Marin County, CA
Medium budget: $80/sq. ft.
Key feature: A sunken concrete firepit that acts as focal point
This deck more than doubles the living space with ample sunbathing, conversation, and entertaining areas.
Expanding an existing deck made of Trex, a composite material, architect Peter Pfau carved out an area for a new entry pavilion and another for a firepit, while using a boardwalk to connect the main house to two tented guest rooms.
Design: Pfau Architecture, San Francisco (415/908-6408).
Construction: Woodworking West, Stinson Beach, CA (415/868-2265).
Santa Monica, CA
Key features: Extensive foundation, built-in benches, and a hot tub Surrounded by houses and apartment buildings in Santa Monica, this L-shaped deck is a tropical escape off a master suite.
It’s where owners Tom Fuller and Bill Kelly relax in the evenings. Architects Ken Payson and Peg Denney designed the serene space as part sitting area off the bedroom, part spa off the bathroom.
The deck had to be built over a sandy hillside, so Payson and Denney supported it on a heavy-duty concrete foundation.
Santa Monica, CA
Novato, CA
Small budget: $40/sq. ft.
Key features: Slate tile surface, wood steps, and privacy panels
When Pamela and Gary Marsh need some peace and quiet, they relax on a 9- by 25-foot deck covered with multicolored slate tiles. Handsome stone pavers ― a product called Stone Deck ― make it feel like a terrace on the ground.
These tiles rest on the same kind of framework a wooden deck does. A fiberglass backing underneath the 16-inch-square slate tiles strengthens the stone. (Stone Deck West’s tiles are also available in quartzite and granite at 877/686-4759.) The broad wooden steps are made of ipe, a rich, red-colored Brazilian hardwood.
Novato, CA
Small budget: $40/sq. ft.
At the enclosed end of the deck, panels made of horizontal tree stakes allow for peace and privacy.
Design: Gary Marsh Design, Novato, CA (415/897-7623)