Deck of the Week: Midcentury Modern Flair in a Side Yard
An interior designer uses vintage finds and custom touches to add personality to a Michigan outdoor entertaining area
Interior designer Elin Walters and her husband gave up a lot of their backyard when they built a 20-by-30-foot addition to their midcentury modern home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They made up for the lost outdoor space with a fabulous new deck in the side yard that includes room for lounging, hanging out by a fire pit and dining.
“The recessed lights in the overhang are all on a dimmer, so we can really create a mood out here,” Walters says. Adding to the ambiance is a fire pit, which the couple found on Houzz. “It has this great form that curves up, and it’s rusty, which added color and texture to the deck,” she says.
The kids have a larger fire pit out back, so during neighborhood barbecues and after-work gatherings for drinks, the deck is where the adults hang out. “In the morning, the sun hits the deck, so my husband and I will have coffee in the yellow chairs, and at night it’s great because the sun is on the other side of the house,” she says.
The designer laid out the space for lounging, hanging out, enjoying outdoor meals and warming up by the fire. The wicker lounge chairs are from Ikea, purchased about 15 years ago, and the white Italian chairs are vintage 1970s. “I find the more vintage items I put in a space, the more character and soul it has,” she says.
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The kids have a larger fire pit out back, so during neighborhood barbecues and after-work gatherings for drinks, the deck is where the adults hang out. “In the morning, the sun hits the deck, so my husband and I will have coffee in the yellow chairs, and at night it’s great because the sun is on the other side of the house,” she says.
The designer laid out the space for lounging, hanging out, enjoying outdoor meals and warming up by the fire. The wicker lounge chairs are from Ikea, purchased about 15 years ago, and the white Italian chairs are vintage 1970s. “I find the more vintage items I put in a space, the more character and soul it has,” she says.
Browse fire pits in the Houzz Shop
On the other side of the fire pit, Walters designed wall-mounted planters for the garage wall. “The finish on the fire pit inspired us to have the metalworker make them out of Cor-Ten steel,” she says. The living finish adds patina to the wall. The team drilled into the garage wall to add galvanized plumbing pipes that support the planters and play off the pergola.
Walters loves to change up the plants on a regular basis. “It’s not really about specific plants but about having something spiky, something soft, something that drapes down and a mix of different greens — something silver or white and other colors. It’s all about a mix of heights, shapes, colors and textures,” she says.
The couple inherited the pair of turquoise Bertoia chairs. The playful colors and silhouettes of all of the chairs on the deck complement the midcentury modern architecture. While the Bertoia chairs have held up fairly well, Walters has plans to get them powder-coated so they’ll last longer outdoors. “But we’ll definitely do it in turquoise — I love the color of these chairs,” she says.
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Walters loves to change up the plants on a regular basis. “It’s not really about specific plants but about having something spiky, something soft, something that drapes down and a mix of different greens — something silver or white and other colors. It’s all about a mix of heights, shapes, colors and textures,” she says.
The couple inherited the pair of turquoise Bertoia chairs. The playful colors and silhouettes of all of the chairs on the deck complement the midcentury modern architecture. While the Bertoia chairs have held up fairly well, Walters has plans to get them powder-coated so they’ll last longer outdoors. “But we’ll definitely do it in turquoise — I love the color of these chairs,” she says.
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This is the view of the deck from the master suite’s private living room. It gives us a good look at the strategic partition that wraps a corner of the patio. Walters designed it to block views of the neighbor’s driveway and house. The portion on the left has louvered panels that let in air and light while maintaining privacy. “The partition really makes the deck a private oasis,” she says.
The couple created a relaxing view in front of the partition — they scooped up the large stone slab at a local quarry and placed it atop rounded stones to give it a floating appearance. “It has an interesting sculptural look,” the designer says. So does the evergreen tree that looks like a large bonsai tree. “It was about creating a moment of Zen right there,” she says.
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The couple created a relaxing view in front of the partition — they scooped up the large stone slab at a local quarry and placed it atop rounded stones to give it a floating appearance. “It has an interesting sculptural look,” the designer says. So does the evergreen tree that looks like a large bonsai tree. “It was about creating a moment of Zen right there,” she says.
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Elements of the deck design echo elements seen on the front of the house. The porch and concrete planters were also part of the project. The overhang and railings are the same type of plumbing pipes used on the deck’s overhang. The louvered panels on either side of the door relate to the deck’s partition wall, and the stone slab step is the same stone type used on the plant stand.
Walters can’t recall exactly where the vintage motel chairs came from but thinks they were a roadside find. “They are mint green right now, but we like to paint them every year. Maybe they’ll be orange next — I love orange!” she says.
Takeaways
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Walters can’t recall exactly where the vintage motel chairs came from but thinks they were a roadside find. “They are mint green right now, but we like to paint them every year. Maybe they’ll be orange next — I love orange!” she says.
Takeaways
- Make the most of your side yard.
- Put outdoor lights on dimmers so you can create different moods.
- Echo architectural materials from the house in outdoor rooms.
- Add vintage pieces to personalize a space. And when the mood strikes you, change them up with paint.
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Deck at a Glance
Who uses it: Interior designer Elin Walters of exactly, her husband and their five children
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Size: 462 square feet (43 square meters); 14 by 33 feet
The entire right side of the house off the deck is the new addition, which contains a master bedroom that’s partially open to a private living room. The window on the right is a corner window in the new master bedroom. The building on the left is the garage.
The addition’s architectural accents inspired some of the deck’s design. Galvanized plumbing pipes supported by a pair of two-by-fours extend from the addition’s overhang to create a feeling of cover without closing the space off from the sky. They also support patio string lights on the other side.
The deck is a popular hangout for the homeowners’ neighbors. The house is a favorite spot for impromptu neighborhood gatherings; neighbors walk up the driveway and through the opening at the back left.
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