This project is a huge gable style patio cover with covered deck and aluminum railing with glass and cable on the stairs. The Patio cover is equipped with electric heaters, tv, ceiling fan, skylights, fire table, patio furniture, and sound system. The decking is a composite material from Timbertech and had hidden fasteners.

Pippa Schofield

A composite second story deck built by Masterdecks with an under deck ceiling installed by Undercover Systems. This deck is topped off with cable railing with hard wood top cap. Cable railing really allows you to save the view and with this house bing right on the water it is a great option.

A new deck takes advantage of the stunning views from Gunning Point. Extending the indoors out, a tri-fold window was added to the kitchen with a pass-through that services the custom built-in table and bar. Composite decking made from 100% recycled materials and the exclusive use of FSC-certified lumber are a testament to the project team's commitment to environmentally responsible building. Contractor: Pinsonneault Builders Photography: Meredith Hunnibell

Stephen Karlisch // This lakeside home was completely refurbished inside and out to accommodate 16 guests in a stylish, hotel-like setting. Owned by a long-time client of Pulp, this home reflects the owner's personal style -- well-traveled and eclectic -- while also serving as a landing pad for her large family. With spa-like guest bathrooms equipped with robes and lotions, guest bedrooms with multiple beds and high-quality comforters, and a party deck with a bar/entertaining area, this is the ultimate getaway.

Caroline Johnson Photography

SALON DE JARDIN

Unlimited Style Photography

Cedar batten fencing tops paint and render blockwork walls to the perimeter of the Central London garden oasis. A perimeter rill and cascading water feature circles the composite timber deck whilst a compact english country garden adds a splash of colour to the foot of a mature silver birch tree. Photography By Pawel Regdosz © SigmaLondon

Edmund Studios Photography. A pass-through window makes serving from the kitchen to the deck easy.

2010 NATIONAL NARI REGIONAL AWARD WINNER Project Scope The owners of this 7,000 square foot colonial in Oakton, Virginia, were seeking a multi-level Mediterranean-style indoor/outdoor living space off the back of their home. They turned to Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes for a design solution that would include a stone patio, a second-story deck, a screened-in porch and linking staircases. While the structure was designed primarily for family dining and entertaining, it also had to accommodate periodic social gatherings of one hundred guests or more. To meet these needs, the project would include a fully-equipped outdoor kitchen, several serving counters with permanent refrigeration, and well-delineated socializing and dining zones. The existing home’s setting offered several impressive assets the new outdoor living area was designed to exploit. The sprawling acreage features old stand trees, wooded paths and a private lake. Beautifully landscaped, it unfolds as an idyllic panorama that naturally draws people to the outdoors. Challenges Since the rear elevation was situated on a slope that drops away from the house, the Michael Nash team had to raise the grade two feet within in a 2,000 square foot area extending out from the back of the house. Infrastructure plans also called for a sophisticated drainage system that had to accommodate a whole series of water “runoff” considerations to be integrated into the decking itself. Excavation included constructing retaining walls to bolster the elevated grade—which also had to support a concrete slab, the primary foundation for the entire complex. Solutions The ground level decking consists of a 2,000 square foot flagstone patio level with the home’s lower level doors. There is a decorative water fountain mid-patio—an ornate collectible acquired in Florida. Food preparation is concentrated within a specially designed semi-circular wall that creates an “outdoor kitchen” equipped with a 60” Viking barbecue grill, a prep sink, a warming drawer, refrigerator and appropriate storage. There is a granite surfaced dining counter with seating for eight. Wrought iron railing and approximately 20 decorative columns (some encasing steel vertical supports) are incorporated into the design scheme. Many of the columns house accent lights. The top level—supported by horizontal steel beams– is a 2,500 square foot deck constructed entirely of Trex decking. The open air decking is, again, directly accessible from rooms on the second level of the house including the kitchen, sunroom and family room. The platform’s most prominent feature is a U-shaped “kitchenette” with cedar shake shingle roofing. Like its counterpart one level below, the facility is equipped with grill, refrigerator and stainless steel cabinetry. One portion of the deck has been allocated for a 16’ x 16’ octagonal screened-in porch crowned by a pair of 2’ x 4’ skylights. The porch can be accessed from the home’s conservatory via a set of French doors. With its mosaic tile flooring, stained cedar panel ceiling and honed granite counters, the interior is elegant and calming. Hand-painted stenciling and a wall-mounted water feature provide distinctive detailing. Finally, the design introduced elements to highlight and reinforce an awareness of the lovely bucolic setting. Fountains and water features combined with textured surfaces and mosaic tiling and backsplashes to present a villa-like ambiance well-suited to the Virginia countryside.

alex maguire