DECK—ORATING

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The Lyman deck overlooks Buell Lake in Commerce Township. These mosaic tables
are from Amazing Savings in West Bloomfield.

with planters that are way under-
scaled," says Rob Yedinak, co-owner
of Pontiac-based Detroit Garden
Works.
Homeowners should "think of deck
furniture in the same way as you
think of furniture inside your house
— you wouldn't have a little desk
lamp on an end table," he says.
In warmer months, "outdoor space
can become the heart of a home,"
according to Jill Connors, author of
"All Decked Out," an article in This
Old House's Spring 2002 Special
Landscaping Issue. Just like "porches
were the original welcome mats,"
decks are quintessential relaxation
spots for many homeowners.
Here's a look at what area businesses
and design experts recommend for
infusing outdoor spaces with spirit.

The way you arrange your outdoor
space depends wholly on the priorities
of your life, she notes.
"However it's going to relate best to
your life — [are you] grilling and
entertaining, or sitting in the sun and
reading?"
Kevin McCloud, author of The
Outdoor Decorator: design and practi-
cal ideas for creating living spaces in the
garden, says, "It helps to have a sense
of enclosure, so guests feel secure and
don't disperse in all directions."
He also advises designing paths in
the yard, and from garden to deck, as
part of the grand plan, providing a
sense of journey. For style, make paths
from raked gravel, stone pavers, pat-
terned tile, decorative brick, grass car-
pet or reclaimed railway sleepers.

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Furniture

Layout

"Everyone seems to try and bring
the outside in," says Amy Brodsky, of
B Design Group in Birmingham.
"What I see for decks is the contrary
— bringing the inside out."
Last year, the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra showhouse featured huge
baskets of oranges holding down large
topiaries on a deck. Using interior
items like fruit and family photo-
graphs "makes the deck seem like an
integral part of the home," Brodsky
says.

Recently, Detroit Garden Works
designed a 9-by-12 balcony for a
condo owner. Yedinak toured the
interior and noticed pictures of terra-
cotta pots and Italian garden scenes as
well as French-themed decor.
The balcony looked out onto a lake
through a plexiglass wall.
"We took the whole idea of French
out onto the balcony," he says. He
also continued the ochre and wood
tones of the interior, strategically
arranging three, giant, glazed pots and

DECK—ORATING

on page 8

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