Jessica Alba understands that an inspiring workspace can make all the difference.
When it came to filming beauty, fashion and home videos for her YouTube channel, the multi-hyphenate star often retreated to her Los Angeles studio space at Summit House Studios, which she renovated earlier this year with the help of her best friend and production company co-founder, Lizzy Mathis. But Alba always felt like she was wasting prime real estate: the loft’s two-story patio that has remained virtually untouched since the actress and The Honest Company co-founder bought the property many years ago. That’s why she teamed up with Amazon to transform her bare patio into a beautiful space that is better suited for work, play and everything in between.
Early on in the design process, Alba told Good Housekeeping that she “honed in on a modern boho vibe.” Although she wanted the patio to have the same light and airy feel as the loft’s interior, she also kept the functionality of the space top of mind. “The patio gets really hot because of all of the direct sunlight, so we centered everything around the Safavieh umbrellas and PURPLE LEAF pergola,” she continued.
When mapping out the two floors, they identified “little moments” to create different settings for future videos or photos (as well as functional spaces for their families): an outdoor bar, grilling area, cozy hangout spot, dining area and mini garden. “It can be cozy and beautiful but it just has to be functional because we both have kids,” she continued. As they browsed through Amazon’s home and garden offerings, they looked for washable items (rugs, throw blankets and pillows, especially) and furniture that they could easily move around, making it possible to tailor the space for gatherings of all sizes.
To give the space a more “found” look, Alba and Mathis mixed different furniture pieces from top Amazon brands like Christopher Knight Home — a wooden table with rattan chairs, for example. They even wrapped the sofa’s seat cushions with throw blankets in a similar color palette to make it look more homemade. The best part: “You can just throw the blankets in the wash to clean your couch.”
Since most of the patio is in a similar muted, neutral tone, they incorporated a blend of natural and artificial greenery to give the patio more life. “Being able to mix the faux plants with real succulents, air plants and dried moss makes it easier to maintain, especially since I don’t have a green thumb and we don’t have anyone living here seven a days a week,” she told us. “If you mix it up with some real and dried stuff, you can still get a natural vibe.”
For inspiration for your own outdoor space, take a look at Jessica’s curated Amazon storefront — or shop some of her top picks below.
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