Cabana Project Recap
In Wabash Backyard Landscape Design Part 1, we discussed the design challenges of reimagining a small space next to a garage into a beautiful outdoor space plus a cabana, and we showed the new outdoor space. In part 2, we covered the landscape design process for doing the outdoor space, including a rare opportunity to reuse pavers. In part 3 we covered the start of the cabana process and figuring out the challenges of the roof and ceiling spaces.
In this installment, we get to a couple of challenges along the way, as well as showing how the garage door, size and style, was selected and painted to add to our aesthetic as well as having practical daily function.
The Garage Door: Simple, Functional, Right
There are countless garage door options out there so we kept it simple. Victor (Victor Vincell, Vincell Construction) and I discussed the parameters for the doors, and he chose a few doors. Our clients selected one with a simple pattern and the ability to open fully on both sides when needed. That flexibility matters — it allows a person to just open one door for 90% of the tasks they will engage in on the storage side of the structure.
They also opted for a key lock for better security and a simple clean look to the door hardware.
The Concrete Floor Problem (and a Practical Solution)
Old concrete garage floors come with a hidden issue:
embedded oil stains.
Even if you clean the surface, those oils can migrate back up through new finishes over time, staining and damaging them. Yuckiness can ensue.
We considered options:
- Epoxy coatings (durable, but expensive and toxic during installation) and would probably work but after a bit of research we all rejected epoxy.
- Cutting out and re-pouring the slab (effective, but far beyond budget) was briefly considered.
- An indoor outdoor rug
In the end, the smartest move aligned with the overall project philosophy: make magic with what we have. An indoor-outdoor rug will help to further define the space. I want the floor to be a quiet background element to the furnishings.
(And as often happens in remodels, we did uncover some dry rot — an unplanned cost that reinforced the importance of making grounded, budget-conscious choices elsewhere. And a reminder to my readers: check to be sure you don’t have soil against your siding. The garage wall that faces into a neighbors yard also needs to be checked periodically to keep soil off the siding.)
Cabana Design Comes to Life – Progress on Site
At this stage, the transformation is becoming visible: The new roof is in place, skylights are installed, the walls are opened up, the building now feels like a cabana, and not like a garage any more.
This is the point where we begin to fully see what we’ve been talking about all along — and that the process has been worth it.
Designing Together in Real Life
This phase of the project is when we’re reminded that doing a complex transformation like this isn’t a straight line.
It’s:
- Adjusting to surprises (like dry rot)
- Balancing the budget against choices and priorities (leaving the concrete floor)
- Responding to aesthetic and usability concerns (like ceiling height)
- And making dozens of little decisions that add up to a finished, cohesive whole
Remember that the goal isn’t a perfect design on paper, but a real, beautiful, liveable space that meets as many of our goals as possible.
Coming Next
In the final post of this series, I’ll share the completed cabana and how it transforms the daily life of this backyard — adding a good chunk of square footage and a true extension of the backyard.
Thinking About Your Own Portland Backyard?
If you’re working with a tiny backyard and wondering how to make it truly functional, sometimes the answer is getting help to reimagine what’s already there.
That’s exactly the kind of challenge I help Portland homeowners solve every day at Landscape Design in a Day.
