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Expert advice: cable trellis

 
Interior Spaces Inc.
Interior Spaces Inc.
Published Sept. 6, 2013

A large surface of house or garage wall is often an unwitting part of your garden or yard space. These walls often border the spaces, and a very predictable way of treating them is to plant a hedge or small garden area of some sort that partially or entirely covers the wall. One way to actually take advantage of that wall might be a cable trellis, like the one in the picture. In this project, a large frame was made that exactly fit the space, and cables were installed and stretched into the frame to repeat the diamond shape of the decorative mirror attached to the wall. A vine (in this installation, Confederate Jasmine) is trained onto the cable trellis, and as it grows it will be trimmed so that the pattern of the cables is always visible. The ultimate effect will be a piece of living art! Since these vines don't require a lot of ground space to grow in, this is an ideal application where square footage is at a premium. It can also be a great treatment where the wall behind is wood, since any attaching vine would tend to deteriorate the wood beneath it. Should the wall surface require painting or maintenance, the frame would allow for the entire trellis to be carefully removed and laid down, then re-hung with very little impact on the plants. Taking appropriate advantage of what might seem to be "design obstacles" like this can pay off with rewarding results.

Scott Scherschel and Chip Vogel are designers with Interior Spaces Inc. If you have a design question for Interior Spaces, email your question with a picture to info@intspacesinc.com. A solution could be used in a future article.