Adding A Creative Wall Dressing

Figure A

Homeowner Loree Lewandowski has a narrow, cottage-style courtyard with a blank, imposing wall that makes the area feel closed-in (figure A). She wants to transform it into a more welcoming entryway. Landscape architect Louise Leff uses the trompe l'oeil technique to design a trellis for the expansive wall and give the courtyard the illusion of more depth. The arched trellis surrounds a wall-mounted fountain and is enhanced by colorful plantings for a cottage garden feel. Be sure to consider the size of the site and wall when designing a trellis; if the trellis is too large, it can overwhelm the area, but if it's too small, the optical illusion will be lost.

Leff says that a professional would charge about $1,500 for the custom-designed trellis and fountain, but do-it-yourselfers can buy the materials for a mere $200. This project is rated a 3 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult). Physically, it's an easy project, but the conceptual planning adds some difficulty. The project can be completed in one weekend.

Step One: Preparing for the Trellis

First, determine where to hang the fountain because it is the true focal point — the vanishing point that your eye will be drawn to by the trellis's illusion. Consider the location in the same way you would when hanging a picture. Place it at eye level and where it will be most interesting; mark that spot on the wall.

For this project, you need three different saws: a chop saw, jigsaw and table saw. Use 6-foot-long, 1 1/2-inch wide redwood lath (strips) that are commonly used in building lattice. After selecting the best pieces of lath, smooth them with a power sander to remove any loose wood fibers. If you plan to paint the trellis, now is the time to apply a couple of coats of exterior-grade primer. Allow the paint to dry for about one hour.

Figure B

Step Two: Building the Side Panels

Master carpenter Tim Rice of Rice Construction demonstrates how to build the trellis. The frames of the side panels are composed of laths attached to form two rectangles, 5 feet 6 inches tall by 2 feet wide. Each panel includes 5 vertical laths and 12 horizontal ones (figure B).

Start by cutting the laths for the side panels to build a simple rectangular frame on the ground, good side down, and check that the angles are square. With the horizontal laths slightly overlapping the vertical laths, tack the corners together using a staple gun with 1/2-inch galvanized staples.

To create the lattice grid, attach horizontal laths to the back of the frame, spacing them evenly apart — 6 inches on center. Staple them to the vertical sides of the frame. Then attach the vertical laths under them, allowing 6-inch spacing between each one. Build the second side panel in the same manner.

Step Three: Creating the Illusion

Leff explains that there are two principles to follow in creating the illusion:

1. Things appear smaller at a distance, so the laths that are closest to the center — the vanishing point — need to be made smaller. In other words, the vertical laths of the inner trellis panels need to be shaved down to be narrower. The horizontal crosspieces also need to be tapered to create a sense of distance.
2. The vertical laths will remain vertical, but the horizontal laths need to point toward the center vanishing point. They will be set at a slight angle, pulling your eye toward the center.

Begin by laying down the two side panels on your driveway, a little over 4 feet apart. Measure the exact center between them, and mark it on the driveway for reference. Use a table saw to make each vertical lath about 1/4-inch narrower than the one before so that the ones closer to the center are skinnier than the laths closer to the side panels.

Figure C

Lay out the graduated laths on the ground about 1/2 inch closer together as you work toward the center (figure C). Next, proceed to the crosspieces that extend off the horizontal laths of the side panels and point towards the vanishing point. For each one, lay a piece of lath in place on the ground, across the vertical laths and pointing toward the center; use a level to mark its angle and length because each one will be slightly different.

Figure D

Cut the lath to the length marked, and to enhance the illusion of depth, taper the lath width from 1 1/2 inches at its widest to 3/4 inch at its narrowest (figure D). Finally, angle the ends so that they won't hang over the edges of the vertical lath. Cut the rest of the crosspieces in the same manner.

Figure E

Lay out just the top and bottom crosspieces so you can determine where to trim the vertical laths. Cut their ends off at an angle as well. Lay out the vertical strips and all the crosspieces, angling them towards the vanishing point, and staple all the pieces together (figure E).

The design for the top of the arched trellis uses the same principles of illusion as the inner trellises, with the top layer being wider and longer, and the layers progressing toward the center becoming narrower and shorter. The crosspieces taper and point toward the vanishing point.

Figure F

Angle two pieces of lath across the top of the side panels and connect them with a third lath across the top, using a staple gun. As you build each subsequent layer, trim the lath by 1/4 inch and reduce the spacing by 1/2 inch as you approach the vanishing point (figure F). Attach all the laths with a staple gun. Next, add the crosspieces, tapered from the top end toward the vanishing point, as was done for the side crosspieces.

Now that it's assembled, apply two coats of exterior latex paint and let dry overnight. To mount the trellis to the wall, center it around the vanishing point (fountain location) and attach it with galvanized screws.

Figure G

Step Four: Setting Up the Fountain

Leff chose a terra cotta spill fountain with an ivy leaf pattern (figure G) that costs about $100 at specialty garden shops. The fountain is self-contained, so you just hang it and plug it in.

To hang the fountain, sink a screw in the wall at the vanishing point you marked. You can hide the electrical cord by running it through the wall. Cut off the plug at the end of the cord and insert the cord through the hole in the fountain so that the pump rests at the bottom of the basin. Attach a wire to the end of the cord with tape. Lift and hold the fountain, while a friend feeds the wire and cord through a hole drilled through the wall near the vanishing point. Have another friend on the other side of the wall pull the cord through. Hang the fountain securely on the screw.

Remove the wire from the cord and reattach the plug so that it can be inserted into a nearby outlet. Connect a short recirculating hose to the pump and the fountain, fill the basin with water, and turn on the fountain to test it.

Planting: A Colorful Cottage Garden

Leff explains that plants can enhance the illusion of depth in a garden; in particular, plants with small textures can appear farther away. To enhance the cottage garden feel, she trains flowering vines up the trellis side panels to draw the eye up and fills the area at the base of the wall with an assortment of small-textured plants in purples, pinks and whites. She chooses:

Hardenbergia violacea 'Icicle', Zones 10-11 (for the trellis)
Lavender (Lavandula pinnata), Zones 9-10