Tour a California Design Blogger's Enviable Outdoor Space

Design blogger Katrina Blair Sullivan 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.

Katrina Blair Sullivan 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 last summer during 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.

“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 blues that keep the small cottage feeling open and airy. “A sofa was an absolute must for my cottage. It was love at first sight when I came across the Monroe Sofa from APT2B. I wanted to add a punch of color in 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.”

“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 potato vines, and began training the vine to climb under the eves. To give the door a fresh look, I painted the door Baritone, by Glidden. The turquoise blue door looks so cute on the exterior and by happy accident, it coordinates with the interior.”