New Year’s Sale: Get 20% off Dwell with promo code YEAR20
SubscribeSign In
All Photos/outdoor/patio, porch, deck : decking

Outdoor Decking Patio, Porch, Deck Design Photos and Ideas

A crooked little fisherman cottage gets a new lease on life in the hands of owners Jamie Kwong and his wife, Ingrid, who renovate the seaside shack with an eco-friendly approach that includes recycled and repurposed materials wherever possible. Located across the bay from Australia’s Palm Beach, the Little Black Shack has been made available to rent for your next dream vacation getaway.
Unique among tiny homes, ESCAPE's Classic wraps the entryway in a screened-in and roof porch. It could also be fully enclosed to add an extra room to the home.
The hot tub is a highlight of the home. “It was worth the investment,” says Kara. “Especially late at night when you can see the stars.”
On a clear day, you can catch a whiff of sea salt from atop the cliffside.
The remote location made construction a challenge. Horne ended up widening the road to the cabin in order to move the shipping containers up the cliff.
Although previous owners built a pool at a lower part of the yard near the piano room, the couple decided to build a new one just off the kitchen. “We thought, it would be amazing to have a pool that was kind of jutting out, with the backdrop of the city,” John says. The patio doubles as entertaining space for summer parties.
The home's wood deck is a neutral base that compliments the home's back and white features.
<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">The simple wood deck features innovative cutouts that allow full-grown Yucca trees to peek through.</span> <span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;"> </span>
The couple<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;"> wanted the house to be a thoughtful contribution to Fire Island's distinctly modern aesthetic. The geometric shape and expansive windows call to mind the vernacular of Sea Ranch while the cedar-clad exterior fits right in with the neighbors. An overhang on the deck adds architectural flare while also helping to reflect light back into the home. </span><span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;"> </span>
A clear railing creates uninhibited views of the surroundings.
Living in between the woods
“Watching the sunrise and moonrise from the living room is gobsmacking,” says James.
Garden terrace
Clayden is perfectly happy enjoying the subtropical sun on the balcony, though his much-beloved cat Ginger appears far more enthusiastic about lolling on the patio.
Oriented to absorb the afternoon sun, floor-to-ceiling doors comprise two-thirds of the home’s west-facing walls, which open to an elevated deck overlooking Island Bay. Combined with extra-thick building insulation, this passive element provides sufficient heating for the home, even during winter months—a true feat given the region’s cold seasonal winds.
In an industrial neighborhood in Brooklyn, a verdant green roof of native grasses, wildflowers, and fruits creates an oasis.
The umbrella resting on the terrace is from Frontgate.
Just inside the living room’s sliding glass door is a Parentesi lamp by Achille Castiglioni, an object Marc has admired since childhood. Below, the pool deck displays a pair of Eos side chairs, lounge chairs, and a square dining table by Matthew Hilton.
The Smiths’ new cabin, designed by Risa Boyer Architecture and completed in 2020, sits in the same spot as their previous home, on five acres on Mount Veeder, in Northern California. Somehow, the red chicken coop, which is constructed of wood, survived the fire with the chickens still alive inside.
To his credit, the original owner and builder of an ’80s-era home in Byron Bay, Australia, kept it “in pretty good nick,” as designer Micka Etheridge puts it. “He’d dusted the window frames once a week for thirty-five years.” Etheridge took that same care expanding the house for its new owners, Cheryl and James Kitchener, who love its greenery and mellow, vintage vibe.
Vincent (left) and Jan-Nicolas hang out on the main house’s terrace, where they can watch fishing boats catch lobster, halibut, and other sea creatures depending on the season. “We know where our food comes from,” says Jan-Nicolas with a smile.
Lettino sun loungers by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci for Ligne Roset are arranged along another side of the pool deck.
Along one side of the home, Chaya relaxes on a Isabbo sofa From La Redoute and enjoys a sunken pool deck.
Once the sun sets, the private side deck with soaking tub offers an idyllic setting for stargazing.
Now, the newly exposed brick wall is like a “very raw piece of the old house,” says Jennifer. A preserved window opening marks where the bathroom used to be, and has been overlaid with mesh so that eventually vines can grow over the wall. Being open to the sky means, “a lot of credit goes to the contractor to make it happen, because of the amount of sealing that has to happen for an exterior space to be carved out of a [former] interior space,” says Jennifer. “It was not an easy thing to implement.”
On the balcony, a Hay table is surrounded by Article chairs. The planters are by Portland outfit Wildehaus.
The backyard is a protected retreat out of the wind. The team added a balcony off the kitchen at the third floor. It has a ship’s ladder to access the roof deck, in order to service solar panels installed there. The balcony also has a grill for cooking al-fresco. “You gotta be able to go out back and barbecue – this is the beach after all,” says Levy.
By extending the deck out to meet the roofline of the floor below, the architects were able to create a perch for seeing up and down the beach easily. “All of the railings are marine-grade stainless,” says Levy, which helps withstand the corrosive effect of the salt and sand, as well as the stucco exterior and fiberglass Marvin Modern windows on the front façade.
Hunter's son and daughter enjoy a day at the pool. "When my kids saw the pictures they were jealous!
Angled, sloping pickets function like Venetian blinds between the board-formed concrete volumes and tall vertical grasses provide another layer of screening. An ipe deck with a waterfall design runs parallel to the pool.
Hunter's son soaks his feet in the black-tiled spa under the stair that connects the upper dining deck to the ground level patio. Angled boards provide screening but still let in light.
The couple is eager to host a party with Diego’s band after the pandemic to take full advantage of the new deck and its amphitheater-like seating.
The architects embraced the modernist form of the new structure instead of cladding the extension in expensive brick to match the original Victorian’s exterior.
Darkwood Residence resides in a biophilic paradise for Matt and Eloise Collins, enabling their children Trixie, Raf, and Roscoe to endlessly explore and adventure within the pristine native bush. The eco-friendly design-build allows the family of five high-quality low-maintenance surroundings the year-round. The Arcadian wonderland now realized proved consequential, Eloise Collins, "The process taught us resilience and the ability to push past our comfort zone. We also learned the true value of family and friends and the support systems we were lucky enough to have around us."
The “prow deck,” which extends out toward the water, features a Henry Hall Tru Pure sofa and a Great Lakes lounge chair from Sutherland. The accent table is by Antoine Proulx.
The family loves enjoying cocktail hour on the patio, which provides extra outdoor space and capture the Western sun.
The deck features local wood, and the pool is made of concrete.
Extension & Courtyard Facing Study
The roof deck, anchored by a gas fire pit from Paloform, boasts an incredible view of the water.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, food scraps and yard waste make up 20 percent of what we throw away. Composting organic materials keeps them out of the landfill, which cuts down on greenhouse gases, and enriches the soil. To compost at home, make a pile in your backyard, or introduce an indoor bin for throwaways like apple peels and eggshells.
The family enjoys the outdoor lounge.
A concrete walkway connects the living and dining rooms to the exterior, and concrete forms a built-in bench for lounging by the Solo Stove fire pit.
"Even in March and April, on a sunny day, we can open up those doors and eat outside in the sun," says Denise.
“Friends can use the screened porch for the day, like a cabana,” the wife says. The couple are also planning for teachers from High Meadow Farm to hold practices here. “People will be able to use the porch and have access to the lake while our family is also using the house,” the husband adds.
The renovated deck stayed true to the original design.
Ginger’s chair collection is extensive and includes plenty of low teak chairs for the garden, patio, and deck.
Shades by the Shade Store hang in the living room.
The couple chat with Kerwin on the home’s new deck. Lisboa chairs by Joan Gaspar for Design Within Reach surround a table designed by Louis. The ceramic vessel is by Pilar Wiley and the lantern sconces are from The Home Depot.
A sliding glass door opens onto a terrace.
12345...12