Hillside hideaway for dining
Notched into the slope, it expands the rear yard
Christina Schmidhofer
A strong retaining wall stabilizes the slope.
Problem: How do you create an outdoor dining area in a tight backyard against a steep uphill slope?
Solution: You dig it out. Armed with pick and shovel, interior designer Linda Applewhite and her husband, Marshall Miller, excavated a 15- by 20-foot semicircular area out of the hillside. “It was enough dirt to fill our neighbor’s swimming pool ― which we did,” says Applewhite, speaking of the serendipitous intersection of their excess soil with their neighbor’s desire to fill in an unwanted pool.
A strong retaining wall ― built of concrete block covered with stucco ― stabilizes the slope. Applewhite used tile pavers, a sturdy arbor made of recycled timbers, and a pair of antique, hand-carved corbels to give the patio character. Romantic touches include a pair of wall fountains with recirculating pumps, a candle-filled chandelier, and a dense canopy of potato vines.
