Witnessing the Future of Deck Building in Our Own Backyard

If you didn't already know - and if you didn't, you need to get into the Houzz more - outdoor living spaces are a burgeoning frontier for luxuries and amenities historically reserved for indoor spaces and upscale home remodels. Neighborhoods large and small in Virginia and neighboring Maryland and Northwest Washington, D.C. have become a hotbed for design innovation, luxury, and upscale entertaining.

This is an in-depth look at one such design out of our own backyard, erected in Clifton, Virginia and completed in 2016. It was developed closely with the homeowners, who were unsatisfied with the ailing state of their existing deck and patio. The ultimate project consisted of several parts: a chic round portico, an illuminating Trex lighting network, and even a technology-laden pavilion complete with motorized retractable porch screens. Let's dive in!

Since its inception in 1988, Danver Stainless Outdoor Kitchens has worked to set itself apart from its competitors, and the formation of the company culture was no exception. Due to its employee mentality and the physical distribution and makeup of the company itself, the culture differs dramatically from other organizations in the same industry. Danver President Mitchell Slater elaborated on how exactly that company culture was both created and maintained.

The Scenario

Bill and Eileen are two of many Virginians who call Great Falls their home. They purchased their 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom house in 2002 and have since grown to a family of five with three young daughters. With the amount of room the property has, the couple will be living there for the foreseeable future and has already completed several renovations to its interior.

With a reinvigorated kitchen, a basement-turned-bar and game room, and an expanded master bedroom, the couple's attention has turned to their deteriorating 25-year-old deck that is showing signs of its age. As Bill and Eileen come from large families, they are looking for an outdoor makeover to support the scale of holiday gatherings they are accustomed to as well as birthday parties, play dates, and other events year-round. With their current set-up not meeting these needs, it's time to makeover their outdoor living space.

Sunroom Addition in a Historic Bethesda, Maryland Neighborhood

In the Carderock Springs neighborhood of Bethesda, Maryland is a home with a recently completed sun room expansion. While this may not seem extraordinary at first, consider how residential planner Edmund Bennett's execution of this 1960's-era community earned it an official spot  on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places.

Consequently, homeowners looking to modify their houses here are forced to abide by strict standards enforced by various covenants and an Architectural Review Committee (ARC). These regulatory bodies are legally required to maintain Carderock's architectural aesthetic, making contracting more of a challenge.

        A crumbling pool deck made out of concrete; a decrepit swimming pool unused by her, her husband, or their grown family; a five-year-old screened porch too small to serve any function, tacked onto her house as more of an afterthought during an otherwise stellar kitchen renovation. One Bethesda homeowner decided her backyard was in need of a rejuvenation, and we were more than happy to help.