- Feb 5, 2002
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The compact and neglected space becomes a spot for gardening, grilling, dining, and more.
When my wife and I finally got around to re-landscaping our 1922 Spanish-style bungalow in Los Angeles, we did what many space-challenged Angelenos do: reimagined the unused back half of our driveway. It’s a classic SoCal bungalow move. Why park in your driveway when you can play in it? Over the years, it has served our family well, as a toy and tricycle repository when the kids were little, an outdoor weight room when the kids were bigger, and a spot for random acts of improvisational wood-fired cooking. Occasionally, we would even park a car in it. But with the kids grown and the functional-if-a-bit-meh swath of concrete not getting much use, we wanted the driveway to become a multipurpose space where we could garden, grill, dine, and just hang out.
Working with David Godshall of landscape architecture firm Terremoto, David Newsom of The Wild Yards Project, and paint consultant Teresa Grow of Madison and Grow, we collectively arrived at a revived space where we can cook, snip branches for arrangements, read, sip wine, and just do that indoor-outdoor thing we all love so much here in the West. This little corner of our yard is one small part of a bigger transformation I’ll be writing about in the future, but suffice to say it’s become a favorite unexpected outdoor “bonus room” that we use on a daily basis.
When it came to choosing furniture and other objects, we didn’t want a prescribed “look” from a brand. So, to slot seamlessly into what we’d assembled over the years, we selected a few timeless pieces from several collections by Terra Outdoor Living, which allowed us to create task- and leisure-oriented zones that are distinct yet work as a cohesive whole. We accessorized with garden tools that actually look cool and used a mix of new and vintage pots and planters. Here’s a look at a small space that now gives back in a big way.
Continued below.
www.sunset.com
When my wife and I finally got around to re-landscaping our 1922 Spanish-style bungalow in Los Angeles, we did what many space-challenged Angelenos do: reimagined the unused back half of our driveway. It’s a classic SoCal bungalow move. Why park in your driveway when you can play in it? Over the years, it has served our family well, as a toy and tricycle repository when the kids were little, an outdoor weight room when the kids were bigger, and a spot for random acts of improvisational wood-fired cooking. Occasionally, we would even park a car in it. But with the kids grown and the functional-if-a-bit-meh swath of concrete not getting much use, we wanted the driveway to become a multipurpose space where we could garden, grill, dine, and just hang out.
Working with David Godshall of landscape architecture firm Terremoto, David Newsom of The Wild Yards Project, and paint consultant Teresa Grow of Madison and Grow, we collectively arrived at a revived space where we can cook, snip branches for arrangements, read, sip wine, and just do that indoor-outdoor thing we all love so much here in the West. This little corner of our yard is one small part of a bigger transformation I’ll be writing about in the future, but suffice to say it’s become a favorite unexpected outdoor “bonus room” that we use on a daily basis.
When it came to choosing furniture and other objects, we didn’t want a prescribed “look” from a brand. So, to slot seamlessly into what we’d assembled over the years, we selected a few timeless pieces from several collections by Terra Outdoor Living, which allowed us to create task- and leisure-oriented zones that are distinct yet work as a cohesive whole. We accessorized with garden tools that actually look cool and used a mix of new and vintage pots and planters. Here’s a look at a small space that now gives back in a big way.
Continued below.
A Driveway Is Transformed Into a Gardener's Multi-Use Retreat
A compact, neglected side yard is transformed into a gardener's multi-use retreat. See how it was transformed for gardening, grilling, and dining.
www.sunset.com
