Patio creates living area that serves as extension of indoors
anything that faded into the background,” House said.
First, there was a big, white brick wall that needed help. The wall went from plain Jane to lush with the addition of a wall of faux boxwood from For All Occasions and an antique mirror from Carl Moore Antiques.
House covered the outdoor furniture — a black metal bench, four armchairs and sofa cushions, all from JANUS et Cie — with wide stripes of classic black and white. The fabric also makes an appearance on the long dining table and chairs placed poolside, as well as smaller seating areas around the walkway made of reclaimed red brick.
The stripes are a nod to the white-and-black house itself, but there’s nothing matchy-matchy about it. The pavilion sofa is made of white wicker, topped with striped cushions. Four poolside chaises and the armchairs have black frames.
House loves the stripes because they “are so crisp and clean.”
A skirted banquette in one corner is fully upholstered, while other spots have wicker chairs with striped cushions.
The summer kitchen has blue and white pottery. A fireplace, TV and two ceiling fans finish out the space, with a ceiling painted sky blue.
There’s a hedge of real boxwood nearby, and landscaping with bougainvillea and camellias.
“We use it, to some extent, every day. Every day for a little bit different reason,” Matt Hammit said. “From family meals to events and fundraisers and everything in between.”
Since the family hangs out in the outdoor room and watches TV there, House planned everything around that space.
“I added blue-andwhite pottery to soften it so it feels like an indoor kitchen,” she said. “I put the pottery around the fireplace and TV, the area meant to be an outdoor version of your living room. The blue and white pull in the colors of the pool. Everything has to relate to something.”
Now, the space is perfect for the Hammits’ entertaining.
“There’s standard kid stuff, plus fundraisers for the John Cooper School,” Matt Hammit said. “Paige wants to have a Kentucky Derby party — we haven’t done that one yet — and we like doing theme parties for different events.
“We love having people over.”