Backyard Opera Stage

Before: Christine Katzenmaier particularly dislikes her drab patio. It lacks color and is non-artistic, which is not at all fitting with her personality or lifestyle.

After: A pergola provides decorative framework for the patio/stage and a chandelier hung on a pulley holds tea lights for candlelit dining or stage lighting. Tuscan-inspired earth tones set the stage for casual dining and dupioni silk curtains hung along the back of the pergola create the perfect backdrop.

Before: This side wall is boring and offers no interest in the garden.

After: A painted mural provides a beautiful focal point in this part of the yard.

Christine Katzenmaier is an opera singer who always wanted to give an outdoor concert. She doesn't know that her dream will become a reality as her singing partner, Jahna, and husband, Michael, have arranged for Outer Spaces and designer Alexandra Boyd to transform the Katzenmaiers' backyard into a multifunctional space for entertaining and singing with an Old World theme.

Alexandra Boyd's plan includes a patio for al fresco dining or opera performances. An "orchestra pit" made of stepping stones with speakers and lights hidden in rocks is just below it with a grassy area for the audience just beyond.

Papyrus plants that had blocked the patio were moved to the garage wall to disguise utility wires (be sure to avoid moving plants in the heat of the day). Grapevines on trellises, agapanthus, a vitex tree and pea gravel edged by larger rocks complete the once-bare wall.

This mural gives Katzenmaier a view of the Tuscan countryside. The paper image is first divided into a grid pattern and transferred to scale onto a piece of plywood (so it can be taken indoors when necessary) using chalk lines. Once the design is penciled in place, square by square, it's painted and coated with waterproof sealant for extra protection.

Faux rocks with built-in speakers and spotlights are placed on a layer of sand and then surrounded by pavers and pea gravel to disguise the wires. Musical notes and instruments made of copper tubing are twisted into shape and placed within the pit to enhance the musical theme.

candelabra (Arte Design Imports)
pots (Jackalope)

Resources
chandelier
Harbor Flower Shop
145 Main St.
Stony Brook, NY 11790
Phone: 631-751-3355
Fax: 631-751-3389
E-mail: harborflowershop@msn.com

decorative project materials
Arte Design Imports
133 S. La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 323-931-0678

decorative project materials
Jackalope, Inc.
Website: www.jackalope.com

rock speakers
Stereo Stone Reno
Toll-Free Phone: 888-225-9358
Website: www.stereostonereno.com

fountain
Stonesmith Garden Vessels
PO Box 713
Cambria, CA 93428
Phone: 805-927-0827
E-mail: stonesmith@purenet.net
Guests
Alexandra Boyd
Interior Designer, Alexandra Boyd Design Studio
Website: www.alexandraboyd.com

Christine Katzenmaier, Opera Singer
Website: www.DivAria.com
Also in this Episode

Outer Spaces : Episode HSPA-201
•	Backyard Opera Stage