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Houzz Tours: 5-Day Outdoor Makeover
Front-Yard Outdoor Room Goes from Beige to Brilliant
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Design Blogger Coco from COCOCOZY learned there's nothing like a last-minute guest to inspire a speedy home makeover. When a good friend who lives in a gorgeous New Orleans Garden District mansion was flying across the country to stay in her small Hollywood Hills cottage, Coco sprung into action and gave her outdoor space a makeover in just five days.
She already thought of her 1940s home as "a tree house," as it's small and nestled among treetops above the city. She knew she would have to make the most of her yard to extend her living and entertaining space.
Coco uses this outdoor room for just about anything she'd do indoors, including blogging on her laptop, "a little morning stretch (some call it yoga ... I think that's too cliche so I say stretch)," some afternoon reading, dinner, cocktail parties, and visiting with guests — complete with matching green cashmere blankets and candlelight on chilly nights.
She already thought of her 1940s home as "a tree house," as it's small and nestled among treetops above the city. She knew she would have to make the most of her yard to extend her living and entertaining space.
Coco uses this outdoor room for just about anything she'd do indoors, including blogging on her laptop, "a little morning stretch (some call it yoga ... I think that's too cliche so I say stretch)," some afternoon reading, dinner, cocktail parties, and visiting with guests — complete with matching green cashmere blankets and candlelight on chilly nights.
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| After: Here's how the space shaped up after the five-day makeover, ready to wow Coco's houseguest. |
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Before: Here's what Coco was working with when she received her soon-to-be houseguest's call. Luckily she'd already made a very wise initial design move: investing in quality teak furniture that stands up to time and the elements. This set is from Brown Jordan's teak outdoor living room furniture line.
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| Welcome to Coco's place! After you ascend about 25 flagstone steps and open a white wooden gate, you know you've arrived when you hit this patio. "When people walk up the stairs I often hear a little gasp of surprise when they see all of this outdoor living in the front yard," she says. "My backyard is 100-percent hillside with deer, coyote, squirrels and raccoons visibly playing on hill ... so the only place to create an outdoor living space was right in the front. When I have had larger parties, I have set up tables right here next to the flower bed and birdbath."
How did she even begin? Coco is going to walk us through it. |
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Did you miss seeing this lounge chair in the "before" photo? (It's in the center against the fence.) There is no chance you'll miss it now. It serves as a daybed for naps, as a lounge chair for reading and naps, and "when guests come over, I encourage them to use this space as extra seating," she says. "Nothing in my house is too pristine; I also encourage guests to grab a pillow or two from this area and use them as floor seating."
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| Now getting onto the "How in the world did she do that?" part. Let's start with color palette. "Pick three to four colors for your scheme and stick with those colors in furnishings, accessories and even flowers," she says. "My colors are white, brown, green and blue." |
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| How to pick those colors for the palette in the first place? "Embrace the outdoors," she says. "Notice your surroundings, try to use hints from nature to help you with colors and shapes." |
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| When searching for her own outdoor palette inspirations, Coco didn't have to look very hard. A worship of palm trees developed early, as she grew up in Los Angeles, and her mother is from the Caribbean. "The flowers and plants came first," she says. "The natural greens and whites set the color palette for the overall deck design." Some of her other favorite plants include orchids, mums, daisies and wildflowers, with an occasional bright orange blossom mixed in. |
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A bit more of the of Caribbean found its way into Coco's palette. "Add a pop of bold color. This tropical almost-teal blue is my pop." Just a dash provides all that's needed. The large graphic print on her outdoor rug makes a bold but pretty statement.
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| A smaller vine pattern complements the rug's big, bold print. |
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Keeps your eyes open for items whether your on a treasure hunt at the flea market or cruising a big retailer's website. These silver lanterns are from Z Gallerie and the Chinese Garden Stools were from a favorite ceramics house in North Hollywood. By the way, she's very happy to share her sources, so if you are wondering about any particular pieces, ask away in the comments section!
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| Trays, lanterns and other accessories add style and interest to the overall design, and you don't need to break the bank collecting them. "This fab brown octagonal lacquer tray comes from my design crush Jonathan Adler (from his store...not directly from him). I talk about him on my blog all of the time as my design crush and I have the pleasure of also knowing him. If you notice, the shape of this brown tray mirrors the pattern on the rug. The green bamboo tray in the first photo comes from Crate & Barrel. These white lanterns on the tray, again very cheap (I think around $7 each), perfect for setting a festive tone, are from Z Gallerie. The big X-lanterns on either side of the sofa were from William Sonoma Home. |
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As for style? Coco describes hers as "inclusive." She loves non-stodgy traditional (think preppy), modern, Moroccan...and she balances them in a way that just works. how does she do it?
"Don’t be afraid to mix styles. Just make to repeat lines and patterns ...Repeat different patterns - If you notice, on my deck, you see lots of hexagons (tray and rug), crosses (lanterns and trellises), stripes in the pillows and whimsical vine patterns (pillows and in surrounding nature). All of these patterns repeat throughout to create a cohesive look."
"Don’t be afraid to mix styles. Just make to repeat lines and patterns ...Repeat different patterns - If you notice, on my deck, you see lots of hexagons (tray and rug), crosses (lanterns and trellises), stripes in the pillows and whimsical vine patterns (pillows and in surrounding nature). All of these patterns repeat throughout to create a cohesive look."
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| How to make these elements work outdoors? "Most of the fabric is Sunbrella I bought here in Los Angeles (the living room set seat cushions, all large striped and solid cushions etc.). I had the majority of the pillows custom made except for the green and white ones above that came from Crate & Barrel. The brown and natural tiny pillows above are actually just a linen a fabric I loved and I had my upholsterer make linen/Sunbrella pillows and a runner for the dining table." |
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Now onto how to design with guests in mind: "I think the key to any party is creating a wonderful environment where people feel comfortable and relaxed. This seating area was designed to be intimate and cozy and nice to look at — I wanted to create an indoor living room outside. Every time I have people over, they end up sitting here for hours enjoying the outdoors in a setting that feels like a cute little indoor seating area!"
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Speaking of guests, this deck is the perfect spot for a party. So much so, they can happen without a bit of planning. "The last party I threw on the deck was impromptu, actually. I went out to dinner with some friends and we all ended up on my deck late night. My neighbors (a nice married couple with a 17-year-old daughter) heard us and they came up with some of their friends. There were about 10 of us enjoying a chilly winter night on the deck." Coco keeps a supply of green cashmere blankets and candles close by so that she can extend the season and the hours that the deck is in use.
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How to approach serving guests dinner al fresco? "Keep dining light and simple," Coco says. "Nothing overworked when you are eating outside. I do a lot of room-temperature food: salads, small, easy-to-eat food and self-serve drinks. A few times, I have hired people to pass hors d’oeuvres and help with food ... that is really fun because it allows me time with guests. I’ve also been as casual (or lazy) enough to just order in Chinese or pizza for friends and just enjoy a nice long chat on the deck while eating takeout!"
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Keep around as many sneaky pieces for extra seating as you can. "These were some old folding chairs that I simply painted this fabulous blue to match the coffee table and the cushions. It is always good to have extra seating — and extra seating that matches!"
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While some of us may still be buried in snow, it's never too early to start planning your outdoor spaces for spring. Why not hit the fabric store and grab some Sunbrella fabric samples, peruse outdoor furniture catalogs, and get your seeds ordered now? Oh, and speaking of ordering, Coco has some exciting news: after three years of blogging about design, she has launched a home furnishings collection of her own. "Everything I designed for the collection would fit perfectly into my house or in my outdoor space. The COCOCOZY Collection is truly inspired by my tiny cottage in the Hollywood Hills!"
Next: More amazing home tours
Next: More amazing home tours
Ideabook updated on Feb. 24, 2011.
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She is obviuosly so very talented. I don't think the average homeowner could pull off something similar in 5 days, though. Even purchasing CL and flea market items, costs can add up quickly if you have a lot of pieces to buy at one time, like in this situation. Plus, it would take time to sand, prime and/or paint/stain needed furnishings and accessories and sew cushion covers. However, all of this is definitely do-able in a 6-12 month time frame. At least I think it would be for me having no more real expertise or money than your average DIY Handy Jane. Maybe if I start now, I'll have my dream patio by next summer! :)
Secondly, Becky I am so jealous of you! Lucky dawg! I can not believe you know Jonathan Adler! I love most, if not all, of his pieces, but so far the only thing I've been able to afford is his Bargello iPhone cover, but I am determined to purchase one of his duvet sets by the end of 2011. I also love his new line of "chemicals" canisters! I'd be asking for one or two of those for my b-day, but not sure how well they'd go over in a home with 2 pre-teens. I can already hear, "Mom! I can't believe you're supporting that sort of thing!" lol I might just have to invest in that hexagon tray from above, though!
Off to Coco land!
April - I had furniture and deck sanded, treated and stained in that period too. I had my upholsterer make all new seat cushions and pillows for the area in the 5 days. I found the fabric, cried to my upholsterer and he did it for me. When someone who lives in an 18,000 square foot house is coming to visit a small cottage in the hills...it can make one jump into overdrive.
I met Jonathan Adler this year at a party Lee Kleinhelter threw at Pieces Atlanta (my favorite store of all time) but I was sweating like crazy and some guy from Paper Source kept interrupting me even though it was my turn :) The quote was actually from Coco, who knows him. I need to go check where I put my quotation marks in!
Coco, I think it would take a visit from the President to get me that motivated. lol That is so impressive that you were able to get it all accomplished in such a short amount of time! Thanks for sharing your gorgeous yard here for us to swoon over!
And I am LOVING your pillows! Those patterns - to die for! Very Adler-esque! ;)
Can you put out a bed linens line soon!?