July 9, 2010 - Second Step; Assess your feelings
Outdoor living spaces are about more than meeting needs. Decks are basically nonessential, yet 
delightful, areas. Planning a deck gives you freedom to assess how you want to feel when enjoying your new outdoor space.
Deck designs are no longer basic rectangles attached to the back of the house. Today’s best decks integrate almost seamlessly with the house, landscape, and yard.
EcoDeckBuilders recommends that you consider the entire landscape as you plan. Try to think of the whole space, not just the deck details, but also the trees and gardens that will be a part of the scene. We like to mix soft, casual plantings, such as ornamental grasses and artemisia, with more formally laid-out spaces.
As with interior design, a focal point is important for pulling a deck plan together. Work toward organizing your design around a focal point, a philosophy, maybe a pool or a fireplace. If you love birds, you can arrange a space around a birdbath.
Visually connecting the deck to the architecture of your home is another strategy. We recommend this approach for lending style and harmonizing the deck with your home. Railings, planters, trellises, and benches–the details of these elements can repeat and relate to those of the house.
Creating a beautiful outdoor space doesn’t require a view of the mountains or sea. Sometimes finding the ideal location means thinking creatively. If space is tight, don’t forgo plans for a deck. Again, creative thinking can be key. We’ve built beautiful rooftop decks, and even a deck on top of a detached garage.
Use your imagination.
July 7, 2010 - First Step; Assess Your Needs
Planning a deck begins with imagining everything you want the space to be. Even if your ideas seem far-fetched, don’t discard them. Who knows? A design professional might make them a reality.
Many factors will influence the design of your deck. These can include the architectural style of your house, contours of your property, restrictions imposed by setbacks and codes, and location of major landscaping features, such as large trees and outbuildings. In basic terms a single-level, ranch-style bungalow would probably look best with a low, platform-style deck. Such a plain deck would look out of place on a larger, more elaborate home. There a multilevel deck with interesting overheads–such as a pergola or an arbor–would help keep the design in proportion.
Before settling on a design, visualize how you want and perhaps need to use your new deck. Establishing clear goals for how you expect the new outdoor living space to function is key to its success.
Set primary goals by determining how your family wants to use the deck and yard. The more precise the goals, the more likely the final deck design will meet expectations. If you plan to grill most nights of the week during spring, summer, and fall, for example, an outdoor kitchen might be a requirement. If you need a comfortable, shaded spot to supervise children’s outdoor play, an overhead structure becomes an essential deck accessory.
Whatever your needs, balance them against the budgetary bottom line.