Fantastic Transformations

Before and After Images

CLIENT COMMENTS
“It has been a pleasure to work with you and your company.  My family loves the room and deck and all we get is OOOH’S and AAH’S when people first see the room.  More than one person has suggested we should be featured in Southern Living Magazine!”
Richard and Patty Felker

“Very happy – would not change anything.  I am thrilled with the job.” 
Mary Lou Chambers 

“A 10 – Couldn’t have been better.”
Earl Brill 

“I just sit here in my new kitchen with a grin on my face.  It’s so beautiful.  It’s everything I could have wanted.  And we absolutely love Steve.  He was great to work with.” 
Liz Kaplan
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Dynamite Decks

It's not difficult to understand why a deck addition to the house is so popular. A deck is one of the least inexpensive ways of expanding your living space. Granted, it can only be used a portion of the year, or even on occasions, a portion of the day. However, when the time is right, that space is magic.

I like to think of the deck as being an outdoor room, and I design accordingly. Is an area supposed to function like an outdoor living room? Then it should be a living room size. Will there be eating space? Then it shouldn't be smaller than you'd have in a dining room, or at the least a breakfast area. Too many people build decks that don't apply to that basic rule and, wonder of wonders, find that their deck is completely inadequate.

So what sets apart a dynamite deck from a typical ho-hum affair? Part of it is incorporating those room-sized dimensions. But part of it is looking for creative expression. Most rooms in a house are rectangular. That's what works with standard building procedures. However, decks can be much more free-form and that opens the door to using angles (see my article on "Angles") and interesting changes in elevation.

Another issue has to do with protection from the elements. As a general rule, I try to design decks so that some part is open and other areas are covered in some way. The idea is that when the weather is cooler, you need exposure to the sun; preferable an area that's sheltered from the wind. Even on relatively cool days, those areas will be comfortable and allow you to enjoy a longer outdoor season.

But when the weather gets hot, you need shade. That doesn't necessarily mean that you should have a solid roof over part of the deck. A sunscreen or arbor can serve that purpose perfectly well. These provide some shade, but also a sense of coziness.

Integration is a key word to use in deck design. It's not enough that the deck go well with the house it's attached to. The deck should also be a part of the landscape in which it resides. Existing trees and shrubs can be used to soften straight lines. New ones can be planted to serve the same purpose. And planters - both free-standing and integral become tremendous focal points when overflowing with beautiful green or flowering plants.

In the end, decks more than almost any other area of the home lend themselves to artistic expression. A plain rectangular deck may serve a useful purpose. But like boring, monotonous painting, it pales in comparison to a truly inspired work of art. So forget "ordinary." Go for a look that beckons all to come and step into a very special realm. Make it a dynamite deck!