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.