Decks Porches and Patios

The New Outdoor Living Room

Imagine having a new deck for entertaining in the summer.  Or a wrap-around porch where you can sit and enjoy an inspiring sunset.  Maybe you’d like to have a concrete or stone patio for dining and recreation as an extension of your home.

 

Colony specializes in designing and building high-quality outdoor living areas.  We are unique in our approach in several ways.  We design and create outdoor extensions of the home that truly belong and blend in architecturally.  The high-performing alternative decking, railing, trim, and features that we install are standard, rather than an option.  Of course, each one of our decks is a custom-designed.  Feel free to browse our deck, porch, and patio photo gallery to see the variety.


Information to gather before building a deck, porch, or patio

You should have a clear sense of your needs and what you would like for your new deck, (or porch, or patio).  You should also know your price range.  Finally, it is very helpful if you have any pictures from magazines or images from a website of the types of addition and features that you like.  Seeing these designs helps us obtain a sense of your taste and preferences.  We can take it from there.


Possible Furniture for Your Deck

  • Dining tables
  • Seating
  • Bar area
  • Grilling area
  • Rocking chair
  • Benches
  • Side tables

Architectural Plans

The most successful deck/porch/patio projects begin with building plans.   Simple plain 10’ x 12’ decks with few architectural details or specifications do not need a full set of architectural plans. But we still need some kind of construction building plan, too obtain a building permit.

However, if you want to design a multilevel deck with built-in hot tubs, a wrap-around farmer’s porch, a masonry kitchen patio, or a screened-in porch, the building plans will contain more details.  Starting out with a building plan informs your selection of materials and fixtures and aids in accurately pricing the cost of this new outdoor living room.  Plans take into account how everything fits together, including how the space will be used, as well as the dimensions of the furniture etc.  For example, there should be room to stand in front of the grill without disturbing the dining area.  (Think of a hot grill in the summer.)

A great deck can not only capture a view, but it can create a comfortable outdoor room, which adds a feeling of spaciousness to your home by blurring the boundaries between inside and out. In addition, building a deck is a smart way for property owners to maintain or even improve their home’s value.  At Colony, we design for you.