Tuscan-Themed Deck : Home Improvement : Home & Garden Television

Before: The homeowners would love a welcoming backyard that suits their entertaining needs while providing grassy play areas for their kids. Currently, the bare deck and gray garage wall aren't fulfilling any of those requirements.

After: To give this plain deck a passport to style, the faded boards are stained, supplying a warm background for a copper-topped table, teak chairs, a potting bench and lots of lush plants that combine to create an Old World Italian theme.

When Sheila and Stephen Rossi went to Europe for a vacation a few years ago, Sheila missed out on all the sites in Italy due to strep throat. As a result, Stephen would like to do something special for her, especially since she's always putting their kids ahead of herself. With the help of Susie Coelho, the Outer Spaces team and landscape designer Jerry Hritz, the Rossi backyard deck is transformed into a Tuscan-themed alfresco dining room.

Before: The large deck is a faded, almost empty and unused space that the homeowners haven't had a chance to turn into a functional area for outdoor enjoyment. A trip to Italy has inspired a Tuscan theme to bring a touch of European charm to this lifeless spot.

After: A pathway of pavers leads to the richly-stained deck, and large pots of bougainvillea and trumpet vines bring life and color to the once-bland area. Hanging lanterns with tea lights add a soft glow for romantic dinners or a party with friends and family.

Jerry Hritz's plan includes a table with a copper top, a fire pit, a fountain framed by an arbor of flowering vines on the garage wall, hanging candle lanterns from the trees and a fun sandbox just off the deck. The boring garage wall will get a plaster treatment to replicate aged limestone.

Using an age-old Venetian plaster treatment, artist Fabio Losurdo applies layers of plaster with limestone in it for depth, then uses wax to enhance the color, speed up the aging process and bring out the distressed areas for an even more interesting fountain backdrop.

tableware items, lanterns, chairs (Cost Plus World Market)

Media
See how to turn a garage-sale find into an aged and elegant outdoor dining table with copper sheeting.

The sandbox is completed with a gondola teeter-totter and a striped pole topped by an umbrella to provide plenty of hours of shaded play.

Guests
Jerry Hritz
Landscape Designer
Allegro Verde Landscape Design
We apologize no contact information is available.
Fabio Losurdo
Artist, Venetian Masters
120 S. Reno St. #256
Los Angeles, CA, 90057

Resources
decorative project materials

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