Uncharted landscape for kitchen designer yields enviable setup for summer soirees outdoor
Ready to transform your drab outdoor space into a stylish, comfy extension of your home's interior? Designer Rebekah Zaveloff has proven it's possible, even in the simplest backyards.
This exquisite design showcases everything you need to know about outdoor decorating—from a neutral color scheme to genius zoning. The result? A cozy, inviting oasis that perfectly blends indoor and outdoor living without feeling contrived.
Before the project, the area was just an unfinished yard. However, by creating a family-friendly dining room–cum–lounge space, Zaveloff transformed the landscape into a lush courtyard, complete with a cutting-edge outdoor kitchen and living area.
Transitioning from an empty yard in Mt. Tamalpais to a chic outdoor living space involved remarkable changes. With new patio installations, statement fireplaces, and elaborately designed pergolas, every aspect of the design was built from scratch.
'I've never designed a pergola before, so that was both thrilling and challenging', Zaveloff shared. She tackled designing a masonry fireplace, masonry outdoor kitchen, and a pergola for the first time on this ambitious project, making the whole venture entirely new territory for her.
Despite the numerous design firsts, the outcome is anything but amateurish. The finished space exudes an inviting, curated vibe perfect for spending countless hours during warmer months.
'The introduction of graphic encaustic concrete floor tiles turns the patio into an outdoor room rather than just a simple patio', Zaveloff explained. The contemporary outdoor kitchen was designed with subtleness in mind—blending seamlessly into the retaining wall. The fireplace creates a cozy anchor for the lounge space, while the pergola defines the dining area, providing much-needed shade on sunny days.
The flooring selection was pivotal in ensuring a cohesive look, with the concrete tile flooring adding the wow factor that would have been lost with conventional solid bluestone. To maintain the fresh, casual aesthetic, Zaveloff opted for open shelving with woven storage instead of enclosed cabinetry.
The furniture selections range from simple sofas with knotted designs to warmer dining chairs, adding interest and breaking up the palette's monotony. Decorative elements, such as potted plants on the dining table and surrounding walls, provide the finishing touch, creating a lived-in feel that merges seamlessly with the surroundings.
In short, this design demonstrates that any yard can be transformed into a luxurious, al fresco haven suitable for lounging, dining, and entertaining. Embrace simplicity and let your garden decorating journey evolve with time.
This design project transformed an ordinary yard into a lavish outdoor living space that perfectly merges interior and outdoor lifestyle, thanks to the addition of a chic outdoor kitchen, masonry fireplace, and pergola (home-and-garden). The result is an inviting, cohesive outdoor room, created with a neutral color scheme, customized concrete floor tiles, and open shelving (lifestyle, outdoor-living). This exemplifies how any yard can become a stylish al fresco oasis enhanced by compelling design elements and outdoor lighting (outdoor lighting).
