Photos By: Unsplash

Here’s the situation: you’ve decided to install some decking in your garden, and now you’re excitedly doodling possible designs for your dazzling new deck. Even a simple square deck can serve as a picturesque outdoor retreat or the ideal venue for open-air drinks and dining, but you’re an ambitious, trailblazing sort, and you want your garden deck to be truly unique. So what can you do to make your deck stand out from the crowd? Here are 5 ideas you may not have considered yet…

Planters

Growing flowers is a great way to add a bit of extra colour to your deck. There are all sorts of funky containers available these days, but has it occurred to you that the deck itself could include a couple of built-in planters? Planter boxes can be seamlessly incorporated into your deck design to create a lively border or eye-catching central feature. Don’t worry if you’re not an experienced horticulturist; there are loads of beautiful yet low-maintenance plants that you can start with.

Benches

Benches and banquette seats are another feature that can be built right into your deck. Why fret about finding weatherproof outdoor furniture when you could just construct a seating area out of your durable decking boards? To make your deck-board bench more comfortable, customise it with some colourful outdoor cushions!

Table or Bar

Adding a deck to your garden is a great move if you enjoy hosting summer buffets and cocktail parties. If you’ve got a lot of outdoor drinking and dining planned, you might consider including an integrated table or bar in your deck design.

Multiple Levels

Whether you have a sloping garden or you just want to make the most of your space, a sprawling, multi-level deck is the ultimate outdoor statement. Your deck can include steps and handrails to enable safe, smooth movement from one level to another—you can even put LED lights in the stair risers to help everyone navigate the deck after dark.

Under-Deck Storage Space

If you’re planning to construct a raised deck, it may be possible to use the space beneath the deck for storage.

This is great news if your garden shed is overstuffed right now. Provided there’s sufficient space under your deck, you can ask your contractor to include a set of lockable doors that will allow you to access that under-deck area and safely stow your gardening equipment and other important items within.

Photo By: DANE AUSTIN INTERIOR DESIGN Boston & Cambridge

If you are planning to renovate your balcony or deck but finding it difficult to make the decision then don’t worry, we have some railing ideas for you. You can look for a solution here.

Types of Railings

Wooden Railing

They are the most preferred kind of railing material because of their cost-effectiveness and finishing look. However, the biggest disadvantage of these types of railings is that they need to be refreshed and have a tendency to warp, and need a large amount of attention.

PVC and Vinyl Railing

They are the popular alternative of wooden railings and do not deform easily as wood does. However, they too have certain disadvantages like lack of varieties of colour and high maintenance to keep the railing clean.

Photo By: Philip Gorrivan Design

Glass

Personally, glass railing is my favourite. They provide you a very clear view of the area around you. However, if you want any kind of change, you can always plan and design balconies using tempered or acrylic glass along with aluminium, vinyl or wooden frame. These are quite expensive but compensate for the view they provide.

Concrete Railing

These railings are used for their durability and low maintenance. There can be many designs depending upon the creativity of the person. They are long-lasting but might fail some times to provide the desired look.

Metal or Aluminium Railing

They can be considered as one of the economic varieties of railing available in the market. They are strong, durable, lightweight, and can be moulded into varieties of forms to get the desired design. Along with metals like aluminium, alloys like stainless steel are also a wise choice. You can use cables to enhance the beauty of these railings.

Photo By: AE Design

How to choose a Perfect Railing?

You cannot walk around and say, “Look, I want this railing!” You need to plan it according to your place. Following is a list of things you need to ponder over before finalizing a deck design –

1. Think what kind of deck you want
2. Look for the amount of space you need
3. Make you exterior and interior designs complementary
4. Look at your surrounding for inspiration

What to Look in a Railing?

Make sure you look for the following things before choosing a railing –

1. Material and blending

If you do not want a simple railing, go for blends like metal or alloys with cables, metals with glass, concrete, and metal.

2. Quality of material

The price might have importance to an extent but not more than life. Always look for strong and durable raw material.

3. Ease of instalment

You can get the complex railing fixed through experts, but if you do not want any external help, you can always opt for free fit range available in the market.