Matt Sorum's patio design does it all. The elegant space is the ultimate living room, movie theatre, desert garden, and pool lounge, all while maintaining an inviting and sophisticated aesthetic.
Sorum is best known as the Grammy-Award Winning drummer of Guns N' Roses and for a venerable musical career playing with the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Shaun Cassidy, and King Solomon Burke. However, his home showcases another side to the Rock and Roller: his life as a family man. His patio revolves around being the perfect space for hanging out with his wife and daughter. It features family-friendly planting, massive loungers for laying in the sun, a gorgeous firepit for backyard barbeques, and a projector screen for watching films al fresco. It has also been expertly crafted to balance timeless style with these practical needs.
Sorum tells Homes & Gardens of his outdoor living room: 'The backyard has a very Palm Springs, desert feel. We didn't want to lose that. But we wanted to make it a softer feel and safe for our little girl, Lou. We replanted most of the cactus in the front yard and went for more of a lush, romantic feel. There are 18 olive trees, two Bismarckia trees, and an aloe tree along with desert flowers and lavender.'
The broad diversity of desert plant life has several benefits for Sorum's space. First, it creates a cohesion between the patio and the surrounding Palm Springs landscape. Second, the potted plants and plants in beds help to strike a balance between the untamed wildness of plants and the room-like quality of the patio. This gives the space a polished, but not overly manicured, look.
Outdoor furniture is equally important in building the inviting atmosphere of Sorum's space. He says, 'We knew we wanted to find a way to deck it out with furniture that would create the ultimate lounging experience. We used Flex Outdoor Sofas by Resource Furniture to create a large outdoor sofa perfect for movie nights with my wife, Ace, and daughter, Lou, on the projector. We also used the sofas as daybeds around the pool. They’re Lou’s favorite place to hang out.'
Shop H&G's Outdoor Living Room Edit
To create a similar space, you'll need a sectional, firepit, and additional furniture to create a finished look. We love this sectional from amazon because of its ultra-accessible price point. The concrete fireplace and wooden side table both have a bit of character, to bring the same warm and inviting feel embodied in Matt Sorum's space.
For those who want to create a similar outdoor living room in their backyards, Sorum recommends: 'Invest your time into revamping the parts of your backyard that you’ll use the most! If you live in a place with warm weather and watch a lot of movies, buy a projector to use outside.' He continues: 'If you’re always poolside, invest in loungers (or, in my case, sofas with performance fabric) that are comfortable for long periods. If you host friends often, get a cool fire pit. Your backyard is an extension of you and your home, so put your vibe on it!'
Though Matt Sorum's outdoor living room is stunning, it doesn't have to be the blueprint for every space. Instead, design to the beat of your own heart, and the results will always be inspiring.
