5 Great Deck Designs

August 14, 2015 Guest Post

Often overlooked, a deck is one of the most important facets of a home. People do myriad things on their deck: they drink their coffee while reading the paper, eat meals, host parties and BBQs, have receptions, teach their kids how to ride bikes, and so on, and so forth. As such, designing the right deck for you is important. Every deck provides different benefits, and each deck has a different visual appeal. How you should design your deck depends on what you want out of the deck, and what pleases you aesthetically.

So, what is the deck for you? Here are five awesome deck designs to get you on the right track:

Deck with an awning
Designing a deck with an awning can be both aesthetically pleasing and exceptionally practical. An awning gives you a shaded area that you can use by having plants, as well as a table so that you can stay in the shade. With an awning, you get the best of both worlds: warm, bright sun when you need it, and cool, dark shade when you want it. Plus, awnings almost always look wonderful.

Wrap around deck
A wrap around deck can be an artistic masterpiece, and can be quite practical too. You can have each side of a wrap around deck serve a different purpose: a three-wall wrap around deck can have one side with a picnic table, another side with a BBQ and some sun chairs, and a third side with a hot tub and a ping pong table. Additionally, a wrap around deck gives you the chance to sit in the sun in more areas. Finally, you can access a wrap around deck from numerous rooms in your house. It’s the ultimate in both practicality and looks.

Deck with a fire pit
There are few more exotic or romantic decks than one built around a fire pit. Most people build their decks to be used during the day, but with a fire pit, you can have the best deck out there for when the sun goes down. With a fire pit, you’ll find yourself spending most nights outside, drinking wine with a loved one, or roasting marshmallows with the kids.

Garden decks
There’s no better way to make a deck feel homey than to integrate it with the garden. This doesn’t simply mean having potted plants on your deck (though that’s fine, too). Instead, have your deck work its way into the garden, and have plants growing all around it. That way you can sit in the middle of your deck and be in your own secluded nature haven.

Practicality deck
If you’re one of those people who loves spending time on their deck, you can turn yours into a practicality deck. Get an outdoor couch and a few comfortable sun chairs. Buy a picnic table, and an outdoor mini-bar. With a few additions, you can turn your deck into an outdoor living room and dining room, allowing you to maximize the time that you spend outside.

With these awesome ideas, you should have no problem designing a perfect deck for yourself.

This article was written by Jared Miret, home improvement blogger. He suggests checking out http://www.dorchesterawning.com/ for affordable awning options.