How to Find Deck Design Inspiration

The process of creating a deck that is safe, comfortable and aeshtetically appealing involves elements of home decoration and garden design. Looking to both sources for deck design inspiration is a major step that helps to strengthen or unify the link between these living spaces. Extending the indoor color scheme onto the deck and also into the garden provides a clear message that the deck space is in fact a room of the home that just happens to be outdoors.

All too often a deck can be a design afterthought attached to the rear of the home. Many decks offer little more than level footing to provide its occupants. Some decks are nothing more than storage units cluttered with miscellaneous items. In such cases the need for storage space becomes the focal point thus eliminating or reducing the usefulness of the deck for other potential uses.

The view onto any deck should be inviting and compatible with the interior of a home in some manner. Containers filled with flowers can easily echo the color scheme of adjacent rooms that are indoors. Using some of the same colors out in the garden will work well too. In cases where the home features modern, angular furniture made of metal and glass in earth tones, these same elements can be used very effectively when making decisions regarding furnishings for the deck. The planned repetition of materials, colors, textures and designs positively produces an atmosphere that is comfortable while creating a unified space that is appealing to the eye.

Duplication of the use of building materials and styles also enables the deck to develop a link from the house to the deck and on to the garden. A cottage style home with its comfy look may best be served by simple, country style furniture while a home with a more modern design will benefit from both matching and contrasting styles.

At times, the natural environment surrounding the home can play an important part in determining the visual connections that will most effectively link house, deck and garden. Homes that border on a lake or at the seashore have spectacular views that can easily provide inspirational ideas. The same can be said for houses in the Southwest or in the mountains.

Functional links between the deck and the house need to be considered as well. They are so very vital to the eventual success of a deck design. It should be as easy to exit the house onto the deck as it is to move from room to room indoors. Access to the the garden should be equally simple. Where possible provide wide, safe steps and a broad, well marked path or walkway so that entry into the garden is easy. Safe and level transitions to the deck and doors that are not blocked are important for times when carrying objects outdoors such as food or drink. Adequate forms of lighting and unobstructed passageways on the deck are essentials.

Homeowners have the option of dozens of deck design possibilities for transforming the deck into an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable outdoor living space that fulfills a wide variety of needs for family members and guests. A deck that functions as an extension of the home is similar to a home addition with the special extra benefit of having all the charm of a garden. As a result a well designed deck will beckon its owners outdoors at all times of the day or night in all types of weather in order to sit and relax, to study the stars, to watch wildlife or to just wander out to enjoy the sights and fragrances of the adjacent garden.

Topics: Deck design |

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