Katrina Blair’s California Oasis
Photographs by Katrina Blair. This is an updated version of an article written by Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason in 2021.
Katrina Blair lives in a beautiful Sacramento bungalow with her husband Hasani, their two boys and their chocolate lab Oliver. The design blogger and social media influencer is always tweaking things at home, and during the summer of 2020 — the first of the pandemic — she and her husband made the decision that it was time to create the outdoor space of their dreams. They did just that, turning their back patio into a retreat with a lounge, dining area and a cottage studio where Katrina can focus on her creative work.
“The goal always is to make our spaces welcoming, relaxing and feel good,” says Katrina about the outdoor space she’s designed. “Our outdoor space feels like an extension of our home. We gain so much additional square footage, making our home feel so much larger.” The large outdoor area means that the whole family can gather outside with ease. Whether eating dinner, relaxing in the lounge area or enjoying a cocktail, the space has been curated to be a multifunctional outdoor living area.
“The first update we made to our outdoor space was a new dining table. We’ve been in need of a new outdoor dining room table and chairs for ages, as our old one was on its last leg,” explains Katrina. With an outdoor dining table that can seat the whole family and guests, it’s the perfect place for alfresco dinners. “I love that we can comfortably seat eight people around the table. We’ve had dinner outside several times and it’s been so nice. I love serving family style!”
Katrina has a love of mixing and matching materials to bring interest to the spaces that she designs. “I love to mix and match various textures, especially outside,” she says. Around the dining table are a mix of metal and wood chairs. “I love the white metal chairs. I paired the metal chairs with two wood chairs that match the outdoor sofa.” And on the dining table the mix continues with a modern metallic lantern. It stands out against the wood and white metal that makes up the outdoor dining vignette.
“For the lounge on our patio, comfort is key. It's hard to choose my favorite spot to sit in. We’ve had our sofa for a few years and we love it and our modern deep seating grey wicker chairs,” says Katrina regarding the outdoor lounge area. The seating area is complemented by a mix of blue woven pillows and lots and lots of greenery.
Katrina also had a goal of making her outdoor space easy to entertain in. An outdoor bar was installed by the back door. “One of my absolute musts for outdoor spaces is a console table. They’re perfect for holding all things, from drinks to buffet style dinners. Using a simple white tray, I created a tabletop bar station and added one below for sparkling water,” she explains. With a few lemons fresh from the tree that’s beside the console, it’s the perfect place to mix a refreshing drink.
Katrina likes to describe her style as “California Modern Casual”. The aesthetic is perfectly expressed in her cozy Sacramento 1950s ranch house. Just beyond the outdoor dining room is a perfect little garden that Katrina loves tending to.
“Working on the backyard cottage [was] a great creative outlet,” says Katrina. An empty shed in the back of the home became the perfect place for her work-from-home studio. “Everything before was very overgrown. One of the front windows of the cottage was completely covered in bushes and vines, and the yard was in terrible shape. Outside the cottage, I trimmed back all the overgrown hedges, and white potato vines and began training the vine to climb under the eves. The turquoise blue door looks so cute on the exterior and, by happy accident, it coordinates with the interior.”
“My goal was to create a sunlit cottage with midcentury vibes, natural elements, and beautiful tone-on-tone colors.” Katrina did just that with a mix of beautiful blues that keep the small cottage feeling open and airy. “A sofa was an absolute must for my cottage. I wanted to add a punch of color to the space and I’m so so happy I went for it and selected the navy fabric. I’m in love with the midcentury vibes, from the bench seat to the leggy profile,” she says.
To continue the midcentury style, the cottage office has a desk and side chair that meets the aesthetic. “I love midcentury modern style and found the perfect desk.” Katrina sourced the chair at another favorite shop. “The chair is actually a dining chair, but works perfectly in the office.”
The small cottage studio was also in need of storage: a dining room sideboard became the perfect solution. “[The] sideboard turns into a credenza and offers plenty of hidden storage with adjustable shelves inside. The top of the credenza gives me plenty of room on top to hold all the things.” It’s the final piece needed for a picture-perfect cottage in a stunning outdoor space.
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