A Skateboarding Devotee Gets the Lounge of His Dreams

Lucky enough for a South African teen, having parents with a keen sense of design not only allowed for a skate bowl in their house, but also a dream lounge that was designed to make both kids and parents starry-eyed. 

Inspired by a teen’s interests in surfing and skating, Inhouse Brand Architects brought forth a design for the Fresnay residence that's both visionary and multifunctional. Steered by Creative Director Aidan Hart and Senior Designer Jenine Bruce, their mission was to convert an unused room into the ultimate teen-approved space.

The six-week process of creating the concrete skate bowl didn’t start out as a utopian process. Hart and Bruce originally wanted to build it within a stepped-down recess, but quickly realized the framework wouldn’t be strong enough. Rather, they built a new timber frame with a backing shaped out of plywood and polystyrene to create a strong yet flexible base. Next, they used sand and rubble to fill in the space that was created under the foundation. Finally, cement was poured over the frame to solidify the bowl-shaped structure. The goal was for it to be fully operative—the kids of the house use it on a weekly basis.

Existing in the same space is a multifunctional living room that was created for both relaxation and activity. The "wave" was constructed with steel fins clad with timber and adorned with LED strips that create a hub for watching movies—all complete with a surround sound system. Just a few steps over, an additional hangout nook lined with indigo upholstery, allows for supplementary booth seating. A pool table, vintage pinball machine, punching bag, and pull-up bar are also fitting additions to the space.

A decked-out space encourages the Fresnaye teen and his friends to follow their passions of skating and surfing by surrounding themselves with the activities en masse, while allowing the space to be a congregating environment for both teens and adults alike.