When Julianna Astrid posted about the DIY coffee shop that her dad, Ed, built in his backyard, her social media blew up with supportive comments. The impressive backyard cafe uses only repurposed construction materials, combined with various pieces from swap meets, antique stores and thrift stores.

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two images: to the left, a person stands in the doorway of a building with a white panel facade, large black-framed window and overhanging roof. the building is surrounded by overhead string lights. to the right, the interior of a cafe with a pastry case and a chalkboard reading "La Vida Cafe" with various drinks listed.

Ed works full time as a contractor in Orange County and took unused building materials from past projects to build the structure. He finished the job in just three months, working on the weekends and after his regular work hours to complete the passion project.

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a backyard coffee shop with a white paneled facade, windows and overhanging rood. a table and chairs sit outside.

As daughter Julianna explained to Newsweek, “My dad is a contractor and has been on so many job sites where he has to throw old materials away to make room for the new remodels; but he saved some of the ‘trash’ from numerous jobs and repurposed it to create his coffee shop; these things included materials to build the structure, the coffee shops doors and the front window!”

two images: to the left, the wood foundation for a backyard coffee shop, with a ladder set up next to it. to the right, the front of the completed wood structure, with a window built in, and a firepit with chairs in front of the building.

The mini coffee shop, or “La Vida” as Ed has named it, serves as a place to relax and enjoy a brew with friends and family. The design features a painted wooden exterior and interior, a bar area under one of the glass windows and a dedicated outside patio with string lights and seating. A cute pastry case and a mini-fridge filled with cold coffee beverages fill out the space. From the chalk menu board to the cozy chess table in the corner, you’d never know that you were in someone’s private backyard rather than an actual cafe.

a sitting area with red pillows surrounds a table with a chess set. in the corner there is a TV, and a large clock hangs on the wall over the table.

Julianna originally posted about La Vida on her TikTok in March before tweeting about it in June. Since then, the Twitter post has received over 37,000 retweets and 302,000 likes. According to Julianna, her dad has always loved coffee and building, so this project came naturally for the hardworking contractor. The space is still a work in progress, with Ed keeping an eye out for different types of coffee beans from around the world and unique pieces from second-hand stores to stock his shop. In the future, he plans on making YouTube videos teaching people to build things for their homes.

+ ELS Builds

Via Twitter

Images via Julianna Astrid