Wall becomes Mexican cantina

Kathie Heaps loved the big screened-in porch she and Bobbie Folsom built over the garage at their commercial building-turned-home on Harrison Street in Davenport.

But something was missing, and Heaps knew it.

Three sides of the porch were screened, but the fourth side - the concrete block wall that makes up the back of their home - was blank and boring. Heaps wanted to paint something there, but she wasn't sure what. So, for six years, the blank remained.

Then one day, Angela Peeters of Bettendorf walked into the barber-hair styling shop that Heaps and Folsom operate on the first floor of their home, and, after the appointment, they all got to talking. Heaps mentioned her desire for a mural on the porch wall, something along the lines of a Mexican cantina.

Peeters grabbed a sketchpad out of her purse and, as Heaps says, "My thoughts jumped out of my heart and onto her notepad."

The two struck a deal, and on weekends and evenings after work, Peeters sketched a freehand design on the wall with a Sharpie. She then set about painting, using exterior latex paint meant for concrete and applying it with a variety of brushes, sponges and rags. A few details were added in acrylic paint.

The result is a bright, colorful design that adds to the "on vacation" feel of the porch and makes the project complete.

By day, Peeters is the manager of a law office; she enjoys creating jewelry, greeting cards and paintings as a hobby.

Painting a 'brick' patio

An expanse of gray concrete isn't the most inviting look for a patio, so Kathie Heaps decided to add a little pizzazz by painting on a brick pattern.

First, an artist friend made her a template, complete with handles, out of sheet metal.

After cleaning the patio with an acid wash and allowing it to dry, Heaps began to paint.

She laid the template on the concrete, then filled in the "bricks" using a small roller and three shades of latex paint intended for concrete.

When one block was finished, she picked up the template, turned it on its side and painted another block.

The whole process took about 11 hours for the space that is 22½ feet square.

That was four years ago, and although the paint has flaked some - especially with the use of deicing salt in the winter - Heaps likes the look and intends to redo it.

The brick pattern "took away that parking lot look," she says. "I just love it."

Brightening a small yard

Limited space doesn't necessarily mean limited landscaping.

With just a small, steeply sloped strip of turf beside the commercial building-turned-home, Kathie Heaps created planting beds by building retaining walls and backfilling with soil and plants.

The beds also reduce stormwater runoff by giving the water a place to soak in.

Heaps also installed window boxes and trellises that allow vining plants to grow vertically.