May I ask which color you chose? (We just stained our PT pine deck with Olympic Maximum semi-transparent penetrating stain in Cedar Naturaltone.) Also, how many coats were applied, and how was it applied? A second coat adds a nice depth of color - it looks dramatically different than just one coat. I assume two coats were applied for durability, though. Brushing on carefully can eliminate any streakiness caused by application. We used the same stain a year ago for two other PT pine porches. The stain has held up but I find the the color has "mellowed" just a bit. It's hard to explain - it's not exactly faded, not exactly weathered... it just looks a little different, and my husband prefers it now. If you do choose a solid, (obviously) test it first. We thought we wanted solid, but didn't like how it looked. We decided that if we were to go with a "natural" wood tone, it made sense to allow for the natural variations in the wood to show through. Personally, I don't like solid stains in a wood tone. We have several neighbors who all seem to have used the same solid stain, and it looks tacky.

I'd either stain it a medium to dark brown, to contrast with the red brick, or paint it white to match the house and window trim. I wouldn't try to make it match the brick. In choosing brown or white, you should take into account not just your preference in aesthetics, but the fact that dark will be warmer on bare feet while white will be more reflective of sunlight. Depending on what side of the house the deck is on and how much shade there is, you might not want hot feet or too much reflection. You might also try posting this in the Home Decorating forum. They're good with color advice.

You have a wonderful, huge deck in a beautiful backyard. You would need to do the benches as well as the railing and steps. If it were mine, I would clean it well then put on a protective coating. That alone will enhance the color and protect it from mildew and wear and tear. You have a lot of deck to cover and if you do a stain, it will NOT be permanent. It doesn't matter which type you purchase and use, it will need to be touched up and/or restained at least every few years and that is if it is applied perfectly. If you decide to deepen or change the color later, you can do it after you've sealed it. If you darken the color with stain and decide in a few years that you wish you hadn't, stripping it all off would be a nightmare and would damage your wood. A colorful unbrella for your table, plants in pots, and some decorative throw pillows would really finish it all off. We purchase our house with a dark stained deck on it and I HATE it. It is hot and the maintenance is a killer.

Are you talking about the deck railings or the deck floor? If it's the floor, do you know what wood was used? If it was cedar, (which is commonly used where I live) and not pressure treated lumber, then it will gray beautifully all on its own. If it's pressure treated, then you need to allow it to age a bit before staining - the stain mfgs recommend one year. I also think a gray would be the way to go. I wouldn't add color because your home has a very crisp palette that would be interrupted with the addition of another color. Do the railings in the same white as your trim - it will be knockout. You have a beautiful house! I was going to say a darling or cute house because it it seems smaller scale (meaning not 5000 sq ft!) but didn't want to offend. However it's just so darn cute! I hope you don't mind me going in a direction you didn't ask about..... Your shutters are the only element that seems off to me. The widow on the right does not need shutters at all - actually, none of them NEED shutters. You have nicely scaled trim that stands well on its own. The shutters on the left windows are way undersized and look odd - if you're going to use them, they need to be half the width of the total window opening. If you imagine closing the shutters you have, they would cover little more than the side trim. For proper scale, they should appear to be functional. Your entryway is spectacular.