Design Elements · Decks

Decks: 13 from real Napa & North Bay projects

A deck earns its place when the grade calls for it — a way to create level, usable ground where a patio won't work — so function decides the choice first. From there I treat it like any destination: connected to the house and to the spaces around it, with the view from inside considered before the view from the deck. Planting at the edges and below the rail softens the structure so it doesn't float above the landscape. Respecting existing trees and working around them, rather than removing them, is often what makes a deck feel meant to be there.