The “most beautiful” public garden in North Carolina can be found in Asheville, according to popular home improvement network HGTV.
The network named Biltmore Estate Gardens the top spot in the state to see stunning views and scenery in its August article, “The Most Beautiful Garden You Can Visit in Every State.”
“With 8,000 acres, America’s most visited garden surrounds the country’s largest private home,” Alexis Benveniste says of Biltmore. “The century-old walled garden transforms seasonally, while the bass pond offers reflective views of the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond.”
The Biltmore, located in Asheville, is the largest home in America, spanning 175,000 square feet with 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. Every year, people from all over the world visit the estate to see the historic gardens, new exhibits, take behind-the-scenes tours and more.
The Biltmore Estate. Biltmore
When is Biltmore open?
Biltmore is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the conservatory, Italian Garden and Walled Garden are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours vary for the Biltmore House and for other attractions on the grounds.
What to do at Biltmore
Whether you’re making a day trip or planning an overnight stay, there are a wide variety of activities to do at the 250-room estate, including hiking, wine tastings, carriage rides, guided tours and more.
Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina, in fall 2009. Black Horse Studio VisitNC.com
Biltmore was previously recognized in 2024 by TripAdvisor as part of its annual Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” Awards and as a top honeymoon destination by Decor Hint. In July, the estate was named by Travel + Leisure as the third-best resort in the South.
Christmas at Biltmore is set to return despite Tropical Storm Helene damage to America’s largest home. Courtesy of The Biltmore Company
“The Brady Bunch” superfans better hold onto their bell bottoms: The TV family’s retro home in Studio City will finally be accessible to the public for the first time.
The double doors to the midcentury Studio City home — made famous with its appearance in the beloved 1970s sitcom — will open to fans for three days in November thanks to a limited event by pop culture historian Alison Martino and her Vintage Los Angeles. Martino, an on-air host and producer for Spectrum news and the daughter of singer-actor Al Martino, unveiled the “Brady Experience” on Monday on Facebook.
“It’s like stepping back into our childhood! IT IS ASTONISHING and you will see every single room,” she announced. “I will personally be taking each and every one of you throughout the house.”
From Nov. 7 to 9, Martino will guide fans who have shelled out $275 each through the iconic Dilling Street property. The event is now sold out. Though the home’s facade appeared throughout the run of the family sitcom, its interior at the time bore no resemblance to the colorful rooms shown on screen. The interiors of the Brady residence were constructed on sets at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.
The famous abode, originally built in 1959 with late modernist architecture, was renovated decades after “The Brady Bunch” ended in 1974.
HGTV purchased the home in 2018 for $3.5 million (more than twice the asking price) and renovated the interior to match what “Brady Bunch” audiences saw onscreen. The home renovation network documented that process in “A Very Brady Renovation,” which featured the stars who portrayed the Brady children.
As part of the renovations, HGTV reproduced the groovy spaces from the set in the home, adding a second floor to accommodate the additional rooms. The network sold the home in 2023 for $3.2 million to Tina Trahan, a historic-home enthusiast and wife to former HBO executive Chris Albrecht.
The home, in all its “Brady Bunch” glory, has become “even more groovy with more remarkable vintage decor added,” Martino added in her announcement. She said nothing in the home would be off limits, allowing fans to “see every detail up close.”
Proceeds for the three-day event will benefit animal rescue Wags and Walks, a cause that Martino said Brady family dog “Tiger would definitely approve!”
Vintage Los Angeles founder Alison Martino is your tour guide
Alison Martino at The Brady Bunch house in North HollywoodCredit: Photo courtesy Tina Trahan
Fifty-six years ago this week, The Brady Bunch premiered on ABC and launched a pop culture juggernaut that still resonates today. In 2019, the kids from the original show teamed up to transform the interior of the 1959 North Hollywood home used in the show’s establishing shot into a picture-perfect replica of the original sets that once stood on a Paramount soundstage. The house had been purchased by HGTV to star alongside the Brady kids in a new reality series about rebuilding the house called A Very Brady Renovation.
The Brady Bunch house in North HollywoodCredit: Photo courtesy Tina Trahan
Since the show wrapped, a handful of visitors have been treated by private invitation to see the extraordinary replica of this TV icon. Los Angeles reported that a couple of years ago, the network quietly sold the property to Tina Trahan, a historic home enthusiast and the wife of former HBO chief executive Chris Albrecht. “It’s almost like a life-size dollhouse,” Trahan told the Wall Street Journal when she purchased the home. She told the paper that she planned to use the property for fundraising and charitable events.
Now is your big chance to step inside. Trahan is an animal lover who wants to raise funds for Wags and Walks, a nonprofit that finds homes for animals in shelters. She’s teaming up with Los Angeles contributor and Vintage Los Angeles founder Alison Martino for a series of fundraising visits in November. “We’re going to open the house for an immersive experience for three days,” Martino says. “She has taken this house to the next level. There’s nothing like this in the world.”
The Brady Bunch house in North HollywoodCredit: Photo courtesy Tina Trahan
Martino swoons over Trahan’s meticulous additions, from Greg Brady’s cursed tiki pendant to original artwork from actress Eve Plumb to the family’s 1971 Plymouth Satellite station wagon permanently parked outside. “There have been a lot of additions,” Martino says. “Fans have sent her things with notes like ‘I found the exact ashtray’ from a certain episode and I want you to have it.”
The Brady Bunch house in North HollywoodCredit: Photo courtesy Tina Trahan
Scroll to continue reading
Tours are limited to 25 visitors who will all have to wear booties to protect the vintage carpeting sourced for the show. “It is unlike any other museum,” Martino says. “Nothing is roped off. Guests can wander around every room and look at everything in detail up close.” Visitors are encouraged to come in period attire, sit on the beds, pick up their telephones and pose for pictures with a stuffed toy resembling the Brady’s dog, Tiger. The booties can come off for photos on the show’s legendary staircase, which can also accommodate your parents, five siblings and even your maid Alice.
Alison Martino at The Brady Bunch house in North HollywoodCredit: Photo courtesy Tina Trahan
A popular garden in Portsmouth garden can add another feather to its cap.
HGTV just named The Green Animals Topiary Garden the best garden in the state, after recently naming it as the state’s best roadside attraction.
And honestly, it makes sense for this place to be the best of both worlds, given how unique it is. Here’s what you need to know about the garden HGTV says is the best in Rhode Island.
The Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth is shown in 2012.
The Green Animals Topiary Garden
HGTV chose the Green Animals Topiary Garden because of the plethora of plant-animal sculptures in the garden and how well-kept they continue to be after more than 100 years.
Here’s what HGTV said about it: “New England’s oldest topiary garden features more than 80 living sculptures across seven acres overlooking Narragansett Bay. From giraffes to elephants, the garden’s menagerie of animals has been continuously maintained by three generations of gardeners.”
The website said that the first topiary sculptures were crafted in 1912 and later moved.
“Let your imagination run wild at Green Animals Topiary Garden! Bring a picnic basket and enjoy a day of fun romping in the menagerie at this lush country estate,” the website said. “Can you spy the camel? Sneak a peek at the unicorn, but watch out for bears! And don’t worry, the dog won’t bite! Snap a selfie with your favorite!”
Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.
BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A recent court filing reveals new details in a lawsuit against the companies owned by HGTV stars Dave and Jenny Marrs.
Bentonville, Arkansas, couple Matthew and Sarah McGrath filed a lawsuit in February 2023 claiming a house built for them a year earlier had numerous defects and the companies who built the home had breached a contract.
The lawsuit mentions Jupiter Rentals and Marrs Construction, both owned by Dave Marrs, one-half of the couple that stars in HGTV shows “Rock the Block” and “Fixer to Fabulous.”
The McGraths claim they paid over $10,000 for upgrades on a Bella Vista home, including replacing the kitchen sink, adding stairs and a handrail to the back deck, putting windows in a top garage panel, and continuing hardwood floors into bedrooms.
An inspection prior to closing on the property produced a list of repairs for Jupiter Rentals, according to the lawsuit. While the company agreed to complete several items on the list within 30 days, the McGraths say “not a single item on the list of repairs had been performed.”
The lawsuit claims the companies “attempted some of the repairs listed but have failed to fully perform, and several of the attempts to repair have caused more damage to the house.” The McGraths say they found additional defects in the construction of the home after taking possession of it, and learned of more “deficiencies in the construction” after an inspection.
Multiple attempts at court-ordered mediation have failed, and after months of back and forth between the two parties, no settlement has been reached.
Evidence shared in a recent 45-page filing provides even more details about what led to the lawsuit.
A letter from the McGraths’ legal counsel to Marrs and a report of findings for a structural investigation carried out by an Arkansas-based contractor were included in documents filed on March 29.
Legal counsel claims in the letter, dated January 3, 2023, that professional estimates predicted these costs:
Repair and proper construction of drive and walkways – $38,740
Landscaping and grading, including installation of French drain – $47,862
The estimates did not include nearly $1,900 expended by the McGraths “in attempts to discover the extent of the flaws in the construction of the home,” according to the letter.
The letter continued, “Please understand, these reports do not completely detail the remedial work that needs to be performed to rectify the many failures in workmanship but only represent my clients’ current understanding of the nature and scope of repairs.”
A report of findings, dated November 12, 2022, was included in the filing and said that additional investigations and design analysis were warranted in regards to roof framing, main floor framing, wall framing and wind bracing, deck foundations, deck floor modifications and attachment to the home, grading, and drainage issues.
The report said that given the age of the home, more structural issues could present themselves in the coming years. “The problems, which we observed, will continue and worsen until they are corrected,” the report added.
Nearly two dozen code issues or violations were included in the report for various parts of the house.
Among the issues found was that the deck was screwed to the rim of the house instead of being bolted to the rim. The contractor called it a “critical safety issue with the structural integrity of the deck.”
The McGraths are seeking the court’s judgment against the defendants and want the attorneys’ fees and litigation costs to be awarded as relief.
When reached for comment, an attorney representing the McGraths told Nexstar’s KNWA/KFTA, “I think the position my clients want to take is to avoid public comment on any of this until it’s over.”
Representatives for the defendants did not immediately respond to KNWA/KFTA’s request for comment.
A pretrial hearing is set for September 5 with the five-day jury trial scheduled to begin September 23 at the Benton County Courthouse.
This is not the first time that the Marrs’ have been sued regarding their construction. In 2021, a couple filed a lawsuit accusing Marrs Construction of failing to complete the work on their home without defects.
The lawsuit states the Marrs’ “did not maintain an Arkansas Contractor’s License” and “neither Marrs Developing, LLC nor Marrs Construction, Inc. obtained the required construction-related permits from Benton County, Arkansas, for the remodel to occur at the home.”
The case was dismissed in March 2022 with an order from Judge Xollie Duncan, stating, “The court finds that the plaintiffs have settled their claims and fully released the defendants from any and all claims the plaintiffs may have against them.”
Erin Napier addresses the “nasty” comments on her Instagram account.
Screengrab from Erin Napier’s Instagram page
HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier are speaking out after receiving several “really rude” online comments from trolls.
In a video shared on Instagram on April 2, Erin called out the trolls warning them about what they say online. And it’s not because the comments they receive offend them.
“Y’all realize we design these houses for people who really live in them, and they really read your comments,” Erin explained in the video. “You’re not hurting my feelings at all. But you are being really ugly to the people who are living in these houses.”
The mom of two called the comments she’s been seeing on Instagram “really, not nice, really rude,” as Ben goes as far as to call them “nasty.”
The Napiers continued by sharing the classic Thumper rule, telling her followers, “If you can’t think of something nice to say about these people’s homes… Don’t say anything at all,” Ben finished.
“You are gonna hurt someone’s feelings who lives in that house. You know better, guys,” Erin said.
Ben continued saying it feels like the trolls are trying to be intentional with their rude comments, adding “that’s the saddest thing about social media.”
“And if you’re one of those people who are on social media, unfollow me now,” Erin demanded. “Thank you. I can do that for you if you’d like,” she warned.
Erin also left those trolls with a lesson she often teaches her kids, “Do better, okay? Be sweet. Like I tell my little girls, y’all can be grownups and be sweet, okay?”
Napier captioned the Instagram, “as my mama would say, y’all act like you’ve got some raising.”
Did you guys catch the Season 3 premiere of Married to Real Estate last week on HGTV December 28th?
Source: Courtesy / HGTV
If you’ve never watched before, Season 3 of Married To Real Estate features power couple Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson as they help Atlanta families buy houses with potential and transform them into breathtaking dream homes in a new 12-episode season. Egypt, a real estate broker and designer, and her husband Mike, an expert builder, will continue to inspire fans and keep it fun while they run successful property businesses, manage a home and raise three daughters. Egypt, who previously starred in HGTV’s Property Virgins and Flipping Virgins, will apply her extensive real estate and financial knowledge to find clients affordable options in their ideal neighborhoods that can be reimagined with her custom design plans. Mike and his team will then maximize the budget and troubleshoot any construction issue to deliver stunning renovations that increase the homes’ value and return on investment. Also this season, Egypt and Mike will share memorable family experiences as their pre-teen Kendall takes up the viola while younger daughter Harper learns to ride a bike, and they’ll renovate a new office for their booming businesses.
“If you paid attention to season one and two, you know that we were trying to find a building, find a location to open up the business right bring them all together into one,” Mike Jackson told BOSSIP’s Sr. Content Director Janeé Bolden. “You see that happen. It comes to pass. So that’s the big one. Plus we also step outside of residential construction and design and we do CAU, Clark Atlanta University. It was a pretty big project.”
“You also see our girls graduating,” Egypt added. “You see Mike and I going at it. I quit the show, I quit him, I quit the project for 5 minutes. Then I was back. The stakes were definitely higher so tempers were a little higher this season too.”
Source: Courtesy / HGTV
While anyone who has bought, built or renovated a home knows how stressful it can be, Egypt joked that the stress had more to do with the normal pressures of working with loved ones than the tribulations of home construction.
“It had absolutely nothing to do with the projects and everything to do with being married and working with your spouse and your uncle. All in good fun. I think we just take everybody on the journey with us and you know with our show it really is about an evolution of family and legacy so season three is no different. You get more of what folks have been loving about us and we thank everybody. We’re so grateful for this journey that you guys have supported us on.”
The couple’s genuine loving rapport is definitely a large part of what’s attracted over 15.6 million viewers to their previous run. But Egypt and Mike say very little has changed for them or their kids, even though the show has extended their family to include numerous fans, who Egypt has nicknamed “fanily”.
“I don’t think they’ve noticed it as far as people recognizing them especially Harper,” Sherrod said of the couple’s youngest daughter. “When people come up to her and say, ‘Hey!’ she just thinks it’s stranger danger, she’s not worried about that. With Kendall she recognizes that people understand what it is, but she’s like ‘OK but I’m trying to go buy me a new something.’ It’s not about the fame for her. The adjustment has been okay. We’ve kept them pretty insulated because nothing’s changed about mommy and daddy. They’re surrounded by love and their full village and aunties and grandmas and cousins and everything so nothing big has changed. We haven’t gone out and gotten paparazzi. That’s not our life, we’re still in Costco!”
Source: Courtesy / HGTV
That down to earth energy is definitely part of their appeal. The success of Married to Real Estate has been beautiful to watch because Mike and Egypt are such a positive reflection of what a healthy Black marriage can look like. It’s also just as powerful to see Black entrepreneurship in action.
“I feel like growing up I wanted to see more people like me,” Egypt recalled. ” I wanted to see marriages that worked. In our community maybe we just haven’t had as many examples or maybe they’re just not shown on television. We recognize the importance of people viewing a really truly happy marriage where folks are friends, we’re getting along, we don’t demean each other. It’s not fake. We’re the same people on and off the camera. But where we have this whole picture of having children and we love just as hard, we’re building a legacy for our kids and we do good business. Representation across the board, any facet of life, matters. We recognize and do not take for granted what our show means for our community.”
While the spotlight can be a difficult place for some, Mike and Egypt say remaining true to who they are have made their journey run smoothly.
“We are who we are, on camera and behind the scenes, so we never have to put on,” Jackson told BOSSIP. That’s when you start to feel the pressure, when you gotta live up to something that’s really not you. When [people] come up to us and say, ‘Listen, my daughter just sat and watched the show with me,’ or ‘isten just keep going because you’re representing us well,’ those are the things when you know your’e doing the right thing for the right reasons.
Tune in for all-new episodes of Married to Real Estate Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on HGTV
Fans can stream the first two seasons of Married to Real Estate now on Max®. And, HGTV’s digital platforms will offer up even more exclusive content from the new season at HGTV.com and by following @HGTV and #MarriedtoRealEstate onâ¯Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Threads. In addition, fans can connect with Egypt (@egyptsherrod) and Mike (@djfadelf) on Instagram.
HGTV star Ty Pennington explained on Instagram how he went from “the red carpet to the” intensive care unit after “barely” breathing when he woke up on Tuesday, just two days after he attended the “Barbie” premiere in Los Angeles.
Pennington, known for hosting “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” shared in a post that he is “okay now” and recovering after being intubated in the ICU earlier this week.
The host, who is set to be featured on one of eight teams in HGTV’s four-part special “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge,” said he attended the premiere for the Greta Gerwig-directed movie before flying out to film in Breckinridge, Colorado on Monday.
Pennington revealed that he woke up at 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning and could “barely breathe.”
“Turns out, that sore throat Ive had for the last month was actually an abscess which had grown so large it was closing off my airway,” he wrote.
“Next thing I know, I was intubated and flown to the ICU in Denver.”
The host added that he had surgery on Wednesday before a Colorado hospital released him, noting his praise of the “amazing” staff at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood and St. Anthony Summit Hospital in Frisco.
“A great reminder to LISTEN to your body when it’s telling you something 😳😅 #justhappytobehere,” he wrote.
HGTV’s “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” is set to feature other HGTV personalities alongside Pennington as teams compete to reimagine a Southern California home into one reminiscent of a home in Barbie’s world, according to the network.
