A haven, properly aged

Koepke removed the old spa, converting the terrace into a balcony-like dining room. Vintage scrollwork panels form the railings, replacing heavy-looking pedestal columns. An 18-foot steel arbor covers the trestle-style table (sea air and a spray bottle filled with vinegar quickly gave the raw steel framework its preferred rusty finish). Bougainvillea and a trumpet vine will eventually cloak the arched form. For now, Greta hangs flowering baskets and a grand candelabrum that accommodates pillar candles rather than votives. Vintage containers hold most of the plants.

The L-shaped restaurant-style outdoor kitchen features stainless steel cooking and refrigeration units. Charcoal-colored honed basalt countertops are durable and weather-resistant. The grill accommodates natural gas and charcoal. A beer keg with two taps and a wine-storage fridge are tucked under the counter for easy service.

An antique iron- and wood-carved panel above the copper sink suggests a window. On either side, twin bronze sconces provide enough light to illuminate nighttime food preparation.

Mike is particularly enamored of the real or imagined stories that explain Koepke's finds, such as the narrative about a stone-topped cast-iron work table, ideal for buffet service or breakfast-for-three.

"We like knowing that it's more than 100 years old -- and that someone once rolled candy on this counter," he says.

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Ideas to steal: odds and endsPersonalize your landscape with seasoned materials and objects. Here are some suggestions from designer Sandy Koepke ( www.sandykoepkeinteriordesign.com):

Materials and finishes: Worn stone, recycled concrete, weathered wood and rusted or oxidized metal suggest a timeless feeling. "These elements are ideal for exterior use because you don't have to worry about further exposure to sun, wind, saltwater or rain," Koepke says.

Adornments: Functional objects can become garden artwork and containers. Any vessel can be transformed into a planter if there is enough space for roots and a drainage hole. Stone or porcelain sinks, metal drums and tubs, wooden boxes and metal pipes can be converted into containers.

Architectural fragments: Pieces of iron scrollwork, such as a fence panel, railing, post or gate, lend a sense of age to the garden. They can double as a trellis for a climbing vine. Shutters and old windows will liven up a wall or help screen utility areas. Jazz up bare spots in the landscape with collections that have a common history.

Furniture: Scout flea markets and architectural salvage sources for benches, stools and tables to add character to the mix. For example, an old chaise can find a home alongside newer furnishings; an old side table suggests a room-like feeling.

Lighting: Old lanterns and chandeliers can be wired for outdoors or fitted for candles. All kinds of odd containers can be appropriated for votive holders or larger pedestal candles.

Hardware: Aging and humble, old shelf brackets, hooks, chains, knobs, bells, wire and grates are visually interesting and potentially functional.

Water features: Stone or metal troughs can serve as catch basins for fountains assembled from old spigots or found objects.

-- Debra Prinzing