A beautiful outdoor space perfect for cooking and entertaining
He loves cooking, she loves to entertain; together, this couple created an outdoor space perfect for both of them!
When it comes to get-togethers, the Flynn residence has always been the place to be. Jeannie and Kirk love it when their home is bustling with guests and when they bought their new house in Springs in 2016, they were especially excited about the potential of the large yard for entertaining – so much so that they got stuck into a makeover the day after moving in.
“We live in such a great climate and love to entertain outdoors so when we moved in, we knew we had to make our yard a priority,” says Jeannie. The couple wanted to create a large area where guests can relax around a fire. For Kirk, a chef, it was vital that there was a space in which to prepare food, without always having to pop into the indoor kitchen. He also wanted to be part of the action while cooking up a storm! >>
Hard at work
The yard was a blank canvas with a large patch of grass in the middle surrounded by greenery; a syringa tree provides plenty of shade. With help from Kirk’s dad Mike, the family’s DIY guy, the Flynn family spent every Saturday for a full year transforming the space.
They had their work cut out for them: jobs included making and erecting the steel outdoor kitchen; making and decorating the large, horseshoe-shaped seating area and fire pit; as well as landscaping. A lot of the materials were upcycled from Mike’s previous projects.
“Unfortunately, Mike had a shoulder operation soon after the renovation began, so Kirk really took charge in a big way,” says Jeannie. “Our two-year-old son Liam loved ‘helping’ us outside every weekend. We actually all miss those Saturdays now…”
The vision
“We wanted a beautiful and practical area for large gatherings where we can cook and relax and the kids can play safely,” says Jeannie. As for the overall look, the Flynns opted for a rustic ambience and made use of wood, steel and stone in an autumn palette.
“The cooking zone had to be at the centre of the activities,” says Jeannie. “Kirk absolutely loves the restaurant feel of this space.”
Because they didn’t want people to stand around, and often host more than 10 guests at a time, the couple wanted to create a seating area with enough space for everyone to be comfortable; the 10-seater horseshoe-shaped bench around the fire pit fits the bill and has been decorated with colourful scatters upholstered by Kirk and Jeannie’s mothers.
Rust and grey slate tiles were used for the outdoor kitchen while the rest of the outside area is covered in brick and pea gravel. “We usually begin the evening at the bar and move to the comfy seating for coffee and dessert around the fire,” Jeannie says. “We love our new space and so do our friends and family; we’re often asked to share photos of our makeover. Kirk jokes that we’re going to start charging venue hire because all the birthday parties tend to be held at our house now!”
The ouens around the braai and the chicks making the slaai? We wanted none of that. – Jeannie
[SMART SEATING]
• Function followed form for this seating area after the couple got a large curved iron frame from one of Mike’s previous construction projects. A backrest of 38mm steel pipes was finished off with balau offcuts fastened onto the pipes.
• The frame was topped with a reinforced concrete base to create sturdy seating and foam-inner backrest cushions, scatters and 1m-deep seat cushions were all upholstered with outdoor fabric by Jeannie and Kirk’s mothers over many cups of tea!
• The inventive fire drum was designed and made by Mike, using circular steel tubing welded into shape. It doubles up as a tabletop with the addition of an old cable drum, which has a removable socket in the centre into which an umbrella can be inserted.
• The floor around the fire pit is compacted earth with a 50mm layer of pea gravel that provides drainage and can easily be raked and levelled. The same groundcover was used around the large tree opposite the seating area, visually connecting the two spaces.
• The vibracrete was painted with Earthcote in the colour Clovelly Quarry. This dark colour allows the boundary to fade into the background, creating a sense of greater space.
• The stone gabions at both ends of the horseshoe-shaped seating were also made with steel tubing and provide the space with definition.
Bright idea!
The fire drum base rests on rails, which means that it can be moved away from the seating area when the fire is lit to avoid smoke affecting guests and moved back once the flames have died down.