OMG !! WOW ! ! How in the world...well you are a genius !! Now all I gotta do is buy you a plane ticket and you can come help mastermind this BEAUTIFUL project. Thank you suero...thank you....Caroline

You're welcome.

If you can't build arches on the wall, then at least replace the existing windows with arched windows, and paint the frames a deep red.

Not sure about the arched windows...I happen to have one absolutely gorgeous one but I refinished it and have it in the house. How would one go about building arches "on the wall" ? The wall is from the 80's and is cement block. Any ideas how to do faux arches? I saw amazing 3 dimensional painting on stone houses in Tuscany....I had to touch the shutters to be sure they weren't real. wish I knew how to do that ...sigh. c

Suero - - wow! Nice job!! I love the wall the way it is now, but you made it even better. I love arches as we have so many sharp corners in our decor.

Trailrunner, you could fake the arches with paint. Just paint what you see in Sue's PS pic. That would be the cheapest/easiest way to do it. The center grilles could be made of wood, but the outside part painted. I suppose a wooden "collar" might also be affixed to the wall somehow.

Look for cast stone or cast resin that would be mounted on the wall.

Yowsa! I don't think any other ideas or colors could top what suero just did!

Thank you oceanna for the ideas for painting. I wish I had your talent.

Sue I showed the pic to my DH and he was completely blown away by how good it looks. He did ask if you could use the windows we have and the window boxes and make it a New Orleans type courtyard look instead. He is thinking maybe the very darkest green shutters etc. We are trying to look at as many options as possible and also keep the "need to buy" down as much as possible. Thank you for all your help. I really appreciate it. Caroline

Another option. . .

Trailrunner, you're not in the Seattle area, are you?

You could just paint exactly what you see in Sue's picture.

You know how to draw an arch, with a tack, a string and a pencil, right? Last big arch I drew I used my laundry basket - lol!

Another thing you could do is have it stand out rather than be recessed... just cut the big arch out of plywood and attach it to the wall. Then put or paint the smaller one on it.

Roobear's option would be easier... and/or you could still paint your wall, then paint your window frames white.

You know, you could draw the arch on and then line it with little mosaic tiles. Or 2" tiles. Or those glass florist marbles.

How beautiful...either way!

roobear that looks great too and uses what we have on hand.

I WISH I was as talented as the pic Sue made and the ideas oceanna has !! Drawing arches and cutting plywood and doing mosaics...I sure would love to be that handy ...or in the Seattle area LOL>

roobear...what about the wall the terra cotta color with the shutters a very dark green and the window frames ???what color...just another view...thank you all for your time and effort. I really love the way this helps conceptualize the vision. c

I can do some changes if you want to see what it would look like with the terra cotta and green.

In my picture I did put texture on the wall as the original looks like white painted cinder blocks. I pulled the texture and the shutters right off a house in Tuscany. I think the wall color could be a little darker but I like that it picks up tones in the concrete around the pool. The texture would be easy to do with a trowel, concrete, and some uneven blending of paint. It also helps to break up the wall so you don't have one big block of color and adds interest.

The windows I left rectangular and painted them more of a turquoise blue to repeat the shape and color of the pool so your eye has more movement around the space. In Tuscany and the french quarter you see more square and rectangular windows with shutters and arched doorways than arched windows.

If you go with a terra cotta wall, the color might be more southwest looking than Tuscany, specially if it's really bright. You do see bright colors in the french quarter though. You would also not have as nice of a contrast with the terra cotta planters and plants if the wall behind it was terra cotta and you had green shutters. You would have repeating color, but in the same area as the other green and terra cotta so your eye has no movement and stays more on that wall.

Instead of mosaics, what about adding an iron feature to the planters or on the wall? It may be less expensive than mosaics but still add artistic interest and Tuscan style, plus you can get them prefabricated, ready to hang etc.

I love both of them, but the darker one with arches looks more Spanish than Tuscan to me. Maybe that's because most Mexican food places around here have a similar look.

What if you darkened behind the panes of the square windows like that of the arched windows to give it more depth?

Thank you roobear for your perceptive response. I needed to hear those kinds of ideas as I am not at all educated in this kind of design. You are right that it is simply a cinder block wall that was painted with a thick slightly textured paint. Is there someother product that I could use besides concrete to give it a lasting texture similar to what you did? I love that look.

I did grow up in New Orleans and will be "home" for a week starting May 9th so I am planning on getting a bunch of pics to see what will transfer to my space.

A couple questions...what color is that on the windows and on the shutters? Also what kind of "iron" features are you referring to ? Do you know a source? The only ones I have seen locally are very expensive but they are real antiques.

Marti I have mirrors to go behind the windows so they will reflect the flowers on the other end and the pool this giving depth. Thanks for your ideas too. PLease let me know if you think of more.

THANK YOU Sue and Roo...I really appreciate the effort. caroline

Awesome work and ideas. Roobear the details on your stucco work is beautiful!

Caroline, please forgive me for rendering an opinion that you won't want to hear, but when I saw your photograph I thought everything was very beautiful as it was. The white wall, blue pool and color of the concrete around the pool seemed to make a perfect picture to me, very harmonious and serene.

I hope you can achieve your dream look and that it will be everything you want it to be.

I agree with Ingrid.... I prefer the wall as is. The color looks great with the surroundings and the pool. I also prefer the wall without the window and flower boxes, but with just plants and/or vines. That is just my opinion of course.. Very nice area you have!

Maybe you could color wash the concrete too, beautiful surrounding the blue water.

Thank you squirrel for your ideas. I always love everything that you do. That is another idea I have been toying with.

Ingrid and amac...never fear I donot mind differing opinions at all ! That is why they make chocolate and vanilla. I asked for ideas and that is what I am getting. I appreciate all views.

This is a VERY large expanse of wall. It definitely needs something as the rest of the walls are covered with plants and the house is on the 4th side. The jasmine refuses to "go over there" and the climbing rose that I planted will take a long time to walk on over there. I have tried just large pots and it just isn't enough. Perhaps with just the heavy texturing and only pots that would be enough visual interest. If roobear wants to try it and just take away the window/shutter and leave the pots that would be great too.

Squirrel if you have any other ideas or colors...the house is that beige color I would love to see. THANK YOU ALL...c

I liked the wall to begin with. I also really like both of the new painted pics! I'll keep checking back to see what you decide!

When we visited New Orleans I loved the french quarter, how lucky to have been able to grow up there, it reminded me of Savannah Georgia, where I lived while I attended Savannah College of Art and Design.

I attached a link to my inspiration pic for the textured wall and shutters.

The shutters are a stained wood, which is more natural looking. The window color I just added a medium turquoise to the blue and made sure it was slightly muted. I would look at the pool mosaic tile to help incorporate the color and bring out the detail around the pool.

The textured wall-you might be able to do some light textured plastering in layers with some faux painting to give you the look. You want to use materials that are going to hold up to elements and last.

You could look into a faux artist, muralist, or art student who could replicate the look. However I think it's something you could do your self easily- it would be a really forgiving process-specially if your going for a imperfect textured look. I think you could even just use paint to create the look I think you mentioned you had seen some of that before.

The iron feature I didn't have anything in mind exactly I was sort of thinking about something that could double as a trellis/lattice. I would think online you might be able to find something less expensive.

Throwing out other ideas...

What about long and tall closed shutters (4 ft) or square or rectangle shaped iron decor instead of the windows? What about planters that hang vertical on the wall?

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

sheesharee..thank you for the support ! I appreciate any ideas and also "atta boys" !!

roobear thank you for that great photo. I love that pic. I have a new "old" place that is opening on Saturday. They have an outdoor area that I peeked into and....shutters...long and closed...would look great and they are already outside so they are meant for this. I have some planters on the back fence that hang on the wall. More and more I am liking the simplicity of no windows and using the iron designs and shuutters. I am glad you proposed it.

The ones for this wall are the 36" wide ones but I am thinking of putting them on the windows ...

this is a before pic when the porch was being added. That side gets a lot of late afternoon very hot sun so they would really flourish and dress upi that area. I am more inclined in the direction you are suggesting...shutters, texture and plants.

The Dap company makes a product that I was going to use to fill cracks etc. I am wondering if it would work for the texturing. Forgiving??? LOL>>>>you got that right. I want to have a party and have you and oceanna and Sue come help :)

It was very fun growing up in NOLA. Unfortunately it is so changed since Katrina and will never be the same except in little pockets. It is very hard on our family to see the differences and not be able/willing to leave. The life there is very special and once you stay it is almost impossible to conceive of living elsewhere. But enough reminiscing...I just new you had a background in design and art. I have a fabulous window that I restored...but I really don't want to expose it to the elements again...

she is my pride and joy and was 50.00 and lots of elbow grease.

Thank you again and I will keep you posted on what I do. If you have any other suggestions please e-mail me I love to chat about "projects". THANK YOU Caroline