I recently wrapped up this on this magical little home in San Diego's trendy South Park neighborhood. South Park, is a charming residential area with popular neighborhood restaurants all within walking distance. The main thoroughfare, tree-lined Fern and 30th streets, are also home to indie boutiques and cafes. This area is well known for its classic and historic California bungalow homes.
THE TRANSFORMATION & CONCEPT BOARD
This is the space the first time I arrived on scene. From the street view, you can see that this space is located on top of their garage. Since this is one of San Diego's older neighborhoods, established in the late 1800's, telephone poles and wires are a thing. So the challenge was to create an outdoor oasis in spite of them.
It was very much a blank slate when I was brought on.
Our plan was to bring in a variety of outdoor seating solutions such as lightweight aluminum outdoor seating, colorful mandala chairs, vibrant outdoor textiles, a bold shade solution and plants.
ROOFTOP LIVING SPACE
My client's live in an adorable Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) behind their main Craftsman style home that they rent out to a family member. It was important that we use every square inch of the property around the ADU to extend the footprint of their living space. San Diego has such a moderate climate so my clients knew that their outdoor space would be heavily used and they hired me to help them pull it together both functionally and aesthetically.
We definitely amped up the style and color and created a wonderful outdoor lounge space that's perfect for relaxing and hosting company.
BRING THE WILDERNESS TO AN URBAN TERRACE
Take advantage of your outdoor space by adding flowers, plants and an herb garden. You can also welcome hummingbirds and butterflies to your rooftop by hanging a feeder, adding a water source and choosing plants that provide food or nest-building materials.
CREATE A BUZZ
We added Tropical Bees to the mix in the form of fashionable outdoor pillows. These pillows were our splurge items and really pulled everything together.
RED PAGODAS
My client loves vibrant, bold colors just as much as I do. Since the home is grey and white we went with vibrant red as an accent color. Multiple red pagoda outdoor umbrellas offer a midday break from the sun and offer the flexibility for the homeowners.
BREAK UP FURNITURE SETS
Make furniture groupings more interesting by breaking up a "set". For example, we incorporated a new outdoor sofa and accents chairs with my clients existing glass and wrought iron coffee table. It feels much more curated and custom.
ADD SOFTNESS
Make a rooftop more inviting by arranging a scattering of brightly colored weatherproof pillows. The informal setup encourages you and your family or friends to use the terrace to hangout and relax or to curl up for an afternoon siesta.
CARVE OUT CURVES
You may have seen this rainbow colored chair before and that's because so many clients LOVE it (and so do I)! Adding curves helps tone down the hard lines of this rooftop terrace. The curves add softness and break up all of the horizontal lines.
CREATE AN EVENING AMBIENCE
Extend the hours of enjoyment of your rooftop terrace by installing outdoor lighting. Personally, I just love the flicker of candlelight so we added several outdoor candle lanterns.
HANDCRAFTED HAITIAN STEEL DRUM ART
This gorgeous art you see here is from a recycled 50 gallon steel drum that my client acquired during her travels.
Thank you so much for stopping by! If you have an upcoming design project you'd like to discuss, head to the Contact Tab, fill out the form and I'll get in touch with your shortly to set up an Introductory Call so that we can get to know each other, discuss your project scope and timeline and if it sounds like a good, we'll schedule your initial Design Consultation to get the ball rolling.
Out of the Box Interior Design Every Time,
- Rachel Moriarty
Rachel Moriarty Interiors is a subsidiary of House of Moriarty Inc