LIFESTYLE DOMICILE
When You Wish Upon a Słar...
MEET THE WEST ALLIS COUPLE WHO TURNED THEIR TINY BACKYARD INTO A MAGIC KINGDOM. BY MARK HAGEN When Kevin Erdman and Dan Szczepanski purchased their quaint West Allis home three years ago, they wondered what to do with the plain backyard that came with it. Small, rectangular and lacking in character, the yard was truly a blank canvas...a canvas the couple quickly colored with their love of all things Disney. “I grew up loving the art of Disney movies which continues to inspire me,” says Szczepanski, a freelance artist. “We’ve always incorporated Disney themes into the places we’ve lived. When we moved into this house, having a yard expanded those opportunities to take that art outdoors.” Szczepanski and Erdman began by carving out an area in the backyard they call The Royal Rose Garden, planting roses that complement each Disney princess. “Once this first section was done, we were so happy,” says Erdman, “we were inspired to plan additional themed areas.”
WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK Step into the yard today and you’ll find multiple gardens offering nods to Disney films including Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Bambi and others. A colorful tribute to the ride “It’s A Small World” wraps around the back deck via raised floral beds; impressive garden accents (items from secondhand stores and flea markets the couple repurposed) pay homage to scenes from The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan. The wonderland of a yard currently spotlights 70 different Disney characters, 35 of which are captured in large plywood cutouts created by Szczepanski. “It takes about 10 hours, start to finish, to make one of the cutouts,” he explains. “I begin by drawing the character onto plywood. I use a jigsaw to cut it out, and then sand the edges. Next, I apply multiple layers of base coats of paint, and then detail the character by adding outlines and highlights. The final step is to apply several coats of polyurethane to protect it from sun damage and weather.” The impressive displays don’t stop with the cutouts, however. Look closely, and you’ll discover sculpted pieces as well. “The birds in the Alice Garden started out with store-bought flamin-
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Photos by Dan Szczepanski. Flourishes by Yulia_Malinovskaya/Getty Images.
