Many homeowners are thrilled with the idea of designing their own deck. Very few of us get the opportunity to build our own home from the ground up so the idea of having something we created really appeals to us on a basic level. This is perhaps the prevailing reason that do it yourself projects have taken on a life of their own. People are eager to design and to build their own unique creations. Unfortunately most of us are not professional designers and have no idea where to start.
Let’s say you start with a basic colonial style deck and you want to build upon it so it looks the deck you’ve always dreamed of having…where do you go next? You have to figure out all the intricacies that make a deck special and you have to incorporate your wants and needs with reality.
So ideas for designing your deck begin to spiral out of control, but you need to reign it in without sacrificing your dream.
Start Simple
No one ever wants a simple deck, I know. But the truth is that starting basic will allow you to incorporate what you want easier than an already elaborate design. Choose your style or shape or design first and slowly add the details you want to it.
If you choose a chaotic deck design it will only become an eyesore as you add all the elements you want.
Go Crazy
The next step is to add everything you want to your deck design. It does seem counter-intuitive but once you see it all at once on your future deck you will start to see unnecessary elements that can be removed or ways to efficiently incorporate some design ideas into one.
For example you want a grill area and an outdoor kitchen, but why not make it all into one outdoor cooking station? This will minimize the redundancy while still giving you what you want. Besides there is no better way to edit yourself than to see the mess you would create without censorship.
Deck Plans
The best place to start looking for ideas for designing your deck is a website dedicated to deck plans. You will get to see thousands of styles of decks so you can mix and match ideas until you come up with a design you love. This is yet another reason love to do it on their own because professionals tend to have set ideals of right and wrong when it comes to design, but the world didn’t know peanut butter and jelly went so well together until they tried it…right?
Make a list of design elements you can’t live without and those you are willing to live without and start building your deck plans from that point. A deck will be there for years to come so take your time and make sure you are satisfied with your designs. And don’t compromise too much because you don’t want to knock it down and rebuild your deck in a few years.
Finally keep in mind that the more you add to your plans the higher your budget will be. If cost is a factor you may want to scale it down a bit.