The Garden2Blog Event With P. Allen Smith - The Home of Mark & Kim Brockinton

From the moment we stepped off the bus to visit the Mark and Kim Brockinton home in Little Rock, AR, as part of the Garden2Blog event with P. Allen Smith, I knew I would love just about everything about it. I've long been enamored with the French Country style and here it was.

Yellow is the color that real estate experts say is the most popular when it comes to houses and if you want to sell your house, paint it yellow. When I first heard this, it surprised me, yet it's understandable why a yellow house draws you in. It's friendly, fresh, and warm.

Allen and his associates were consulted on both architectural and garden design levels as the home was being built. The gardens were planted in 2004 and are now well established.

The lot is small, at 150' long and 100' wide, and has a 40' drop from the front of the house to the pool in back. This challenge was met beautifully, and this just may well be my dream house and property. Small enough to be manageable, but large enough to incorporate several elements of garden design.








An archway led to the back of the property...

 

The backyard was a series of garden rooms which gives a feel of a large space with plenty of areas for intimate conversation. It contains formal elements in keeping with its European styling, yet has areas that allow you to relax and appreciate all its nuances.

Since we had a busy schedule, we didn't have as much time to spend here as I would have liked and I would love to have been able to see the inside, too. Kim has her own interior design business and no doubt the home is as lovely on the inside as it is on the outside. If you'd like to get a glimpse of the inside of the home, you can visit  At Home in Arkansas.

As we left the Brockinton's, the skies turned angry again and we would be under yet another tornado warning. Our evening meal was to be spent at the original Garden Home on Gaines Street in Little Rock, but it was apparent that our visit there would be short and sweet. I'll share my quick views of Allen's home in the city next.


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I was invited to attend the Garden2Blog Event by P. Allen Smith and Associates/Hortus, Ltd., free of charge. My airfare, lodging and meals were provided (with some exceptions) by them. Any opinions expressed on this blog in this post and any subsequent posts about my experiences or products associated with them are my own true and honest opinions, as always. Please note that they are just that - my opinions - and I was not asked to blog, tweet, or post on Facebook about any of it.