Seven Tips For Making a Small Deck Appear Larger

If you're struggling to fit a cedar or composite deck into a tiny yard, or if you have a small deck you wish looked bigger, you're not alone. During the past century, average American house sizes have grown, while yards have gotten smaller. As a result, more and more homeowners are trying to make the most of minimal outdoor space. Fortunately, by applying a few basic deck design principles, you can easily make a small deck look larger.

1. Landscape with care. The first step is to carefully choose plants and landscaping features that will expand your space.

Avoid clutter. Don't overwhelm a tiny yard with hundreds of blossoms and abundant statuary. Be careful not to go overboard with colors, or they could lend a clownish appearance to your tiny space. Instead, plant blocks or spots of complimentary colors.

Vary height and texture. As you surround your deck with inviting plants, maximize the use of your space by incorporating vertical elements into your deck design. Tall, skinny plants, such as bamboo, draw the eye skyward and make the area feel more expansive. By using contrasting textures, you can add complexity to your landscape without overwhelming it.

2. Emphasize the deck. Instead of planting around your boundary line, surround your deck with appealing plants to make it the focal point of your yard. Use variegated, glossy or compact plants to draw the eye. Keep the area around your cedar deck from becoming overgrown by hacking back overwhelming bushes and trees to allow the open space to shine.

3. Rearrange your deck furniture. Give some extra thought to how your furniture will be situated. A round table goes especially well in the corner of a cedar deck, for example. If your super-sized grill is crowding your deck, consider buying a smaller one or adding a small, off-deck patio for grilling.

4. Add sensual details to create privacy. It can be difficult to make a small space feel separated from the outside world. To create a sanctuary around your deck, activate the five senses with objects such as wind chimes and fountains. Consider adding a trellis or pergola to your deck design to provide a surface for climbing plants to grow into a natural sound barrier.

5. Consider built-in furniture. A bench around the edge of your cedar or composite deck will provide much-needed seating while taking up minimal space.

6. Keep pathways clear. Nothing makes a space feel cramped like having to sidestep ill-placed furniture. Make sure your furniture placement does not block the natural movement within your deck.

7. Choose cool and/or pastel colors. Colors that make a space feel larger include blues, greens, grays, whites and tans. In contrast, warm tones such as ruby make a space appear more intimate. Keep these principles in mind when choosing either the color of your composite deck or a deck stain for your cedar deck.

If you enjoy entertaining outdoors, dealing with a small deck design can be frustrating. However, making a few simple changes to open up the space can often lead to surprising results.

~Colleen Welch, 2010

Discover more tips to help you make the most of your cedar deck design at the Rick's Fencing & Decking website for cedar and composite decks in Vancouver, Tri-Cities, Salem and the greater Portland area.

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