Photo: Ray Kachatorian for Sunbrella
When Giada De Laurentiis first checked out theHidden Hills, Calif. homeshe moved into in November, she was immediately sold on one feature: the backyard.
“I wanted the ability to sort of live indoor-outdoor, that was my big thing,” she adds. “I mean, that’s the beauty of living here in California is taking advantage of the outdoor space.”
After purchasing the property, the cookbook author and restaurateur decided to do a full remodel of the home. She teamed up with performance fabric companySunbrellato outfit both her backyard and pool house, and PEOPLE got a first look at the result.
Ray Kachatorian for Sunbrella
“The way I designed the house is sort of very similar to a Palm Springs-style house, where the yard and the whole house sort of surround and encompass the pool area,” De Laurentiis says.
To complete the look, she addedchaise loungesand other comfy seating (including a hanging egg chair!) around the pool dressed in “crisp and clean white"Sunbrella fabric, which is engineered to prevent fading from the sun. She topped these chairs with blue patterned pillows to “give them a little bit of life,” she shares.
“I wanted to create a cozy escape where I could relax and host friends and family and obviously enjoy a great meal,” she says, adding that she definitely made that happen. “It’s clean, it’s elegant, yet comfortable and easy to move around in,” she says of the space.
Perhaps her favorite part of the backyard, however, is the detached pool house: “The pool house is really special to both myself and my daughter because I created a cozy little vibe where she could hang out with her friends,” says De Laurentiis, who sharesJade Marie, 13, with ex-husband Todd Thompson.
“I didn’t want the exact same [color] so I went for more of a grayish white,” she says ofher fabric choicein the pool house. “I took a couch that I had from my previous house and I reupholstered it with that fabric. I have three pets and I have a child and the pets run on everything and kids spill stuff… so comfort and easy to clean was really important,” she adds.
“The couch with all the pillows on it andthe rugunderneath it is our favorite space,” she says. “[Jade] and her friends love to put their sleeping bags down and they all sleep on that rug.”
De Laurentiis has already hosted a birthday party or two at the house, but has plans for much more entertaining, she says: starting with next weekend’s Super Bowl.
“I’m planning a party, which I think will be really fun,” she says. “I’m making some pizza in my pizza oven and just chilling and hopefully watching the Rams win the Super Bowl,” she adds, noting that she plans to have guests in the pool and jacuzzi.
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She’s also looking towards the future in her new backyard and is excited to host more people and just relax on her own.
“I think this pandemic has taught us that our home space is so important. If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space, make it as special as you can and make it inviting and easy to entertain,” she says. “I think to me, that was the most important.”
source: people.com
