Owner Ernie Reynolds Grabs His Fifth ‘Best Landscaping’ Award
The 2012 Homebuilders Association of Middle Tennessee Parade of Homes wrapped up Oct. 21, but not before handing DFA member Outdoor Classic Structures the award for “Best Landscaping. ” A panel of experts evaluated the five houses in the King’s Chapel neighborhood of Arrington for honors in a number of categories.
To compliment the French cottage-style house built by Nashville-based Tradition Homes, Outdoor Classic Structures Owner Ernie Reynolds and his team implemented a lawn of curve-linear beds and leafy shrubs. A variety of woody stems and perennial plant material gave the yard a broad spectrum of color that Reynolds said will maintain its charm throughout the four seasons.
“The building’s architecture and its lot gave us several opportunities to create flowing bed lines,” he said. “We gave careful consideration to the personality of the home and utilized plants that people like to be close to, either because of its pleasant fragrance or because it is comfortable to touch.”
Some of those front lawn plants include beautyberry, butterfly bush, dwarf magnolias, red holly and various ornamental grasses—a combination that allowed for the perfect segue to the home’s semi-enclosed front porch, thatched with reclaimed barn wood. Outdoor Classic Structures used the rear lawn to accentuate the architectural features of the house and masterfully frame a stone fire-ring between a pair of mature sweetgums in the airy, outdoor amenities.
Reynolds said his firm has worked with Tradition Homes on several restoration and infill projects in the past, and that the firm was allowed the creative freedom to implement a cohesive idea.
“We’ve gotten to know each other well through several projects, and it’s become a good working relationship,” Reynolds said. “We presented a color rendering early into the home’s construction, and there was no edit on our concept.”
This is the fifth Parade of Homes award Reynolds has received for his design and garden work. Before entering the 2012 competition, he had won “Best Landscaping” in each of his four previous entries.
Outdoor Classic Structures is a design-build firm with a studio in downtown Franklin that focuses on non-climatized areas and outdoor construction. For information, visit its located at 203 Second Avenue South or go to www.outdoorclassicstructures.com.