Tiered deck. Courtesy photo
By SUZETTE FOXYou may think of your deck as just a bland wooden platform jutting out to your backyard, but with a little planning and good design, that space can become a fabulous alfresco family room and entertainment center.
Plan for the Way You Live
Start with general ideas of what the deck can do to enhance your life. What will you use the deck for? Maybe you want to emphasize intimate gathering and dining areas. If you love to grill, design an outdoor kitchen. Ask family members what they’d like from your future deck: a friendly conversation pit; container gardening; a spa to soak in; some solitude; or the occasional large party.
Deck with hot tub. Courtesy photoPlan for Use Areas and Traffic
Once you’ve set your priorities, plan a deck that allows enough space for the activities you enjoy, as well as comfortable pathways between and around them. Often these areas will be visible only after furniture has been set out. You can think of your deck as having specific “rooms” for dining, lounging, cooking and mingling. Make sure that there will be ample room for chairs around a dining table, small end tables or a coffee table next to lounge furniture and potted plants.
Shape and Size
Some say that a deck should be no larger than 20 percent of the house’s square footage, so as not to overwhelm a house visually. But if you spend plenty of time on it, and if it is divided up into clearly different rooms, a larger deck can look and feel just right. There’s nothing wrong with a rectangular deck, but consider adding pizzazz with angles or curves. They will take additional time to build, but can make a deck feel special rather than cookie-cutter. Design with a theme approach, so that a certain angle or curve gets repeated in various places.
The Right Cooking and Noshing Spaces
If you love to cook outdoors and like interacting with people as you grill, plan an elaborate outdoor kitchen with a counter and several cooking appliances. Perhaps include an eating counter with stools just opposite the cooking area so people can snack, sample, and chat with you while you cook. If you’d rather keep food prep simple, you may want to make a small alcove off to the side, with just enough room for a grill.
Get the Views Right
Consider the view, both from the deck and from inside the house. If there is a bulky railing between you and what you want to see, your deck will be a less inviting place. Some possible solutions: Step the deck down with platforms or descending sections, which will lower the railings or choose railings with thin balusters, or clear panels.
Bridge the House and the Yard
You may choose to build a deck in a style that blends with the house, or you may prefer to make your deck a clearly different place, emphasizing its outdoorsy ambience. Where the deck steps down to meet the yard, it often looks and feels best to have some transitional materials, rather than simply stepping off to the grass yard. Stone, pavers, and bricks almost always compliment a deck, whether it is built of natural wood or manmade materials. A deck-and-patio combination is a surefire winner.
Slate floring used on a deck. Courtesy photoSelect Your Decking Materials
Wood, either treated or naturally weather- and insect-resistant, is what is traditionally thought of for deck materials. However, composite decking is most popular now. The initial cost is higher, but over time you can actually save money when compared to cleaning, refinishing and ultimately replacing wood deck boards. Some warranties are up to 20 years or more.
Location and Design
Decide where you want your deck to be placed – attached to a back door, a second story, freestanding, etc. Then develop a design. Some home centers have design software that can help you design your deck and automatically create a list of materials based upon that design.
The Vertical Elements
We think of a deck as basically a floor, but it’s the upright components—the railing, skirting, and overhead structures—that actually make the most visual impact. There are a dizzying array of railing designs and components to choose among; take your time to choose a railing that suits you perfectly. If a deck is raised, you may want to install decorative skirting to cover its underside. If there is enough room for a patio below, consider installing a stay-dry system, so the patio can be a retreat during rainfalls.
Overheads, Planters and Benches
Unless you live in an area with perfect weather, you will likely enjoy your deck more in the summer if you have a shade-producing structure of some sort. A pergola is the most common solution. It provides partial shade to a degree that depends on how closely spaced the rafters are to each other. Where the sun is oppressive, consider an awning of some sort. Most decks also benefit from a planter or two—or plan on setting out large pots for your plants. Planters can be placed so as to be part of a railing system, or they can be joined to a bench.
Couch, chair and cute ottoman on a deck. Courtesy photoPermit Now, No Headache Later
Study your local building codes and get a permit if needed. This is usually the case for a deck over a particular height and total size. You don’t want to run into a problem later if you sell your house and the beautiful deck you’ve spent years enjoying becomes a deal-breaker. Plus, you’ll want to make sure it’s safe and secure for loved ones and visitors.
A beautiful and well-designed deck can transform your outdoor living space into a place of relaxation. Bring out the striped cushions and colorful umbrellas, and get transported to a dream vacation spot right in your own backyard. At night, string bistro lights to emit a soft glow, like starlight, above a hot tub. Get inspired and turn your outdoor living space into a family room and entertainment center. There’s nothing better than watching a sunset from your own back deck.
Feel free to contact Los Alamos Interior Designer Suzette Fox to suggest specific design topics or for help with your home. For more information, find her on Facebook at facebook.com/SuzetteFoxInteriorDesign and on her website www.suzettefoxinteriors.com