Decks are not my favorite.  Many times, they look like an afterthought simply stuck on the back of a house.  So when a friend and client asked me to help her design a new deck, I wasn’t thrilled, but took the challenge to make the deck appear like a natural style progression from the main house.

When designing one’s outside, you must take cues form the architecture of the home.  This client’s home was a colonial red brick structure, so I decided to create a colonial look, which called for a more formal feel.  So the materials we selected were red brick and painted cedar.  With a colonial home, it was essential to paint the wood so it looked more formal and maintained than a stained wood.

In order to achieve a more pleasing and proportioned look I designed the deck on piers constructed partly of brick with limestone caps and painted cedar posts.  We matched the brick on the piers as closely to the house as we could find.  Instead of attaching screening to hide the underside of the deck, I left it opened and planted hedges of boxwood filled with hydrangeas.  By breaking up the mass of a traditional deck structure and softening with shrubs, I gave the deck a lightness that helps it integrate into the garden.

Another trick I used to create this outdoor room was to add a pergola.  This open roof gives a transition point from the tall back wall of the house to the deck, creating a more pleasing effect.  It also gave me the opportunity to hang a gorgeous lantern.  This was the perfect spot for a painted cypress dining table and outdoor chairs.

The lower level of the deck was designed for lounging.  I was able to accommodate two casual areas with outdoor furniture and fabrics that look as if we moved them from the inside.  Even with outdoor fabrics you can use contrasting fabrics and trims to make them feel more custom and “indoor.”

The end result was so beautiful and natural it looks as if the deck has always been there.  Even better, it doesn’t look like a deck, but an outdoor room.