Bringing the Vacation Home: Building the Hammock Cabana.

Updated: Jan 30, 2022

I write and produce a podcast called "Home Space and Reason" about Home Aesthetics, Organization, Automation and Functionality.

Episode five is about the spaces in your home and yard that don't get used...and re-imagining it for something more fulfilling. In this podcast, I tell the story of when I did this exercise myself and ended up imagining (and then creating) a Hammock Cabana in my unused space despite our yard being so very small. Thankfully the hedges we have planted are growing quickly now that Fall is here and they will cover the fence in no time!

I promised images of the cabana...so I will include a gallery here. Note: the cor-ten steel panels and planter at the end will rust and take on a rich patina that will match the modern cor-ten planters we have around one side of our yard holding bamboo. We get so many compliments on the cabana, my gates, the landscaping and people have asked for plans, material sources and more. Scroll down for what it looks like now that it has rusted to the patina it's supposed to be and the plants have matured!

Hammock Cabana Features //

There are two sets of eyebolts so we can hang the hammock facing either direction. The end of the hammock where your head goes is always elevated just a smidge.
The planter on the end is for my sons' fairy garden, edible peppers, and a Vermillionaire, which attracts hummingbirds constantly. The tooth fairy has brought my son an item for his fairy garden for each tooth he's lost and so during the summer, these plants serve as the canopy for his little village.
The drink holder is moveable via a stake in the ground affixed into the bottom of it and has been ideal for holding wine glasses, beer cans, pint glasses, cell phones and sunglasses. It is easy to move if we turn the hammock in the other direction - or when we need to move it next to the fence at the end of the evening when we clear things for the sprinkler system to do it's thing.
On the opposite end of the cabana, you'll see two shelves. The top shelf was placed at countertop height and extends toward the outside yard with the intention that two bar stools could be pulled up and it would serve as a place to eat or drink during an outdoor party or gathering. The bottom shelf extends toward the inside of the cabana to provide ample knee room for the people sitting there and serves mainly as a spot to hold blankets for cool evenings in the hammock. Alternately, both shelves can be used as a combination serving station with a beverage dispenser and spigot, bottles of wine, a cork screw, etc on top whilst the empty glasses are placed on the shelf under it for easy selection.
On the front posts toward the top, you'll see black modern hooks which serve as a spot to easily bind and hook the macrame out of the way of the sprinklers each night. It can also do double duty as an actual hook for hanging layers of clothes when the sun gets too warm.
Solar lanterns hang at five points inside the cabana. They look like real flames and come on automatically at dusk. They match similar lanterns that go in the ground that surround our yard making it look like someone is about to get voted off the island. (Survivor reference, no we don't live on an island)
Each post was intentionally cemented well below the grass surface to allow ample soil to go over the concrete to grow low ground cover on it, blending with the grass so we wouldn't have to trim up next to the posts and damage the wood after multiple whipping by the edger!
Macrame knotted and woven "shades" hang in the back on either side to enhance the ambiance when the sun filters through the cords, easily swaying with the breeze.
The roof support was extended on one end beyond the vertical structure beams to hold whatever the season brings. This summer we featured a hanging plant there and may replace it with a hummingbird feeder when the weather turns chilly.
The hammock is rated to hold up to 500 lbs. so it can fit our entire family of three! It also does not leave any marks on your body, it is expertly designed for extreme comfort and is roomy, strong and "anti-flip." Adjacent to the cabana is a large exterior wall of our home that is unobstructed and perfect for movie projection, so my intent is to be able to watch a movie from the hammock next summer!