i'm sara gore, and this is "open house." this week we're bringing you the best of outdoor spaces. we meet up with renowned interior designers tony ingrao and randy kemper to tour the gardens at their fabulous east hampton estate. we check out an inspiring rooftop garden in brooklyn and head to los angeles to view a chic spin on a backyard. plus, chef george hirsch shares tips for creating the perfect space for outdoor entertaining. but first, we are learning the dos and don'ts of curb appeal. find out how to make sure your home gives the best first impression. 63% of home buyers make a decision to view a home based on online pictures. it is crucial that your property meets their expectations when they arrive. [theme music]

today i'm coming to you from the penthouse of a classic prewar condo on the upper east side. the interiors of this home have been completely renovated, including the use of luxurious materials, like honed stone, natural wood and fine marble. the wall of windows not only fill the space with natural light but also opens up to the terrace featuring beautiful city views. now this condo has five beds, five and 1/2 baths, and almost 4,000 square feet of living space that surely doesn't disappoint. now let's get started with a topic that's always trending in real estate-- curb appeal. let's face it. your home doesn't always get a second chance to make a good first impression. so you want to make sure it looks good from the moment a potential buyer pulls up to the driveway. coldwell banker's natalya price, a real estate agent and professional stager, is here with some helpful tips.

hi, i'm natalya price, professionals stager and a realtor for coldwell banker in summit, new jersey. as a home staging expert, i tell my clients all the time that first impressions are everything when it comes to selling your home. according to national association of realtors, 63% of home buyers make a decision to view a home based on online pictures. this is why it is crucial that your property meets their expectations when they arrive. what the buyers see on the exterior of a home is a snapshot of what they expect to see inside. they notice everything, especially small details, and often make a judgment on how well you took care of your home. so i want to share a few simple things you can do to make a better first impression. start by clearing the clutter. put away toys, sporting equipment, lawn chairs. you want the buyers to visualize their future in the home and not be distracted by the way you use the space. simply by power washing the exterior, walkways,

and driveway is a great way to make your home feel new again. be sure to thoroughly weed gardens and trim back branches on larger trees and bushes. it's always a great idea to refresh mulch so your yard will look its best. and if your house doesn't immediately sell, keep up with the yard maintenance so it matches what the buyers see in the listing photos. i always tell my clients to fix small items, like broken light fixtures, railings, and trim. many buyers want a move in ready home so it pays to do those minor repairs. you've probably heard that painting the front door is crucial to curb appeal, and it's absolutely true. it's something buyers will notice, especially when they're standing here waiting to enter. painting shutters and mailboxes can also make a big difference. flowers can often give buyers the impression that you put just a little extra care into maintaining your property. i find that flowers of a single color make a larger visual impact. include flowers not just on the porch but on patios and decks. this will tell buyers that the outdoor spaces

are important to the seller and will make them more appealing. so the idea behind creating a great curb appeal is to give your home an inviting look that will make the buyers want to stop and go inside. i hope these tips will help your home stand out from other properties on the market, attract more buyers, and sell faster. for more information, visit coldwellbanker.com. stay tuned. we're taking a look at how la based designer christopher grubb transformed his client's backyard into a chic outdoor entertaining space. and design duo tony ingrao and randy kemper take me on a tour of their garden paradise in the hamptons. [music playing] sara (voiceover): "open house" is brought to you in part by coldwell banker, where home begins.

now we're heading to the ultimate garden in east hampton. it's at the home of renowned interior designers, tony ingrao and randy kemper. i was so fortunate that they invited me over for a private tour of their gorgeous home and gardens. the property is a fixture in books on landscape and design, including "design in the hamptons." their home regularly plays host to some of the hamptons' most exclusive engagements, and now you're about to see why. [music playing] hi, guys. nice to see you. -you, too. -how are you doing? i'm doing great. i feel like i'm in a park or an english countryside or a botanical garden. my goodness, it's just gorgeous. we got a great day to show you around. you sure did. let's go. so what was your inspiration when you were designing this whole properly? the idea was to not focus on the house as much as the garden. it's a wonderland. it's a wonderland, but you really don't know what you're going to find. and then you get to this amazing courtyard,

and there's just a tiny little roof sticking out. i feel like a lot of things happen in this area here. tell me the meaning to this. randy: well, we wanted to create a sculpture out of the earth, basically. yeah. and we dug this down. we originally thought we would put a fountain in it, and then we sodded it. and we just thought, wow, that's just so beautiful. sara: it is. just as it is. this area-- it's raised. it's kind of high and raised up. and so that you could turn around and get this sort of very grand view back down through the property. [music playing] this is an area where we tried to actually introduce the reserve into the property, so we have natural grasses that bring you through to the backyard. oh, my gosh. i love that bush down there. randy: it's kind of crazy looking, isn't it? sara: it's like an alice in wonderland tree,

like she bit off a piece of that tree and got really big. [laughter] randy: aw, there she is. hi, willa. -she's so little. -good girl. so obviously you guys are known for your interior design, but i had no idea that you were so passionate about landscape architecture. randy: we really love it. you don't get to do it for many clients. it's very time consuming. it's a big commitment. but you get big projects, and it's a lot about lifestyle and how you live your life inside your house and in your property. speaking of inside your house, let's go inside your house. i can't wait to see it. ok. [inaudible]. [music playing] i love this fish. ah, isn't it cool? randy just bought it for me for my birthday. sara: it's a statement piece. tony: it is cool. i actually feel like this is very un-hamptons, this dining room. randy: it doesn't particularly feel beachy-- our house-- even thought we're close to the beach. but this answers the garden in a kind of sophisticated way.

so why don't we show you the living room, too? yes, please. ok, great. sara: i love the flow of this house. you can feel the air kind of going through this room. we actually put the openings in. because it was a garage, originally there were no openings in the back. you couldn't see through. randy: we added all the rustication and the beams and tried to kind of create that cottage-y feel here. i think that's what's most important in designing a house, isn't it? that you have-- it has to speak to you. tony: yeah. randy: you really want it, also, to have like a real personality. [music playing] sara: you guys, thank you so much for the tour today. you have an amazing home and a beautiful property. i almost don't want to leave. aw. well, we're not going to make you leave yet. we thought we'd go grab some lunch. sara: that sounds like a great idea. randy: let's go. -let's go outside. yeah. let's do it. coming up, landscaping pro brook klausing shares secrets for creating a stylish and hip rooftop garden.

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now we visit la based designer christopher grubb. one of his latest projects is a backyard makeover in beverly hills. christopher transformed this space into a chic, stylish entertaining area complete with living room, dining area, and a kitchen. take a look.

[music playing] hi. i'm interior designer christopher grubb, and welcome to this incredible backyard renovation in beverly hills, california. my client is a very active family of six. their programming needs were an outdoor dining room, kitchen, pool area, and an outdoor living space that felt like an interior family room. the result is a magnificent and luxurious outdoor retreat. the family room is this breathtaking pavilion, and the focal point of the room is this soaring fireplace. my client likes old world european design elements so we used this acanthus leaf pattern, and on the top is an egg and dart crown detail. the ceiling is pleated outdoor fabric, and there's this skylight with this magnificent chandelier. it has sconces to complement it, and it continues that old world feeling. the drapery around the pavilion is not just decorative. it's also functional.

on that rare occasion in winter we have a cold night here in california, you can close the drapes. and with the fireplace, it creates this very intimate and cozy setting. the dining area is adjacent to the breakfast nook in the kitchen. it makes it very easy for dining alfresco. one concern was the direct sunlight. and to rectify this, we used a woven nylon shade that fully extends. it provides shade for the diner but still lets the sunlight come through. the only thing that existed on the property was the pool, but it was completely redone. in keeping with the flavor of this old world element, this great tile was used on the water line. it's a mosaic of jade green marble and limestone. the main view from the family room was of the expanse of the pool. therefore, an interesting design element was a must. i took the jade green from the tile of the water line, put that on the upper steps and bench area, also used it for the pattern in the pool.

and this pattern's at a 45 degree angle, which slightly echoes the tile that's on the patio area and on the pavers in this upper area. to finish off the pool area, i used this really elegant, custom waterjet mosaic-- easily could be found in any villa in italy. also, this european pot-- in lieu of having a plant, it's a custom water feature. the water trickles very gently into the basin below, and it adds this really peaceful and tranquil sound to the yard. this exquisite outdoor kitchen is both sophisticated and functional. when the family's entertaining, it's a perfect surface to serve a buffet from. and when it's just the family, you pull up bar stools, and it's ideal for a casual barbecue. i very much enjoyed designing this special outdoor space, and hopefully there's an idea or two you can use in your own. coming up, chef george hirsch shares his secrets for creating the perfect space for a summer soiree. and next, learn how to create the perfect rooftop garden.

we'll be right back. [music playing] because 100% whole grain oats are incredibly good for you. because they're heart healthy because they're good for kids. and granddads and everyone else in the family. everything we do is because of what really matters most. the goodness of oats and the people we love.

welcome back. and now who says landscaping is limited to your back and front yards? with a little creativity, you can make your own green urban escape right on your rooftop. designer brook klausing of brook landscape shares some tips to help you create a rooftop oasis. [music playing] hey there. i'm landscape designer brook klausing, and we're here today at one grand army plaza in brooklyn, new york. and i'm going to give you all a few tips on how to design outdoor spaces. [music playing] i think one of the tricks whenever you inherit a project like this is to make sure that you can complement the preexisting conditions and make sure that this garden look like a forethought

rather than an afterthought. our goal was to design four different areas-- a living room area, a dining area, a kitchen area, and then like a lay out area for sunbathers. [music playing] starting here in the dining room area, we wanted to bring a sense of intimacy to the space. then, generally that kind of starts with a roof or a feeling of a ceiling. and we did that through creating this powder coated aluminum cedar pergola. we just picked this light from holly hahn, because we thought it added a sculptural element. but with the glass and the transparency, it does not feel too heavy. one of the biggest mistakes when designing is to cram too much stuff in. and one way to maximize a small space is to keep rectangles and squares pushed up to straight lines and then utilize round in areas like this where movement flows around them.

moving on to the kitchen, there's always a weird circumstance that you have to deal with. in our case, it was this gray panelled box that sits right in the middle of the garden. and rather than do something cliche like a fountain, we commissioned local sculptor artist robert cannon to produce this piece for us. and he's known for these concrete forms and mixing plants into them. what we have here is mint, sage, parsley, onion, lettuce, and other edibles in a very artistic sense. we chose this area for the living room, because it has the best views on the terrace. [music playing] we can see the statue of liberty, the freedom tower,

downtown manhattan, and even get some views of the park over here. one trick for defining a space is to change the flooring. and in this case, what we did was we just inlaid a deck within the stone pavers. and decking tends to be a lot softer, a lot more neutral, and more comforting than pavers. directly across from the living room area-- the sunniest space in the garden-- we gave sunbathers an opportunity to get their tans on. as a designer, one trick that i always look for in a garden or a small space is to make sure that the eye kind of moves around, and we look at the most strategic points of interest. and then when we take some of those dead zones, we give it something beautiful. and so in this case, this wall is a dead zone. while putting these river birches here, it allows the eye to just flow right out into our open view.

[music playing] hopefully i was able to give you guys some good tips today on designing outdoor spaces. and remember with design, it's never right or wrong. it's just a series of options that lead you to answers. [music playing] still ahead on "open house," tips from the pros to help you transform your backyard into a stunning space for entertaining. so to begin a good party, you have to begin where the guests will first arrive. see you after the break. [music playing]

welcome back. we are wrapping things up back in the hamptons at the sag harbor home of chef and lifestyle expert george hirsch. he knows a thing or two about entertaining. now he's sharing his secrets to help you create the perfect space to entertain your guests. hi, i'm george hirsch from sag harbor

in the hamptons, new york. welcome to my home where i'm going to share with you some entertaining and design tips to throw a successful party outdoors. so to begin a good party, you have to begin where the guests will first arrive. so first thing i'll do is have a seating area for them to relax, unwind, have a drink, maybe nibble with a little light snack and, of course, looked in towards the party. when laying out any type of spread or food for your guests, kind of have something that's a little free flowing. have stacks of plates, not place settings. let guests kind of mingle around and sample their food. table choice is also an important consideration as far as how the flow is going to go with conversation and how yours guests will be able to interact. my choice here in this table was to select a large square table where eight guests could comfortably

fit and be able to talk to each other all at the same time. after all, i want them to say good stuff about my food. best thing you can do for your bar is to set up the space in a free flowing area away from the living area, away from the dining and the grilling area. this way, it also gives you an opportunity to keep the guests mingling. cheers. so part of my consideration when setting up my bar was to put a beautiful bistro set-- a nice high top table with comfortable chairs and stools, and people can sit and relax while they're mingling around the bar. this is a very special place in my outdoor garden. this is my-- i call it my romantic patio, because the space actually lights up from the table. the table illuminates at night, creating a special magic sitting here and just making nice conversation. and of course, every great outdoor party deserves a wow. this is my wow area where my guests have a chance after they've arrived and had maybe a sip and a nibble--

have an opportunity to come down and relax waterside with something really refreshing. they can juice their own fresh orange juice to put into a fabulous prosecco that makes any poolside gathering memorable. so sitting poolside required a different thought form when it came to picking out the type of furniture and the seating i was going to use. i wanted something a little bit more round that could create the conversation to go around and round. of course, i'm a chef, and i have the best in all culinary gadgets. but you'll also notice there's grills everywhere-- grills when guests arrive, grills in the bar area, grills around the pool. because i like to set up stations-- various cooking stations with different types of nibbles and snacks. everyone's well fed at my parties. so remember, a party's all about comfort and fun. you, as the host-- if you're having a good time, your guests will have a great time, too.

so as you can see, with a little bit of creativity and planning, you too can create a charming outdoor space. if you need more inspiration, here's a tip. hanging string lights are a fun and easy way to brighten up your next outdoor gathering. and there are plenty of options that offer a twist on the traditional globe string lights. you can check out some options we found on facebook and instagram. that's all for now. thanks for stopping in. i'll see you next week. [music playing]

a go on this sunday night, no apologies from donald trump over his explosive comments as a new survey reveals where the candidates stand after the first republican debate. fighting isis. the u.s. steps up its campaign against the terrorist group in syria by moving fighter jets to neighboring turkey. back to ferguson, memorials and tributes one year after the shooting death of michael brown set off a national debate about police conduct and race. standing guard. after the chattanooga shooting we're with some of the heavily armed citizens on patrol at this recruitment center. and remembering frank gifford, the nfl hall of famer and broadcast legend. "nig