For most individuals the place where they live fulfills a deeper purpose than mere shelter. It is a place where they feel safe, a place to be proud of, a place where they can use as a headquarters for their life. Building a deck should attempt to extend those thoughts and feelings beyond your house. Ask yourself what elements do you enjoy about your house? Does your house have a distinct style? Be careful to observe the size, shape, colors, and texture of your house. How can you compliment these features? Try to acknowledge subtle details you like.

Consider taking a walk around your yard. What aspects of it do you connect with? Is it a wild natural setting or a controlled landscape with boundaries and order? Your deck will act as a bridge between these two contrasting environments. Hopefully we can help you can bring them to together in a thoughtful meaningful way. Understanding and appreciating the physical and emotive context of your property will determine how well you can respond to the positive aspects of the site. Many of these decisions will come from intuition. Remember that in design there are no one size fits all answers.