Post #335890 by bamboo stu on Mon, Oct 1, 2007 5:55 PM

Hey tiki gikis, I thought I'd send in the beginnings of my backyard lounge project.

The house we just bought has got a 7' x 32' sliver of a backyard that's perfect for a cozy outdoor lounge. This is the second Tiki-themed lounge I've put together, and for some reason the water feature always becomes the first priority. I guess they're a lot of fun to build.

This was pretty cheap to build, $50 of lava rock, a $60 fountain pump, a $25 half-barrel liner, some plastic hose and mortar. I dug a hole for the liner and dropped it in. Then I stacked cinder blocks with a little mortar in between to make the 'foundation' for the rocks. Then I stacked the large rocks, using only a little mortar so it wouldn't be too visible. The sweet jade tree was there when we bought the place.

This is the bar I built about 4 years ago for my first lounge at a house I rented. I built it out of discards from the cabinet shop I worked at--yes, that's all real mahogany!

I had to leave it when I moved into a small apartment in SF, but my housemates seemed happy to have it. In fact, when I went to finally pick it up a few weeks ago, I had to leave quickly because I honestly feared for my safety. Anyway, it was worth fighting for.

A wider view of the table and fountain.

The view from the bar.

So, here's the plan: I want to build a long bench along the fence, stretching from the fountain to the bar. In front of that will be a couple of long tables. Overhead I want to build an awning over the seating and the bar, starting high at the fence and sloping down into the yard.

Right now I'd like to get started on the bench and the awning, but I'm getting stuck on materials and style. Budget is a major factor here, so I'd like to use standard dimensional lumber, i.e., 2x4's, but I don't want it to look like 2x4's.

Thanks for any input!!

[ Edited by: bamboo stu 2008-07-14 16:13 ]