeks and months of Covid lockdown, it felt out of place to talk about awards or accomplishments. Perhaps enough time has passed now to revisit a positive notice from Houzz, awarding us both the Best of Design and Best of Service
award for 2020. Houzz is a vibrant on-line resource for home design inspiration, products and contractor resourcing. ‘Best of Design’ and ‘Best of Service’ awards are granted to a small percentage of members annually. Mierop Design on Houzz.
THE SCOUT GUIDE
Mierop Design has been a participating advertiser within The Scout Guide community for six consecutive years. The Scout Guide is a national publication with local chapters in cities across the country, each one featuring the products and services of a select array of entrepreneurial local businesses. Our Northern New Jersey editor, Heather Cundey, kindly passed my name along to the national team as they were looking to do an inspiration piece on landscape design. This led to a conversation, which blossomed into a wonderful national feature. Many thanks again to the entire The Scout Guide team.
A PRAYER FOR 2021
The news is really tough these days….it seems that everyone is desperate for 2020 to come to an end, a final period to a painfully long and disturbing run-on sentence. And sentence is a deliberate word choice- it does feel like a prison of sorts. Let’s all make space for hope that 2021 sees positive progressive movement forward for climate change, racial justice, public health and, dare I hope? – national politics.
The Suburban Lot is a (somewhat) monthly blog that highlights topics and issues unique to the suburban landscape. For assistance with any of the above information please contact Mierop Design, a complete resource for landscape design, installation, outdoor furnishings and property maintenance services.
