HGTV ‘Going Yard’ host Chris Lambton shares his view on 2014 landscaping trends.
Chris Lambton talks 2014 landscaping trends, landscaping and his love of the outdoors with MyFixitUpLife hosts Mark and Theresa.
Mark: You’re inside MyFixitUpLife with my wife, Theresa.
Theresa: My husband, Mark.
Mark: It’s on trend to be listening to this show.
Theresa: It totally is, because we’re talking about trends, things that you’re going to be wanting this year 2014.
Mark: We’re checking in with trends from the outside with Chris Lambton @ChrisLambton13 on twitter, HGTV and land stylist,
Chris you’re there?
Chris: I am and hopefully in 2014 we will all be trending.
Mark: That’s what I like.
Theresa: Mark is a very trendy guy that’s why he wears a lot of black shirts and jeans.
Mark: Dude, I wear the same thing every day.
Chris: It’s okay. That’s fine, that’s the trend 2014 black shirts and jeans, you’re ahead of your time, Mark.
Theresa: Finally after all of these years, now if you commit to a look eventually it will become trendy. It will happen.
Chris: That’s perfect.
Mark: I have no reply to that at all.
Theresa: I’m curious, from you, Chris we’re talking about landscaping trends, what’s hot in 2014 and I want to look outside and talk about outdoor rooms and what kinds of materials and plants and things that you think that people will be asking for, that you’re creating so they want it, what you’re thinking about?
Chris: Actually a lot of things happening in 2014, one of them is, it was big in 2013 which is getting bigger in 2014 I think and that’s just sustainability. Less grass in your yard, a lot more hardscape, which means less work for the homeowner, a lot more zero-scaping which just requires no maintenance at all and just smart landscaping using native plants that we can conserve water, it’s sprinkling your own yard.
Theresa: I like that.
Mark: Does that tie into, because I think about green and low energy and I think grass is a great option and then you say hardscape and I think, well, wait a minute the lawn mower is out there and it has all of kinds of engine running and stuff like that, is that part of it?
Chris: I think part of it is when people think grass they think, it does not require any maintenance, I just have a lawn, you mow once a week, but when you’re mowing it once a week that requires gas. Then a lot people when they have a lawn is, they over water it. A lot of my customers water like five times a week and I’m like, what you guys doing. Most of the water just runs off on to the street and that is just a waste of natural resource. People don’t know how to water a lawn right and I was like, “well, you know what, just put in a patio use your yard more requires less maintenance. Not to pay landscape use much to cut the lawn and you can serve water and it’s just all around helpful.
Theresa: Now, as far as hardscaping goes are there a different kinds of materials that are hot right now that people are asking for?
Chris: Everyone wants natural stone, but the problem with natural stone is that it’s just super expense, because you have to get quarried and then it gets delivered on slab bench from all different areas so just it drive the cost up. A lot of people are using the cement that is made to look like real stone. It’s a manufactured stone and some times you can’t even tell the difference between these stone steps that have been putting in and real stone. It’s cheaper, it’s environmentally conscious that we again you have these huge quarries that most of our stones comes from, instead you’re using a cement based stone.
Mark: Are they like back of them square it off so that when you put them into the substrate that they just go in and they sit level?
Chris: It makes it a lot easier, Mark. You work with real stone it’s never flat, it’s so hard to work with because bumps and crevices of making it level, it takes time. With these cement point stone they’re flat on the bottom and it’s easier for even just regular homeowners just to put them in because it takes a lot of less time, all it needs a flat surface, drop the stone and you’re done.
Theresa: I’m out of my patio that’s just new like gorgeous manufactured stone, but like outdoor kitchen is that something that we’re going to still be seeing a lot of this year?
Chris: Yeah, because there is new group of people buying homes and these are first time homeowners, younger people who are just starting their families and this isn’t their dream home, this is their right now home. They’re buying a home that is within their budget, it’s smaller than they’re hoping, they’re going to keep if for five or 10 years then hopefully buy a bigger home, which is what a lot of my friends, my brothers and myself were all doing.
They want to use their outside more, because inside of their house they’re small and they still want to entertain their friends, they have kids so they’re using their outdoor spaces a lot more intelligently than people who have their houses for 20, 30 years, but they’re in their bigger homes. All these younger, newer buyers are putting in outdoor patios, getting areas for their kids in their backyards, really utilizing their outdoor space.
Theresa: Now, I want to know, just from your perspective, do you actually use your outdoor space in the winter time like my husband tries to. He goes outside and cooks and he sits in the snow and reads book and I think it’s actually …
Mark: With the fire going, I’m not just out there in the cold.
Theresa: … ridiculous, do you do that too in your house?
Chris: Yeah, I love being outside. Last week when I was home, I was outside splitting woods, getting the fire going which is, I mean, if you love being outside your kids stay outside for six month of the year and then the bad six months you’re going to stay inside, you go crazy. People like Mark and myself, we need to be outside otherwise with the kids playing which is real crazy inside the house you got to use outside all year around.
Theresa: Well, there you go.
Mark: See, now you hear from him, you still don’t believe him.
Theresa: I still don’t believe. I think it’s kind of silly to be outside reading a book when it’s snowing on your head.
Mark: That’s fantastic. Are you’re kidding me chopping wood, that’s like fun.
Chris: It’s relaxing. It’s a great stress reliever just to be outside. When you sit outside even if it’s 25 degrees out, it’s just having that fresh breeze, just breath in the air and being outside with nature, there is something about that, that just brings you down level and relaxing so that’s why people love being outside. It’s like a natural going to psychiatrist. It’s going to psychiatrist just sit outside more often.
Mark: Just tickle your brain in coldness and that will work. Now does your wife Peyton feel the same way or is she more inside girl like my wife?
Chris: She is more inside, yes. If it’s really really cold or really really hot she is not going outside. She leaves out like 60 to 80 degree temperature range and then she is loving life outside.
Theresa: She is my girl then, we’re on the same page with that. She is sitting inside going what is he doing out there?
Mark: That you’re outside in the t-shirt take your sweatshirt and it’s hot out.
Theresa: Yeah, I wonder why because you’ve made a fire and chopping wood and all those other antiques that you do outside …
Mark: But, then Chris Lambton HGTV Going Yard, how good is going inside feel after you’ve had that big temperature change? I love that.
Chris: Yeah, so do I. when you walk inside you take off your shirt you feel like a lumberjack, you’re like, yeah I was just outside exploring the extreme temperatures and you know what it makes you enjoy coming and tell even more have a nice cup of tea and you’re good to go.
Theresa: In the 30 seconds that we have left I want to know what’s your axe of choice when you’re chopping wood?
Chris: I have this nice old school wooden axe that I stole out of my grandfather’s basement growing up and I still have the same axe.
Mark: That’s a great story.
Theresa: I like that.
Mark: Do you also have a blue ox?
Chris: No, I have a black lamb.
Theresa: You have to work on that. We do have to go to break so follow Chris on Twitter at ChrisLambton13 and follow as always Peyton, PeytonWLambton on twitter and we got to go to break.
Mark: We will be back with more of MyFixitUpLife.
Tune into more interviews with Chris Lambton to find out more landscaping trends that will inspire your next outdoor project.
