My Kitchen Plan
flowers in pots instead of in the ground
basement
Love the rug.
A blue island coordinates with blue backsplash tile and blue stools. White cabinets, countertops and accent wall tile provide a crisp counterbalance. And ornate lantern-style pendants and a metal range hood join the color palette to create elegant coastal style.
“The trick to decorating a house in neutral tones without making it boring is mixing textures and adding metallic touches, like brass elements. I also choose to dress the walls with textured wallpapers and work closely with light to create a variety of atmospheres,”
Give a small deck some style without changing your outdoor furniture or adding bulky accessories by rolling out an outdoor rug for the season. Look for outdoor rugs made of weather- and fade-resistant synthetic materials like polyester and recycled plastic, which can be easily hosed off to clean them. Rugs made of natural materials like jute are less outdoor-hardy and should be brought inside when it rains.
Built-in seating can be a significant space saver for small decks, as it allows a seating area to be anchored against a wall or in a corner and leaves the center of the deck open. In this lush penthouse garden in Munich, two bistro tables pulled up to a built-in bench makes for an elegant seating solution for a small terrace.
Decks of any size can benefit from having a source of shade, whether in the form of a pergola, mature tree or large umbrella. Adding an overhang to the side of a building, as was done for this deck in Japan, can save space by taking advantage of the support of an existing structure. Similarly, one could attach a shade sail to the side of a building to add shade in a small footprint.
Small decks can feel more cramped if surrounded by heavy railings. Instead, choose a style that appears light and open, like the glass panels surrounding this Toronto deck by Sustain Design Architects. They seem to disappear from view, expanding the perceived deck boundary and allowing one’s gaze to move out to the water beyond.
Small, curved decks, like this one in Pittsburgh by Shelton Design//Build, can be well-suited for creating intimate seating nooks. For irregular site layouts, you may want to consider a deck design that includes semicircular, square or angular pop-out sections that extend from the main deck to capitalize on a bit more square footage.
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