The Pidgeon Coop

Although Summer is coming to an end, the sweltering heat is not. And what better place to enjoy a hot "Fall" night but in the comfort of your backyard! After all, there is no place like home. And keeping with the "homey" theme, my featured backyard designer today is none other than my father, Jim Pidgeon. He and my mom have been enjoying home cooked dinners in the evenings under the stars on the deck my father built with his own two hands when my brother and I were very young.

I'd love to tell you all about how this little piece of paradise came to be, but I think I'll let him speak on this:

Me: What would you say is the overall "theme" of the yard?

Dad: I guess it's a combination of contemporary / primitive / casual / informal / low budget :)

(I should add right here, my dad is the all-time KING of making things look good on a tight budget. I wish I inherited more of that from him!) But in all seriousness, if you are looking to add a little earth to your yard or home, consider asking close friends and neighbors for tidbits of their seeds or roots. Chances are, their plants or trees need to be trimmed anyway, so why not take the excess branches off their hands and re-plant them!

The tikis tie in perfectly with the overall "theme" of the backyard, and were actually given to Dad by a neighbor who no longer had a need for them. So not only did he score some free patio decor, they are pretty original and a great conversation piece.

Me: What is your inspiration for this style?

Dad: Travels to Central America, Caribbean, Africa, South Pacific and AustraliaDad has since purchased a new patio table and finished the awning, but the photo above still gives an idea of the dinner time scenery. Me: What is your favorite thing about the backyard?

Dad: The fact that we have an open sky view and that I built everything myself...deck (1985-86), fence (2005), concrete patio - soon to be paved over in brick (2008), and patio cover (2009)

And of course, the backyard wouldn't be complete without tidbits of Dad's favorite element: the ocean. The CA 66 sign is reminiscent of his cross country move from New York to California, where he was able to reunite with his first love, the Pacific Coast. The fishing net with the shells and the surf pictures are the first thing you see when you step onto the deck from inside the kitchen.

Me: What projects are you still working on?

Dad: Outdoor lighting on patio cover and in planter, paving slate walkway in front yard, brick pavers on concrete patio, waterfall in NW corner, barbecue island---- then inside I still have master bedroom & master bath to completely remodel, front bath and one day....kitchen.

Me: How do you want people to feel when they enter the backyard?

Dad: Relaxed and removed from the day to day work reality, like when you sit down for drinks when you're on vacation and have no other place to be..