Wabash Backyard Landscape Design Part 3 – Arbor Lodge in NE Portland

Recap: Why We Turned the Garage into a Cabana

If you’ve been following along, you know that the owners of this tiny Arbor Lodge backyard asked for more than it could physically hold. The design process made one thing clear: the only way to make this space truly work for this family — who love to entertain and also want a calm, restorative outdoor space — was to rethink the garage entirely.

In Part 1, we looked at the landscape design and install and in part 2  we looked at how reusing the existing patio pavers helped us save money and reduce waste while building a strong foundation for the design. In Part 3, we explore the design process for the Cabana idea — converting half the garage into a cabana, thus creating more outdoor space that is open, flexible, and inviting.

Now we’re in it — the decision-filled middle, where ideas meet reality.

Watching the Design Come to Life 

There’s a moment in every project when drawings stop being theoretical and start becoming real. It’s one of the most satisfying parts of my work. And I have help at hand as my spouse, now retired from design/build, and I worked through the basics of the cabana design.

Also I brought in Victor Vencill, a trusted design-build contractor I’ve collaborated with before and we presented the design to the clients together.  Projects like this benefit from a tight working relationship — designer, builder, and clients all thinking together, adjusting in real time.

And there were a lot of decisions to make.

In our design process we worked through:

• The size and shape of the cabana space and the size of the remaining garage area
• I made the east side “front” room of the cabana larger and made the bar area in the back smaller.  This change gave purpose and definition to two areas instead of settling for one long rectangle.
• My clients realized they preferred a more relaxed sofa-and-chair lounge over the initial  dining table set up.
• Designing a bar with stools (and storage) along the back wall.
• Interior finishes, include a warm natural wood fir wainscoting with the ceiling and the rafters painted white.  (Color treatment for the joists, braces and walls is still tbd.)
• Making the roof our ceiling instead of a drywall ceiling at 7′ increases the interior height and allows for skylights.
• Adding skylights to bring in natural light
• Installing radiant ceiling heat for year-round comfort
• Installing ceiling fans and lights…..ceiling fans are a requirement both for summer heat and also to banish those annoying summer flies. Why do they so love to circle and buzz in a still space?

Each decision shaped not just how the cabana would look — but how it would feel to use.

Cabana Ceiling Decisions: Light, Height, and a Bit of Doubt

We revisited the ceiling design more than once — especially the question of how far to go with the remodel versus a new garage.  Making the opening higher on the south side could add so much cost that a whole new structure would make more wallet sense.

On the east side, the top of the existing garage door opening gave us a clear reference point for height. And it was good.

The south side was different. We didn’t want to cut into or go above the top plates which sit just above the existing walls. My client, who is over six feet tall, had a moment or two of real concern: Would the opening feel too low?

Without rebuilding the structure, we were limited to about 6’3″ but hoping for 6′ 8″. That’s one of those moments where design meets reality — and you have to make the best decision within constraints. The solution came from Victor who used a steel support, which cost more than other options, but less than having to heavily engineer the support or accept that the top plates were our limit.  It gave us a few more inches of height to the opening. This and the skylights changed the experience of the space.

Skylights: The Turning Point

The skylights made all the difference.

• Bring in abundant natural light
• Visually “lift” the roof
• Make the entire cabana feel more open and inviting

We knew going in they wouldn’t be perfectly symmetrical — they had to fit between existing structural framing. And yes, you can see that if you look for it.   The light they bring completely outweighs any asymmetry. In fact, they help break up the visual weight of the roof, especially when viewed from the south side of the yard.

Instead of the roof dominating the space, it recedes — and the cabana becomes a place you’re drawn into.