Inside Out

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“Nana doors are also in high demand,” he said “Essentially, they’re folding glass doors that open up the living space to the outdoors.” The bifold doors come in a variety of styles.

According to Fosner, one of the big benefits of outdoor fireplaces is that they extend the usefulness of the screened-in living room. “With a fireplace, there are more opportunities to use the room on chilly days.” Infrared heating is another way to achieve the same thing, he noted.

Fosner said that he is sometimes asked to include panels that can be added or removed over the screening, so the room is usable year-round. “We can do that, but it’s easier to accept that there are times you can’t use the room, like during the heavy pollen season or the dead of winter,” he advised.

“Putting up the panels is difficult and time-consuming. No one does it more than once.”

Environmentally Friendly Landscapes

Tastes in landscaping are making some shifts as well.

Joe Lavallee, Design-Build Manager with Plants Creative Landscapes, said that the Intown area has seen some very definite trends over the last five years. The company is based in Decatur and serves the Intown community.

Lavallee reports a strong trend moving toward organic and pollinator plants for landscaping. “People want to incorporate plants that are beneficial to the environment,” he said.

He explained that Decatur became Georgia’s first Bee City USA in July 2016. Currently, there are 70 Bee Cities across the U.S, seven of them in Georgia, including Atlanta and Decatur…or “Beecatur,” as Lavallee calls it.

“Many of our clients want pollinator gardens to feed the birds, bees and butterflies,” he said, adding that Plants Creative has a variety of plants that attract bees, including Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), a brilliant blue flowering pollinator.

Russian Sage also fits with the other growing trend of using edible ornamentals in gardens. Some other choices include rosemary, thyme and blueberry shrubs, all which add beauty and culinary usefulness.

“Fruit trees are making a comeback, too,” Lavallee said. He explained that many homeowners like the concept of the traditional English garden, but they tend to want a tidier version of it.

Water features remain popular, and there are a lot of options these days. Lavallee said that Plants Creative recently custom-designed a water feature for a client that was 18 feet long by 12 inches wide with 17 bubblers, all LED lit and self-adjusting.

“We start by presenting design ideas to the client,” Lavallee said. “And we’re the one primary contact. We handle everything from attaining the work permits to bringing in any sub-contractors that may be needed. We see the project through to completion.” And beyond. Plants Creative also offers maintenance services to keep the landscaping healthy and looking good.