Turning a Tiny Backyard into an Experience: The Hammock Cabana
- Kristina Browning
- Feb 9
- 4 min read
Updated: 16 hours ago
Okay, picture this: You’re sipping something bubbly in a hammock, your toes catching the last of the day’s sun, solar lanterns beginning their nightly flicker, and a hummingbird swoops in like it’s part of the show. This is not a resort. This is a tiny backyard in the Pacific Northwest. And this? This is what happens when experiential design meets imagination.
Hi, I’m Kristina Browning. I write and produce the podcast "Home Space and Reason" where I explore home aesthetics, organization, automation, and functionality. In Episode 5, I talked about underutilized spaces—those parts of our home and yard that don’t get used but could be reimagined into something spectacular. So, I practiced what I preach and turned an unused slice of our yard into what I lovingly call: The Hammock Cabana.
Spoiler alert: It’s become the envy of our neighborhood.
The Problem: Wasted Outdoor Space
Let’s be real: Most of us have a neglected corner of the yard that serves no purpose beyond storing dead plants and possibly a rusty wheelbarrow. According to a 2021 Houzz study, 88% of homeowners who updated their outdoor spaces said it positively impacted their enjoyment of home life. Translation: when we actually use our outdoor space, we’re happier.
The Vision: Immersive, Multi-Sensory Escape
Despite our yard's small size, I envisioned a space that evoked both relaxation and wonder—not just functional but emotional. I wanted it to feel like a vacation scene from a Nancy Meyers film that collided with the practicality of a Swiss Army knife. Extract from this: It does not matter if you have a tiny yard. It can still create magic.
The Tiny Backyard Hammock Cabana Features:
↔️ Dual-direction Hammock Mounting: Eyebolts on both ends so you can choose your vibe and your view. No mediocre angles here.
🧚🏻♀️ Fairy Garden Planter: Complete with edible peppers, a hummingbird-attracting Vermillionaire, and yes, a fairy village that evolves with my son’s lost teeth. Take that, traditional landscaping.
🍹Portable Drink Holder: Designed to cradle wine glasses, phones, or cans. Bonus: it relocates to dodge the sprinkler system. Priorities.
🍵 Built-in Shelving for Parties or Cozy Nights: One at bar height for entertaining with stools, and one below for blankets or beverage glasses. Utility and charm.
☀️ Macrame Shade & Hook System: For ambiance, sprinkler avoidance, and filtered light when the sun gets real.
🏮 Solar Lanterns: Five, to be exact. Automatic, flame-mimicking, and consistent with the whole "you might be voted off the island" glow.
🪴 Invisible Cement Footings: Posts set deep with grass growing over them. No exposed ugly cement footings, thank you.
🌺 Seasonal Roof Extension: One end of the roof beam juts out for a hanging plant in summer that doubles as a hummingbird snack shack. They love the Mexican cigar planted in it!
🏋🏻♀️ Heavy-Duty Hammock: Holds up to 500 lbs., which means our entire family could pile in without fear of a viral hammock fail video.
The Results: Word-of-Mouth + Wow Factor
Here’s what happened after the cabana was built: as the foliage matured around it and the cor-ten panels grew stronger as they rusted, guests asked for plans, wanted to know the material sources, and complimented our backyard like never before.🍋🟩 I added a couple of cold-tolerant palm trees at the cabana corner for that additional resort vibe. 🌴 (Remember I live in Oregon?!) People started taking pictures. Hummingbirds circle the hammock, stopping for nectar at various flowers strategically planted around the cabana. That, my friends, is experiential design at work. This could easily be at a hotel, a vineyard, an airbnb or the courtyard experience at a day spa. (Two years later, the palms are still happy, growing and thriving.)
My design is more than surfaces and style—it’s how creating spontaneous surprise and delight, triggering joy, and allowing people to feel something special. These days, that’s what people crave.
Want Help Making a Destination?
Let’s design a space that doesn’t just exist but makes people talk, post, and come back for more. Whether it’s a cabana, a courtyard, or a corner of your spa that needs a little soul, I help you bring the experience to life.
📥 Download the Destination Design Checklist [here].
📸 Email me a few photos of your space and I’ll send back three ways to give it that unforgettable flair.
📞 Or schedule a call and let’s dream something up together.
Because even the tiniest space can be transformed into something magical— I'm the person who does that.
Sources //
~ The cor-ten steel panels (which are also inset into our gates) are from Veradek.
~ The hammock is from Yellow Leaf Hammocks...a wonderful company that is making a positive impact in the world.
~ The drink holder was handmade by Phil Dickinson in Alanson, Michigan whom I found on Etsy!
~ The macrame is by Opalhouse from Target before they rejected their DEI program.
~ The modern hooks for looping up the macrame when the lawn gets mowed are from Amazon.
Where do you listen to Podcasts?
Here are the links to the Home Space and Reason Podcast on the following platforms:
Spotify —> submitted, awaiting approval
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