Island- Style Escape

This Polynesian- leaning backyard is truly a tropical oasis— without the kitsch.

WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGNING A BACKYARD that will truly be a restful paradise, for many of us, it’s all too easy to resign ourselves to what’s available at the local big box store and knock it out in a weekend. When homeowner and designer Robert Maurer set out to imagine his own outdoor space after purchasing a 1970s- era home in Citrus Heights, California, he knew that for his backyard vision to take shape, he couldn’t rush it.

Laying the groundwork

“The backyard has been evolving since I purchased the home in 2016,” Robert recalls. “I had walked into an overgrown jungle of grasses, unmaintained evergreens, patchy grass and weeds, rotted wood edging and a deteriorated fence.”

The tasks of pruning back the overgrowth, removing unwanted trees and shrubs, and repairing the lawn were at the top of Robert’s to- do list, and the cleanup left him with a large rectangle of grass. “It made visualizing the future of the yard much easier,” he says.

Envisioning Hawaii

When it came time to start sketching out his vision, Robert knew exactly what he wanted. “Both work and play have carried me to Hawaii regularly, and those travels have played a big role in my design aesthetic, particularly outdoors. Our intent was to honor traditional Polynesian architecture with a few modern influences that relate to the features of the mid century home.”

Creating a unique shade structure

The most striking aspects of the backyard renovation are custom works that Robert constructed himself: A large, pinnacled shade structure is the unmistakable focal point of the yard. “The steep A- frame design is unmistakably Polynesian and is based on designs of a traditional hale [ ha- lay], or canoe house,” Robert explains.

THE YARD COMPLEMENTS THE 1970s ERA HOME, DESIGNED BY ARCHITECT CARTER SPARKS AND BUILT BY STRENG BROS. HOMES, WHICH ROBERT ALSO RENOVATED, CAPTURING THE PROCESS ON HIS BLOG, MID- CENTURY MAURER.

ROBERT FOUND INSPIRATION FOR THE A- FRAME SHADE STRUCTURE FROM 1960s SUNSET MAGAZINE LANDSCAPING BOOKS AND IN A COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS HE SNAPPED FOR REFERENCE ON HIS FREQUENT TRAVELS TO HAWAII. THE GARDEN AROUND THE HALE IS FILLED WITH LAVA ROCK AND STREWN WITH A COLLECTED ASSORTMENT OF NEW AND VINTAGE EXPOSED AGGREGATE STEPPING STONES BRUSHED WITH A CLEAR, SEMI- GLOSS GLAZE TO MAKE THEM POP LIKE NEW.

( TOP, LEFT) THE SCREEN WAS DESIGNED USING 2D AND 3D MODELING SOFTWARE AND CONSTRUCTED FROM CUT LENGTHS OF SIMPLE 2 X 4s. ROBERT INITIALLY SET OUT TO PAINT IT BY HAND, BUT WITH ITS WEALTH OF NOOKS AND ANGLES, A SPRAYER WAS DEPLOYED IN THE END. ROBERT AND GLEN SHROUDED THE AREA AROUND IT IN SHEETS OF PLASTIC BEFORE BLASTING IT WITH SHERWIN- WILLIAMS OBSTINATE ORANGE. ( MIDDLE, LEFT) ROBERT BLENDED ELEMENTS TO CREATE HARMONIOUS SPACE BY KEEPING THE COLOR PALETTE SIMPLE AND NATURAL. THE STRIKING WHITE PLANTER POTS FROM WEST ELM ( NO LONGER AVAILABLE) POP AGAINST THE BLACK FENCE AND ORANGE DECORATIVE SCREEN, WHILE THE PLANTS ADD NATURAL VISUAL INTEREST. ( BOTTOM, RIGHT) SOME OF THE FURNITURE UNDER THE HALE IS BROUGHT OUT ONLY FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS, SUCH AS THE VINTAGE WITCO BENCH, REUPHOLSTERED WITH QUICK- DRY FOAM AND SUNBRELLA FABRIC. A SET OF VINTAGE STACKING STOOLS AND A MID CENTURY MOSAIC TABLE ADD TO THE CASUAL BUT STYLISH ENTERTAINING AREA.