From page 15

this property. There are some
amazing large perennials and
shrubs that are absolutely
beautiful. They just needed
some TLC.

The gardens and property
Were crying out for reorgani-
zation. So with this in mind
we hired a landscaper to help
put our plans in action.

To begin, we cleaned the
front sections of the yard and
laid fresh turf. This seemed to
add form and clarity to the
front of the property as well as
creating play space for the
kids. An old swing, that once
hung benween two large fir
trees was resurrected and box-
woods were planted to fine the
front path.

The existing front path
split into different directions.
One led to the kitchen porch
door and the other to the
front door on the side of the
house.

We had a challenge here:
all guests were arriving at the kitchen door. We had to somehow
eliminate this path to redirect traffic to the front entrance.

With this in mind we removed the concrete path and
replaced it with a garden. What we didn’t know was that the
concrete was up to one-foot thick in some places and looked like
a demonstration project for a Roman construction job. To main-
tain some continuity in the front of the house we decided to
duplicate the existing side garden in place of the kitchen path.

The existing garden had a very easy-care design and was filled
primarily with hostas, ferns and astilbes. Nice and neat and low
maintenance.

-<: Two lower sections of garden were cleaned up and replaced
with grass. A picket fence was built along the southwest and

. north sides off the property. We liked the look of the picket fence
as it helped draw the eye away from the weak points of the
house. In some sense it “gitt- svrapped” the whole property and

‘Get Acti

ARTES.

NEWS photo Terry Peters

Anewly constructed white picket fence, built along the southwest and north sides
of the property, “gift-wraps” the home and provides a safety zone for the kids.

provided a safety zone for the kids.

Outdoor lights were installed and work began on the house.

The English i ivy on the house basically made it look like a
Chia Pet from Chernobyl. After nwo to three days of cutting
through hose-sized ivy vines, we were able to clean a good por-
tion of the house.

A good power washing eliminated most of the dirt and
residue before a first coat of white paint was applied. What a dif-
ference the white paint made.

It’s amazing how a coat of paint can change the whole look
from a Tudor to a country cottage. Immediately the house was a
lot crisper and cleaner. It took years off its age. Needless to say
we were pleased with the result.

Window boxes were painted black. Grey paint was applied to
the steps —— and my children’s feet.

I think one of the most valuable lessons we leamed from this

ve. Get

Active Wireless president, Steve Wallace and Rick
Christiaanse, head of ClearNET for Western Canada cut the
ribbon to officially open their newest location.
Mike has arrived in North Vancouver at 1332 Marine Drive.
Find out how Mike can have an impact on your business.

"Don't send a

The Active Wireless team in front
i _of their newest location at 1332
~-Marine Drive, North Van

phone to do

Mike's job."

ys
Sas

"NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

THE English ivy. on the house basically made It look

like a Chia Pet from Chernobyl. After iis removal, a .
good power washing eliminated most of the dirt and .
residue before a first coat of white paint was appiled.

renovation project was that it can be easy to overlook thy, - poten- :
tial and charm of older homes. With a little time and effort,
these jewels can be transformed into charming homes..The result
isa loak and feel that can be difficult to duplicate w When building
anew home.