All Hands (and Feet) on Deck

Summer and backyards – they go together like hand and glove. And if you have a deck – especially if it happens to surround a pool – you know where you can find everyone from May through September.

But maybe this is the year you’d like to build a deck. Our friends at Better Homes and Gardens have a variety of ideas for designing the perfect deck. Location, size, building materials and a budget are just a few things to work through first.

A growing trend in exterior design is to take the kitchen outdoors with us as we move outside for the warmer months. BHG.com has some ideas, too, to accommodate that outdoor kitchen for your next get together. This is one I really like. (D'ya think it just might be those beadboard cabinet doors?!)

Already have a deck, but maybe it needs a little love? BHG.com has tons of photos of before and after deck makeovers too. Here are just a few of the transformations.Suggestions are as simple as adding flowers for an added extra splash of color, to adding a canopy for more deck privacy, to selecting the right deck furniture.

Just looking at all the options is making me at least think of what I might do with my own behemoth. What do your plans include?