There are contractors who we do business with and those who are truly family. Donald Sherbeyn, a three-time Hardscape Hero monthly winner and the 2016 Hardscape Hero of the Year, exemplifies Eagle Bay values of hard work, environmental stewardship and providing excellent customer service.
Celebrating 25 years in the business this year, Donald Sherbeyn of Sherbeyn’s Lawn and Landscape, explains what keeps him so invested in his work:
“I love being creative, it’s in my nature. Our company has designed and built hundreds of sidewalks and square patios, however when given the opportunity to really get creative, I thrive on getting to spread my wings and try new things.”
For Sherbeyn, his teams’ mindset plays a crucial role in the project even before ground is broken. He asks himself one very simple but defining questions before kickoff, “how can we make this unique?”
“For this project, the client bought into our vision and was open to my creative ideas from beginning to end. I always explain that if they join me in the adventure, we can build something really special together.”
With every great project, usually comes a great challenge to overcome as well. Sherbeyn and his team have built a reputation on creative outcomes in difficult terrain.
“Looking for a permeable option to deal with drainage was a challenge. We didn’t want to have to install a typical drain in the middle of the patio because they are not very attractive. It would really take away from the overall elegance of our design.”
Sherbeyn, who has worked with Eagle Bay products for years, is well-versed in the selection of permeable options and chose Chatham Mini for the inlay on both the upper and lower sections.
“Utilizing Chatham Mini as a permeable solution allowed us to keep the elegance of the overall design while effectively dealing with runoff. With 6 different sets of octagons, things can be tricky, but the team did everything they needed to do.”
Having a creative vision is crucial, but if his experience has taught him anything, it’s that the key to developing an award-winning project also comes down to the ability to listen to and distill the homeowner’s vision. Sherbeyn explains, “A lot of clients will say they don’t know what they want, but they really do. They just don’t know how to put it into words. A good designer knows how to ask the right questions, listen and continually enhance the design and features as the project develops.”
The collaborative relationship that Sherbeyn built with the homeowners was an integral part of its success. Not only is the project evolving into an expanded, new phase of development including sitting walls and a pergola, Sherbeyn and his team were treated like family at the end of the day.
“This client was just phenomenal to work with. They invited my entire crew to a 4-course meal on their patio including homemade BBQ and ribs. They set out white linens and everything. The way they treated us was just super special and really meant a lot to us.”
This winning project was completed using the following products:
- Highland Stone 6” Retaining Wall – Chesapeake color
- Highland Stone XL Cap – Chesapeake color
- CottageStone Textured – Sahara color
- CottageStone Textured – Chesapeake color
- CopingStone – Chesapeake
- Chatham Natural – Jefferson color
- Chatham Mini – Jefferson color / Permeable
- Chatham Mini – Potomac color / Permeable
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