wordpress "page" container?

Hello – this may seem like a very strange question but I need some help on this. I am trying to “mimic” a site that is not setup in wordpress. I am trying to do the same thing in wordpress. here is the site: http://psymax.dev.webriverinteractive.com/about/

If you see at the bottom of the page there is this gray like strip that runs off the page on both sides to the very edges of the browser. From what I can tell using firebug; it was done just with a simple div and putting background color in that area.

Here is me trying to duplicate it in wordpress: http://pmax.gtdsites.com/?page_id=14

Now I pretty much put the same thing but it is “limited” by the page boundaries on my wordpress setup. Now I know one way to do this in wprdpress and that is make a background pic and have it repeat across;and just have it start from a certain position going down or up. But I am wondering if having things “outside the page” – if the only way that can be done is with “background images”. I am sorry but I am kind of a newbie here. Or is there another way – perhaps with a different kind of theme that would allow me to do it similar with wordpress? (without a background image) thanks, gerard