During the past several weeks, we’ve shared a series of videos featuring designer P. Allen Smith. Today we’re going to take a look at some of Smith’s techniques for bringing the beauty of the outdoors in.

Smith takes us on a tour of his Garden Home Retreat, showing some of his favorite spaces and how they are designed to show off and accentuate the best of the outdoors in through the use of windows and doors. A key tip: Think of your windows as an opportunity not just to let in fresh air and light but as a way to frame specific views of the outdoors.

Watch the short video above for more, or check out our YouTube channel for other videos from Smith.

During the past couple of weeks, we’ve shared a series of videos featuring designer P. Allen Smith and his Garden Home Retreat. Today we’re going to take a look at how he used natural light as an important element in his home’s design.

Smith demonstrates how a home can feel more open and welcoming by using large and effectively placed windows to let natural light pour into the home. Watch the short video above for more, or check out our YouTube channel for other videos from Smith.

During the past couple of weeks, we’ve shared a video that introduced you to P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home Retreat and another that explained Smith’s approach to sustainability. Today we’re going to take a look at how his Garden Home Retreat manages to maintain an authentic, historic style while using the newest of construction techniques.

The Garden Home Retreat was designed to fit a traditional Greek revival style of architecture. Though it’s only two years old, the home looks right out of the 19th century. Watch the short video above for more, or check out our YouTube channel for other videos from Smith.

Last week, we shared a video that introduced you to P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home Retreat. Today we continue that exploration with a video from Smith in which he explains his home’s approach to sustainability. It’s a mix of traditional and newer building techniques — he’s done things like positioning the house with consideration for the sun’s angles and including a sophisticated, energy-efficient in-floor heating system.

When P. Allen Smith designed the Garden Home Retreat, he wanted it to be as energy-efficient and “green” as possible. That includes positioning the home to take advantage of shade, collecting rainwater for irrigating the garden, using energy-efficient appliances and windows, and more. Watch the short video above for more, or check out our YouTube channel for other videos from Smith.

Marvin Windows recently visited designer and artist P. Allen Smith at his Garden Home Retreat in Arkansas to shoot a series of videos about the building, his work, his design inspiration and more. Allen has great taste and impeccable style, so we’re sure you’ll find some useful ideas and inspiration in these videos.

We’ll share the series here over the coming weeks, or you can head over to our YouTube channel to see these videos and more right now. For now, let’s get started with this introduction to P. Allen Smith and his Garden Home Retreat:

More and more people are growing orchids because they are more readily available and the price has come down. They’re actually a very good value if you’re looking for a splash of color in your home.

By combing orchids with other houseplants you can create a living flower arrangement that will actually last a month or more. The orchids will be center stage, but to pull this off, you will need a support cast of other houseplants. I like to use ivies and prayer plants because they’re as durable as the orchids themselves.

To create this arrangement, simply apply the same three-shape rule that I’ve shared with you for cut flower arrangements and outdoor containers: tall/spiky, round/full and cascading.

Place the orchids, your tall and spiky component, in the center of the container. Because orchids are fussy about their growing medium, it is easiest to keep them in the pots in which they were grown. Now, because these pots will take up the majority of the room in the container, I put the other plants in sandwich bags and arrange them around the orchids. This makes it easier to tuck them into the arrangement. Simply remove each plant, along with the soil, from its pot and drop it into a sandwich bag. Secure the top of the sandwich bag with a rubber band.

Now you are ready to put in the prayer plant, which will add the element of a round/full shape. Also, the purple veining of the prayer plant combines nicely with the color of the orchid blooms. To finish it off, slip in the ivies so they cascade gracefully over the edge of the container. Once the plants are in place, fill in the open spaces with sheet moss.

I’ve used orchids for their long bloom time, but just about any combination will work and just follow the same principles. It’s all a matter of using your imagination.

We’ve written before about the myMarvin Project, and I think these new videos warrant another mention. Sandee Awalt, architectural project coordinator at Marvin Windows and Doors, took design inspirations from garden home designer P. Allen Smith and photographer Mark Laita and turned them into actual, functional Marvin windows. These videos document that process.

It’s interesting how certain flowers evoke a sense of nostalgia: roses, hollyhocks and dahlias to name a few. There’s no question these are beautiful in the garden, but if cared for properly you can also use them inside. Hydrangeas are good flowers to dry for indoor arrangements.

One method of preparing hydrangeas is simply to air dry them. All you do is remove the leaves along the stem and bundle five or six of them together. Hang them in a cool, dry place.

If that’s too much trouble, you can also dry them upright in a vase. Place the stems in a vase with a few inches of water, out of direct sunlight. When the water evaporates add more, repeating the process until you feel the blooms are sufficiently dry.

You can also preserve hydrangeas with glycerin and water. This process makes the bloom more soft and supple to the touch, and it also helps to preserve the shape of the bloom longer.

Materials:

• Hydrangea blooms (Old-fashioned French, PeeGee and Annabelle hydrangeas do well, but I’ve never had much luck with Oakleaf or Tardiva.)
• Glycerin
• Water
• Vase
• Colored dye (optional)

Directions:

Gather the hydrangea blooms. When cutting the blooms, keep in mind that the length of your stems need to be about 18 inches or less. And while it is tempting to try drying those full, lushly colored hydrangea blooms mid-summer, it is best to allow them to mature on the shrub before you cut them. Fresh blooms tend to wilt and turn brown. You can tell that they are ready because as they age, they will turn either green/pink in warm climates or blue/purple in colder areas, and their texture is paper-like rather than soft.

Cut the stems at a right angle and crush the ends with a hammer. This will help with the uptake of the solution.

In a vase prepare a solution of 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin. You can find glycerin at your local pharmacy. The way this works is, the water and glycerin are drawn through the stem of the plant. The water evaporates through the petals, leaving the glycerin. The glycerin will turn the petals a rich, golden brown. I like this natural look, but if you prefer a little color, add a small drop of dye to the solution.

Add your hydrangeas to the vase.

In two to three weeks you will have a beautiful bouquet of summer hydrangeas to enjoy through the fall and winter.

Welcome to the MLuxe blog, Marvin Windows and Doors’ take on distinctive home style. This blog is inspired by our guiding principle for Marvin Windows and Doors: that each window and door we create is “Built Around You.” As the world’s largest maker of custom wood and clad-wood windows and doors, we look forward to sharing our insights on windows as part of your home scheme.

Our goal is to help you express your personal style through your home. However, MLuxe will discuss far more than windows. Our topics will range from architecture to sustainable living to ways to simplify your life. To ensure our information is the best available, we’ve gathered a group of our friends to share their expertise with you.

• Lou Manfredini - Lou is a regular contributor to NBC’s TODAY Show, hosts a weekly radio call-in show called “Mr. Fix-It,” and is a contributing editor to USA Weekend with his “House Smart” column. Lou’s life-long interest in home improvement began during high school when he worked in a hardware store, gaining knowledge of hardware products and experience in customer service. While attending Millikin University, Lou worked his way through school remodeling homes and learning everything from sewers to shingles. Lou owns his own development company that builds rental properties and manages the construction of custom homes in the Chicago area.

• Sarah Susanka - Bestselling author, architect and cultural visionary, Sarah Susanka is leading a movement that is redefining the American home. Her “build better, not bigger” approach to residential design has been embraced across the country and her “Not So Big” philosophy has sparked international dialogue. Her upcoming book, “Not So Big Remodel,” looks at the remodeling market as more homeowners look to remain in their homes longer.

• P. Allen Smith - Smith is an award-winning garden designer and host of the public television program P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home as well as the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith Gardens. He has emerged as America’s most recognized and respected garden design expert, providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues.

Our topics will vary and we will take our cues from you. What would you like to hear about? Let us know.

Susan Marvin
President, Marvin Windows and Doors