Outdoor Living Area

Feb 8

We very much live an indoor-outdoor lifestyle and it has been a dream of ours to create an outdoor space that is seamless in design, practical for our family, comfortable to entertain and gather with friends, and a place to escape, relax and reset.

We knew an outdoor seating area was going to help us achieve that.

Before when we first moved in 2017. It always had the potential!

Below is an after picture and first stage of the outdoor area.

We installed pine decking with a Cutek grey mist stain, and salvaged the pavers for our veggie garden space. We kept the existing beams of the roof (secured a few!) and installed in 40 x 40cm treated pine slats. I love this architectural style and the way the sun comes through creating patterns across the area. For weather protection we used clear suntuff sheeting which is UVA protected.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

We wanted a relaxing and understated outdoor living area that provided a continuous flow from the backdoor down to the garden.We also wanted to provide maximum seating but still have the area feel open and functional.The concept for the seat was to have it built in but almost floating. We wanted it to flow and feel light and airy to elevate the eye upwards when you look at it, but also feel grounded, sturdy and built in, as if it was always meant to be surrounded by three walls.

Here’s some key details that made this project work:

The majority of the seating area was built using lots of the framing wood and decking left over from previous projects. It’s treated pine measuring 140x22mm. We like to keep a lot of off cuts just in case a project arises and we can be resourceful instead of wasteful, and save money. Watch behind the scenes here.

● I knew I didn’t want to have a stiff 90-degree angle for the back of the seat (because that’s never welcoming or relaxing to sit in lets face it) but we also didn’t know how we were going to achieve this. We had two options: Have custom foam cushions made with a slight angle to create the ‘laid back’ feel, or custom make the back seat with a slight angle. Ben wanted to challenge himself to see if he could do it and—he nailed it, of course! (see picture below) I personally love how welcoming it feels.

● Because the area is outdoors, even though covered with polycarbonate clear sheeting, one side of the seat does get wet during storms. For this reason we opted for sunbrella outdoor fabric and marine foam. While slightly more expensive, this was a cost we didn’t want to skimp on for the overall look. And, as we always say, it’s all in the details.

● The addition of the floating coffee table was an unexpected surprise! It was an idea that came to us after seeing the seats made. It turned out to be a perfect finish to the outdoor seating!

● As this area is multi-functional, we also added some built-in seats with secret storage over to the side so we had somewhere to store (and hide!) all of the kids’ toys.

● We also invested in great tools a few years ago—after many years of making do with the wrong tools—and honestly, it changed our lives with how much easier it made it to achieve these projects.

You can watch BTS of building the seat here. I just ADORE coming out to this space first thing in the morning to start my day with stretching and mindfulness as the sun pours onto the deck.

I also love sitting out here with my cup of tea and watching the kids play with their train station (which I can then hide in the hidden storage afterwards), or entertaining year-round with friends and family for a casual bbq.

In the evening when the kids have gone to bed, Ben and I love to sit out here overlooking the garden and appreciating the stillness and quietness. We love how welcoming and chic this area looks. It’s seamless in its surroundings, and the pop of white-on-white with the lush, green frangipani tree hanging over the top is the cherry on top.

We used Cutek grey mist to stain the seats for the weathered grey look. We have a tutorial saved here.

Final touches. We hung festoon lighting along the slats, it creates the most wonderful evening glow and sets the mood for evening outdoor entertainment.