At a party for a mutual friend, I met Lauren who lives in East Sacramento, and as one does over cocktails (if you’re a designer at least), our conversation quickly turned to her backyard which, she explained, was in desperate need of a makeover. Although their home has a large backyard, her family never went back there to use it. I found this impossible, we live in Sacramento…where we have 300 days of sunshine!
A week later, she invited Kele and me to her house to check it out, and we immediately understood her conundrum. They had some serious drainage issues throughout their backyard, which created water pooling and a slippery walking hazard on their mossy, brick walkways. The whole thing need a rethink! In the back corner sat a dilapidated garage that was being used as a storage shed, which Lauren hoped could be turned into a home office-meets-pool cabana. Ultimately, the transformed cabana would sit adjacent to a brand new pool, we'd add a lounge area with a fireplace, and as well as a dedicated dining area for when their large family came to visit. We knew all of this was possible, it just took a lot of careful planning and creative thinking.
East Sacramento is a gorgeous and well established neighborhood. Its grandeur and maturity makes the neighborhood special, and as such, we wanted to ensure their new yard felt timeless and well-positioned within the rest of its surroundings. While it was a completely new build, we wanted their family and friends to feel like it’s been there forever so we built it to stand the test of time. The house is a Tudor so we carried that classic architecture and style through their backyard - using brick, white roses and wrought iron fencing. For an unexpected pop, we weaved in a black-forward palette to put a fresh spin on this Tudor for their young family. Welcome to Tudor Noir!
