DIY Diary: My Inspiration for Building a Deck
Hi, I’m digital design writer Zoë Sessums. Follow along each week as I try my hand at a DIY project in and around my house. I’ll cover the inspiration, expert advice, and step-by-step plans of everything from challenging builds to simple renovations. This month’s undertaking: a deck!
While I don’t think anyone would scoff at the idea of having a deck or patio to enjoy at home, 2020 really brought into focus the absolute pleasure and necessity of having any bit of square footage outside of the house. According to Yelp, searches for terms like “outdoor deck,” “patio heaters,” and “outdoor lighting” have skyrocketed this year (jumping 373%, 263%, and 88%, respectively), reflecting our collective desire to expand our living quarters to the great outdoors.
As temperatures began to rise and greenery began to sprout this spring, I found myself spending more of my time outside. And though my to-do list as a new homeowner is quite sprawling, I found “build a deck” suddenly at the top. I headed straight for Google Images and went through all the results for “deck + wooden + simple.” As my mind became filled with every iteration of a deck, I couldn’t help but add in some more fanciful searches. Enter: wraparound and multitier decks, attached and detached decks. I definitely recommend going big when you’re in the inspiration phase of project planning—it doesn’t hurt to have a vast catalog of ideas (and it helps you pinpoint what you don’t want).
Here are some of the deck styles and designs that stuck with me. Check back next week to read what I learned about deck-design musts from some actual experts.
Dreamy Finds
I am a very practical person and enjoy taking on projects within my scope of skills, but that never stops me from dreaming big. I had to start the inspiration process with some wow-level ideating.
Doable Designs
Because lumber prices were so high this spring, I had to find other ways to keep things affordable (under $1,000). Though my partner and I have a lot of enthusiasm and motivation, we agreed to keep the project in the realm of something we could accomplish in a weekend. It was important that the design be simple and require as few modifications and tricky calculations as possible. The ideas below felt like things we could actually make happen.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
