Patio Pizazz
By Meda Kessler
Photos by Brian McWeeney
Color and pattern give a small space a big look
This 1951 midcentury “treehouse” on a heavily sloped lot off Merrick Street has undergone a massive interior transformation since Shauna Glenn and husband Jeff Jones bought it two years ago.
Shauna, who runs Shauna Glenn Design, loves color. (Look for her new office coming later this year next door to Zeke’s near the intersection of Camp Bowie Boulevard and Bryant Irvin Road. See more of her work at shaunaglenndesign.com.) The previously all-white 3,300-square-foot home has been painted and papered with bold hues and patterns, and adorned with eclectic art and finds from the couple’s travels, from Palm Springs to Spain.
Shauna turned an unused space into a cozy and colorful patio. She hired local muralist Mariell Guzman to paint a focal point on one wall that complements the Zia concrete tiles.
A cozy spot for two is shaded by the roof’s overhang.
Even an unused small and narrow space, essentially an alleyway between the garage and house, got the Shauna touch as she created an intimate cantina for herself and Jeff, who are almost empty nesters with one teenager still at home. (Plans are underway to redo a massive back deck off the main kitchen.)
The project began with Shauna’s collaboration with Zia Tile, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in encaustic cement tile. Given a matte finish, the tile is slip-resistant, making it a natural for an outdoor space. Shauna used it on the level portion of the space, opting to paint the rest of the concrete — it’s sloped for drainage — a bold blue.
Mariell Guzman, a local artist and muralist, then painted a vibrant design on the surrounding walls. Shauna later added wide solid stripes on an adjacent wall.
The couple drew up plans that included an outdoor kitchen. Jeff had the foresight to run electrical and gas lines to the space during the early days of the remodel. This came in handy for the outdoor sound system and specially made neon lighting, too. A custom metal-framed cabinet faced with black porcelain tile and topped with black leathered granite houses a large gas grill, Big Green Egg and Ooni pizza oven. Situated against the wall of the house, the kitchen is protected by the deep roof overhang.
Guzman’s work features all of Shauna’s favorite colors. The painter’s work can be seen around Fort Worth including on a wall of the 7 City Church at the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Bledsoe Street. Visit bymariell.com for more of the artist’s work.
The neon sign was custom made.
There’s also room for a dining table for four, plus patio chairs, cocktail tables, kitchen garden and potted plants.
Shielded from the wind, the once unused and unloved space with blank walls and blah concrete is now a cozy oasis for drinking coffee in the morning, hanging out with the grandkids for lunch or winding down with a glass of wine and dinner in the evening.
Is it finished? Shauna laughs. “Of course not. There’s still one blank wall. We’ll probably have Mariell back to add a new mural.”