Beach cabanas remind me of vacation. You feel pamper and relax when you are lying beneath one. It helps you create an intimate space on a large beach.
When you use a cabana as a pool dressing room, it adds nostalgia and panache to your pool area. Beach cabanas are not just for adults, kids enjoy them too. Cabanas are fun. Moreover, you take control of the mess.
The overall design principles I explained here still apply to adult spaces. I concentrated on the kid version since it is less typical to build stylish décor for kids.
What do you need to do it?
Pottery Barn carried the Kids Chesapeake Cabanas this year that were so cool – they went out of stock pretty fast. Imagine when you host a swimming play date, the kids have their own spot to change and store their stuff. As the kids arrive, write their name on a chalkboard inside a picture frame. Name tags on the cabanas let everyone knows where to put their belongings.
Sure the pool house with the toilet and a walled outdoor shower are a must. But a trio or a quartet of cabanas looks so cool to change clothes. For lockers, I like wood cabinets with doors. The one from Pottery Barn was well designed. If you want to custom made your own, designs like MOLGER or FREDEN shelving units from IKEA are a good starting point. Make sure the furniture will be treated for outdoor use.
Pottery Barn unit have the doors on top which do not allow youngest kids to play with your stuff. But the advantage of having the door at the bottom is that the stuff is protected from dirt and pool water splashes. If you use open shelving unit all the way, you can use outdoor fabric panels to close it.
Provide all the amenities
If you want your backyard to become the own exclusive spa club for children, I got a few tips for you. Provide clean towels nicely folded, a seating bench and a peg rack in each cabana.
Buy coordinating towels to complement your decor. Lend a plastic basket or beach tote bag to your guests while they are staying at your place. Take advantage of end of line sales for the towels. Plastic baskets and tote bags can often be found at the dollar store or at Wal-Mart.
Install a tablet for soap and shampoo plus hang a curtain so people can take a shower before returning home. Keep a tube of sun cream for kids and one for adults available to all. Select waterproof version whenever possible. The ultimate hostess will even have a few sun hats and flip flops ready to use for the hottest days of the season.
If you plan everything in advance, you will have more time to enjoy the pool with your friends. Because, let face it there is always someone that forgot something. For more of my tips, I invite you to read Stock up the essentials for voguish beach parties. Enjoy the summer while it lasts!
Sourcing:
Buy online: Kids Chesapeake Cabana & Peg Rack by Pottery Barn
Buy online: MOLDEN shelving unit at IKEA Canada
Buy online: FREDEN shelving unit at IKEA Canada
