Patio of the Week: Former Trash Area Now a Luxe Outdoor Lounge
An architect turns a 400-square-foot side yard into a stylish retreat for relaxing and entertaining
Annie Thornton
January 23, 2021
Houzz Editorial Staff
With no outdoor living space to enjoy at their coastal Southern California home, a couple turned to SJS Studios to transform a small concrete area used for storing trash cans and recycling bins into an intimate outdoor lounge. The transformation is nothing short of dramatic. “It really surprised me when I saw the space demoed. It really opened up the space, and once we infilled it with the new elements, it transformed it and made it feel so much more spacious,” architect Stephen Scirrotto says.
“After” photos by studio MAHA
Patio at a Glance
Who lives here: This is a New England couple’s vacation home; during the pandemic they’ve been staying here full time.
Location: Del Mar, California, just north of San Diego
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer: SJS Studios
Contractor: Cross Construction
The house sits just a few steps from the beach, and the homeowners envisioned using the new outdoor lounge most often in the evenings for relaxing, dining and entertaining, and would spend their days at the beach. They wanted to “feel like they’re on vacation in California when they come to their house,” Scirrotto says.
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Patio at a Glance
Who lives here: This is a New England couple’s vacation home; during the pandemic they’ve been staying here full time.
Location: Del Mar, California, just north of San Diego
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer: SJS Studios
Contractor: Cross Construction
The house sits just a few steps from the beach, and the homeowners envisioned using the new outdoor lounge most often in the evenings for relaxing, dining and entertaining, and would spend their days at the beach. They wanted to “feel like they’re on vacation in California when they come to their house,” Scirrotto says.
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Before: The homeowners had no outdoor living space before the renovation and weren’t even sure if they could make a space for a lounge. The house itself takes up the majority of the lot it sits on, so there weren’t many options for an outdoor living space. This side yard area off the driveway, which had been used to store trash and recycling bins, proved to be a successful spot.
After: A cozy outdoor living room, anchored by an expansive built-in banquette for lounging and dining, has completely transformed the space. Taking up most of the patio’s 400 square feet, the seating was designed to accommodate the couple’s grown kids and grandkids.
Teak clads the banquette, warming up the patio and creating a casual yet polished vibe. The homeowners “wanted something really durable, really robust,” Scirrotto says. With the teak, “there’s a connection to boat-making that nods to the home’s coastal locale.” The cushions are custom, covered in Kravet fabric.
A bluestone fire pit that runs on natural gas fits beautifully with the seating. Its wide lip can be used to rest glasses and small plates on. A custom teak cover can be placed over the fire feature when it’s not in use, allowing the piece to double as a table.
The team found a new spot to store the homeowners’ trash and recycling bins, moving them to the far end of the patio into a new teak-clad enclosure (seen in the background of this photo). “It acts as a functional, utilitarian piece, but it’s also a feature in the space,” Scirrotto says. Copper sheet metal over marine-grade plywood forms a flip-top lid for the enclosure, with doors in front for when the bins need to be taken to the street.
The team also changed the paving from concrete to bluestone as a way to delineate the lounge from the driveway. The pavers are 36 by 36 inches; Scirrotto says their size gives the space a more intimate scale. He had them installed on a concrete base, as opposed to being dry-laid, as the homeowners wanted to be able to drive on the paving if necessary.
Teak clads the banquette, warming up the patio and creating a casual yet polished vibe. The homeowners “wanted something really durable, really robust,” Scirrotto says. With the teak, “there’s a connection to boat-making that nods to the home’s coastal locale.” The cushions are custom, covered in Kravet fabric.
A bluestone fire pit that runs on natural gas fits beautifully with the seating. Its wide lip can be used to rest glasses and small plates on. A custom teak cover can be placed over the fire feature when it’s not in use, allowing the piece to double as a table.
The team found a new spot to store the homeowners’ trash and recycling bins, moving them to the far end of the patio into a new teak-clad enclosure (seen in the background of this photo). “It acts as a functional, utilitarian piece, but it’s also a feature in the space,” Scirrotto says. Copper sheet metal over marine-grade plywood forms a flip-top lid for the enclosure, with doors in front for when the bins need to be taken to the street.
The team also changed the paving from concrete to bluestone as a way to delineate the lounge from the driveway. The pavers are 36 by 36 inches; Scirrotto says their size gives the space a more intimate scale. He had them installed on a concrete base, as opposed to being dry-laid, as the homeowners wanted to be able to drive on the paving if necessary.
The end of the banquette forms a 34-inch-tall wall that separates the driveway from the seating area, minimizing the feeling of sitting outside in the driveway. The wall “creates a buffer and a delineation between function and seating and entertaining,” Scirrotto says.
The cement-tile-topped wall feels substantial as a barrier, and ties in with the outdoor kitchen at the far end of the space. It also serves as a practical outdoor shelf for serving cocktails and drinks. “We had several options we gave to the clients. One option was a planter,” Scirrotto says. They decided a shelf would serve their needs better.
The cement-tile-topped wall feels substantial as a barrier, and ties in with the outdoor kitchen at the far end of the space. It also serves as a practical outdoor shelf for serving cocktails and drinks. “We had several options we gave to the clients. One option was a planter,” Scirrotto says. They decided a shelf would serve their needs better.
At the far end of the patio, a petite outdoor kitchen allows the owners to grill next to their outdoor eating area. Teak slats cover the base, tying in with the built-in banquette. The grill station has a waterfall-edge concrete countertop by Concrete Collaborative.
Handmade cement tile from Ann Sacks forms a backsplash, framed by a teak cap. When Scirrotto was selecting the tile, he looked to the home’s interiors for inspiration. The homeowners “are big travelers,” with photos of Morocco and other far-flung destinations filling their home, he says. The tile nods to those locales, adding to the feeling of a vacation escape.
LED strip lights above the backsplash give the kitchen area a warm glow at night.
Handmade cement tile from Ann Sacks forms a backsplash, framed by a teak cap. When Scirrotto was selecting the tile, he looked to the home’s interiors for inspiration. The homeowners “are big travelers,” with photos of Morocco and other far-flung destinations filling their home, he says. The tile nods to those locales, adding to the feeling of a vacation escape.
LED strip lights above the backsplash give the kitchen area a warm glow at night.
As the homeowners intend to use the space mostly for dinners and cocktails in the evenings, lighting plays a key role in the design. “We created a variety of lighting scenes,” Scirrotto says.
Wall-mounted sconces by Hinkley above the sofa provide the most illumination. “We wanted to give a little ambiance with the festoon string lights,” he says. Hidden LED lights in the landscape provide low-level lighting.
An Icee Blue podocarpus (Podocarpus elongatus ‘Monmal’) hedge forms a lush green wall, both creating an attractive view for the homeowners and screening the neighboring properties from sight.
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Wall-mounted sconces by Hinkley above the sofa provide the most illumination. “We wanted to give a little ambiance with the festoon string lights,” he says. Hidden LED lights in the landscape provide low-level lighting.
An Icee Blue podocarpus (Podocarpus elongatus ‘Monmal’) hedge forms a lush green wall, both creating an attractive view for the homeowners and screening the neighboring properties from sight.
Shop for outdoor lighting on Houzz
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Where were the meter and vent relocated?
What I would like to know. Is how do they hide from the elements?
Inspiring use of initially unpromising space. I know Del Mar very well, so I will answer the question about the weather and local insects: There is little rain in Del Mar and most of it is in the winter. Especially, massive rainstorms and thundershowers are very rare. Teak is a tropical wood and quite tolerant of moisture. Modern outdoor cushioning is also quite rain-tolerant. Since it is a vacation home, the owners probably put the cushions in the garage when they are not using the place. There are of course some mosquitoes in Del Mar, but not very many - especially close to the beach. People in this region spend a lot of time outdoors - sunset picnics are very popular. In Florida, by contrast, this is exactly the time when the mosquitoes come out!