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Porches & Decks Design Dilemma

Help with choosing patio furniture and layout for deck

5 years ago

Just bought a house in Austin, TX with a great covered deck with a few, but have no idea what furniture to buy or how best to lay it out. We are a family of 5 and would like seating for at least that, and more conversational set up as opposed to just a table and chairs.

Also, we are a little close to our neighbors and have a large opening (left of fireplace) that looks right at their deck. Any suggestions for natural screen? We already have a shade we can pull down, but would like to keep it open for air flow. We're up a bit high, so plants need to be heavy if on the ledge, and preferably deciduous so they cover during winter months. Any suggestions?

Featured Answer

kidlkcf
Original Author

5 years ago

Thank you so much! Let me see if I can draw up a floor plan. Here are a couple of photos facing the house.

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Comments (7)

miss lindsey (She/Her)
5 years ago
What a great porch! Can you post a pic of the door wall, and maybe a floorplan? I think a sofa and two chairs grouped around the fireplace would be dreamy but I see your BBQ and we have to leave a convenient place for that and a prep counter!
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Im now sold on the table against the wall - breaks up long bare blue wall and allows for conversational seating to be more natural, not awkwardly broken up. Ive giving thought about the comment on how many chairs there are too. Especially how dining chairs would mostly go unused while we dont want to give up option for eating outside, despite being rarely. Thinking dining chairs could be as the the rug seating. Theyve arms as photo above shows so could still relax in them. This would mean not buying additional swivel chairs. Using one of two larger stationary chairs ordered at grill, other one besides table or down by pool.
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Happy to help, a 9 x 12 will be best. Think about how you use your current family room. Do you have friends over for movie night or games? If you can seat at least 5, preferably 6 you will be happier with the space. You can have 2 swivel chairs, one on each side of the sofa. You also have seating at the kitchen island and if you have not purchased those stools yet, look for swivel stools so TV viewing is comfortable from there. The placement on your plan for a 9 x 12 is a bit off...I would center it on the back wall though I realize you may have a piece of furniture on the wall in back of the sofa which is not on your current plan. All the best to you, I am sure that the room will look great.... and I am sure that your husband would love a bigger TV :p PS: Since your room is not very large, do not use large scale furniture and make some templates from newspaper or a brown paper roll from the Hardware store in the size of the furnishings you are considering to make sure that you will be happy with the layout and have enough room for the pieces you like. It will make it easier for you to visualize the space, and the furniture placement.
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The door to the deck is from the kitchen dining area. The long windows are family room and there is a window bench there. The bigger deck on the right, is right outside the staircase and a guest room. This is an upper level deck.
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Comments (12)
Some things to address when you do this, not to rain on your parade of pretty pictures, but to get it realistically done: - I see some very prominent water marks on the ground, more than just a drip-drip through the deck boards. So you will need an under-deck drainage system. It will cut into your head height, and it needs to allow a method to spray inside of it to wash the multitude of droppings you say you get. Typically they would slope back to the wall and have a gutter there, and just leave the drippings of water to "wash" any debris on a low slope. It sounds like you need more than that, the ability to spray the crud out. - If you dig out more area for a recessed volume just outside the door, be aware of ground water. Maybe not falling from above with under-deck drainage, but coming in from the side or from below. A larger area may need a drain to somewhere. Also, if you go too large with the footprint where it comes close or against the post footings, it may reduce the existing frost footing depth and your posts may heave (e.g footings are 48" deep, you dig down 24" for the recessed area, now footings are only 24" deep with 24" exposed concrete pier). - One last thing people do not like to hear about. Your deck looks to have a ledger board on a brick veneer wall. If so, that is illegal. It is illegal per code as a response to actual problems of the deck pulling out, as the veneer is not structural or attached well to the wood framing.
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kidlkcf
Original Author
5 years ago
And here is a drawing of my patio with measurements. I don’t want to be too close to the left side where the grill is right now, since we are super close to the neighbors there. There is a small patio around the corner where we have a couple of rocking chairs. Nice private nook. Thank you to anyone who can provide advice.
kidlkcf
Original Author
5 years ago
And here is a drawing of my patio with measurements. I don’t want to be too close to the left side where the grill is right now, since we are super close to the neighbors there. There is a small patio around the corner where we have a couple of rocking chairs. Nice private nook. Thank you to anyone who can provide advice.
miss lindsey (She/Her)
5 years ago
For privacy on the neighbour side, think down instead of up! You can add hanging baskets with trailing flowering vines that will disrupt the view enough. Your neighbours might like the idea so much that they do the same, and you'll have double the screening!

For the layout, I would put the grill over by the railing on the brick wall with a counter next to it between the door and grill.

Are there small kids in your life? If not, an L shaped sectional with one leg on the view side and the other extending toward the door (leaving 3-4 ft behind it for access to the stairs) would be a nice way to enclose the fireplace while still allowing good views and some seperation from neighbours. Add a chair in the corner to the left of the fireplace. That will give the cook a place to sit and relax and visit between burger flips :)
PRO
Courtney Thomas Design
5 years ago
It might be nice to have a dining table closer to the nook where the railing is. Then have cozy seating near the fireplace. Something maybe like you see in our designs and furniture below?
La Canada Blvd Residence · More Info

Upscale Family Home · More Info
kidlkcf
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you, both. Lindsey, I'm uncertain about what you mean for the grill and sectional. Any chance you could draw it out? We have teenagers:) Courtney: I'm not sure I can fit both types of furniture on this deck. Would be a bit tight.

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