Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

A Spanish-style balcony patio off of your bedroom can create a relaxing atmosphere for soaking up the sun during the day and enjoying some gourmet cheese and wine before bed. The main elements would include warm toned patio stones, glass doors with wrought iron inlay and a spiral staircase leading to the backyard.

Patio stones with earthy colors such as brown and orange can provide a warming foundation for a Spanish-style balcony patio. Depending on your taste, the stones can be arranged in any of the following patterns: random with cut pavers, random with irregular pavers, regular rows with cut pavers of equal size or regular rows with cut pavers in varying sizes.

Glass doors can enable you to appreciate the patio even when you’re indoors, and wrought iron detailing can enhance them without taking away from the view. Also, a spiral staircase can create convenience, save space and add drama. Wrought Iron Doors can create custom door, stair railing and balcony railing to meet your needs.

If your deck is a place you want to spend a lot of time, there are plenty of ways to give it extra style and elegance. For instance, a custom deck railing certainly makes a memorable impression and can even enhance a good view.

The deck pictured below was designed and crafted by woodworker Ryan A. Baird, who uploaded his pictures to Taunton Press’s Fine Home Building Gallery. The images show that outdoor deck railings can be just as intricate and elegant as a custom-built staircase inside the house.

Made from mahogany, the mortise-and-tenon balisters and newel posts were custom turned, and accent carvings were added to the posts.

While all the handwork doubtlessly made this deck upgrade expensive, if you’ve got a million dollar view, then it makes sense to invest in a high quality deck that will last for a long time to come.

Most new houses come with decks, but unfortunately most new houses also come with neighbors who are practically on top of you. With more people being born every second, we’re probably stuck with Small Lot Syndrome, but with some creative landscaping and outdoor structures you can at least achieve the illusion of privacy.

Privacy screens, for instance, can be integrated into your deck to protect you from peeping eyes (especially nice if you have a hot tub out back and sometimes “forget” to put a bathing suit on). In addition to keeping others from looking in upon you, a privacy screen can also keep you from having to look out at a less-than-appealing view (messy yards next door, water towers, etc.).

You can use anything from portable folding panels to espalier fruit trees to create a privacy screen, but sometimes permanent solutions that can be built right into the deck work the best.

If you’re in the brainstorming ideas process, you can check out the outdoor privacy screen pictures below:

Privacy is created here by using wooden lattices. The screening and the deck is the work of Absolute DreamScapes.

Somewhere between privacy panels and fence, these screens do a thorough job of blocking the view. From Canadian-based Decks, Etc.

For something a little different, try a privacy screen with a picture on it. Instead of looking at that water tower, gaze at a tropical beach or serene mountain landscape. These “oasis” privacy screens are from Balcony Vacations.

If you want to enjoy your outdoor living space while beating the summer heat, a canopy can keep the sun from blazing down on your patio.

Awnings and canopies can be made from many materials, but simple weather-proof fabric can do the job, and it can be removed and stored compactly at the end of the season.

There are several fabrics that are suitable for the job. Examples include:

• Woven Acrylic — Ths patio canopy fabric is water-repellent and colorfast, so it’ll stand up to rain and sun. It’s available in a variety of rich colors, so you can find something to fit the style of your house.
• Vinyl-coated — Known for being especially durable and waterproof, this fabric can be a smart choice in an area where heavy summer storms whip through.
• PVC Mesh — This option filters sunlight while allowing breezes through. It allows for good outward visibility, so if you’ve got a great view you don’t want to shut out, PVC mesh could make sense.

Deck tiles, which we’ve talked about before, are catching on in popularity.

The snap-together square boards are easier to install than traditional decks that must be built by hand, and their modular nature makes it easy to create patterns, add on later, or change out damaged pieces without having to replace huge chunks of the deck itself.

Of interest for the green folks out there, many of the deck tile options are made from eco-friendly woods harvested from sustainably managed forests.

The wood for the decking tiles from Hardwood Home is “purchased through certified sustainable forestry programs including lumber providers that carry FSC certification.” They also use industry ‘shorts,’ which means “pieces typically discarded from the furniture and decking industry are utilized to make [their] products.”

Another green feature inherent in using deck tiles is that they can be installed over existing surfaces (concrete patios, old decks, balconies, etc.), so there’s no demolition material that needs to be carted off to the land fill.

Exotic hardwood floorings have been growing in popularity for a while, but now (for those who can afford them), the boards are also available for outdoor decks.

Some of these tropical woods such as tigerwood (AKA Goncalo Alves, Brazilian Koa, and Muiracatiara) are gorgeous and good at holding up to the weather. Tigerwood is naturally resistant to rot and decay, making it a smart choice for even damp climates.

While it might not be quite as maintenance free as a composite decking material, the aesthetic purists will appreciate the beauty of real wood. Tigerwood is reputed to be a very durable hardwood as well, and the Tigerwood Decking Company promises their boards have a 25+ year lifespan without preservatives.

You can get tigerwood that is sustainably harvested and while exotic hardwood decking isn’t cheap, this species may actually be more affordable than teak.

Composite decks are a low-maintenance alternative to those made from wood. In the beginning, these decks tended to look pretty… cheesy. Unless you’re into the plastic look. Today, though, the companies that offer composites have come a long ways, and many do actually do a good job of mimicking real wood.

The Tropics line from Fiberon is designed to look like rare (and attractive) tropical hardwoods. You can get composite boards that mimic Jatoba, Mahogany or Cypress woods in 12-, 16- and 20-foot lengths and 4- and 6-inch widths.

Sure, if you run your hand along the stuff, you’ll be able to tell it’s not wood, but from a distance these composite decks are looking pretty good. And the real perk, of course, is that they don’t warp, splinter, rot, sag, etc. like real wood does. And maintenance? You’ll never had to sand, paint, seal, or stain your deck again.

While most of us probably don’t wander around our decks after dark too often, there are doubtlessly times when a little illuminate out there can be handy. As far as deck lighting goes, there are several options. You can find everything from freestanding outdoor lamps to post cap lights integrated into the railings. For steps, something like these riser lights are a good idea.

The ones shown here are made by TimberTech. The company offers several low-voltage, energy efficient “deck lites” that can be integrated into their composite deck systems.

The riser lights give off a gentle illumination to make walking up steps or stairs safer after the sun goes down. Other lights in the lineup include post cap modules and accent lights that mount on posts or between balustrades.

When it comes to patio materials, concrete certainly isn’t your own option.

We’ve looked at stone paver patios, interlocking slate patio tiles, and–for the environmentally conscientious–eco-rubber patio pavers. Here’s another more-interesting-than-plain-old-concrete option:

These natural pebble tiles are suitable for indoor or outdoor use, and that means patios are A-OK.

According to the company that makes them, “each stone in our pebble tile is selected by hand for an exact height that will create a smooth and extremely comfortable walking surface.” They have a variety of pebble styles to choose from, with stones ranging from squarish and flatish (there aren’t a lot of absolutes with pebbles) to round and smooth. You can get a single hue or a variety in each tile. Browse the Natural Pebble Tile site for ideas.

Most of the tiles run $10-$12 per square foot and come with mesh backs that make them fairly simple for a DIY homeowner to install, even for patio surface use.

Decks are made from wood or composites made to look like wood, and that’s it. Or is it?

What if you like the look of stone pavers? Just because your deck is elevated doesn’t mean you can’t have them.

While you might think of stone as being too heavy for a deck, you can find lighter alternatives that look like stone. For example, take a peak at DekStone.

It is a precast concrete, non-combustible decking product “which greatly reduces the toil and drudgery of maintaining a wood deck. Further, unlike composite decking, made of petroleum by-products and wood chips, Dekstone provides a long-lasting, durable surface that is aesthetically pleasing.”

These concrete deck stone pavers are available in nineteen standard colors and a variety of finishes designed to mimic the look of stone and offer an attractive non-wood deck material. These finishes include sandblasted, exposed aggregate and stone textured.