House backyard Design

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Shaping Your Dream Deck

Nary a backyard retreat is complete without a deck built for entertaining. Just like any indoor space, this exterior structure can be customized to your wants and needs. Multiple levels, shady overhead structures, and spa-like amenities are all within the realm of deck design possibility—with a little planning. Take inspiration from these 17 creative deck ideas for a relaxing space built just for you. (Feel free to share it with others.)

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Cedar and Glass Beauty

Consider your deck an opportunity for a bonus room. Here, a diehard salvage fanatic used his findings—and years as a glass installer—to bump out his entertaining space with a handsome deck sitting room.

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Hardscaping Paradise

A young family turned a brick patio and decrepit deck into an inviting backyard escape that's safe for little ones. A sprawling deck provides ample room for secluded seating areas within a perimeter of mature ficus trees.

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Low Height Standards

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Wide Berth for Container Gardens

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Side Yard at Work

A simple deck takes advantage of side yard space without compromising an 1887 Queen Anne's architectural integrity.

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Sun-Blocking Pergolas

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Standout Deck Stairs

Photo by Courtesy of AmericanLighting.com

Curved stairs and stone-surface landings provide a generous post to admire nearby water views. Chunky wood railing feels at home with the rustic setting.

Create a safe path to backyards by replacing deck stair balusters or starting from scratch for new deck stairs

wood deck with steps to backyard patio, deck design inspirational ideas

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Rambling Composite Deck

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Enchanted Deck Atmosphere

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Glossy Traditional Style Deck

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The Decks are Stacked

A series of steps—and tons of fill—reclaimed a backyard's steep incline. Double-decker decks provide views of the landscape and capitalize on what used to be a steep drop.

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Walls Need Not Apply

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Bright Beach House View

A house-spanning beachfront deck with subtle railing allows a family ample outdoor time with unaffected ocean views. A retractable awning provides solace from harsh coastal sunrays.

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Luxurious Outdoor Kitchen

An outdoor kitchen positioned against a wall makes it easier to connect electrical and plumbing. Plus, a sliding window above the countertop means easy passing of plates and other kitchen essentials. A second-floor deck creates more outdoor enjoyment, without the entertaining efforts.

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Room for Steamy Relaxation

Photo by Courtesy of CableRail by Feeney/Hometalk

If your idea of paradise includes a hot soak outdoors after a long day, look no further. It's all about the view here, with a spa sunk low into the deck surface and encased in matching deck planks and subtle railings to keep the profile unintrusive and leafy views in check.

remodeled exterior with simple deck in side yard of the renovated this old house tv cambridge project, deck designs inspirational ideas

rope lights under bottom deck rail create night lighting, deck design inspirational ideas

exterior of toh tv barrington beach house with big deck, deck design inspirational ideas

Indoor Outdoor Kitchen on deck, deck design inspiration ideas

Source: www.thisoldhouse.com

Landscaping Tips

Though your home is your castle, there is no necessity to surround it with a moat. Here are 5 tips that will help you to make your landscaping feel more warm, welcoming and cozy.

1. Put some flowers nearby your entrance. Flowers make any area look more welcoming and attractive, so greeting your guests with Petunia, Snapdragon, Lily-of-the-Nile or some other garden flowers is always a great thing to do. What is more, to add some space between your house and the entrance, you can consider adding a little white fence. It will create an illusion that your front yard is bigger than it actually is. What is more, adding fence will create a great space for planting flowers to add some color and coziness.

2. Add rambling vines to make your yard look absolutely lovely. You can not deny that rambling vines always create romantic and even magical atmosphere. So why not to use this tip while decorating your yard?

3. To hide the unattractive driveway, consider adding some color, texture, and height. You can easily do it by adding various sorts of flowers. To start, create an island of green lawn right in the hub of a drive. Then add a couple of low boxwood hedges with flowers toward the back of your island.

4. If you want your yard to blossom and flourish bust still do not have enough time to maintain it, consider planting low-fuss lilies. Such flowers look absolutely gorgeous and come in the variety of rainbow hues, so you can pick the one you love most. What is more, low-fuss lilies do not care about the sort of soil, they love the sun and welcome hot, they do not afraid of drought. In other words, Crinums is an ideal flower for all those who are looking for low-maintenance solutions.

5. The last tip also touches the low-maintenance aspect. To make your life easier, group plantings into beds and islands. This will help you to avoid mowing and trimming around each individual plant, save a lot of time and even money.