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The simplest and most cost-effective way to enlarge your living space is to add a deck. You can connect your deck to your main house or go for a detached deck. While you can utilize online sites to develop a virtual demo of under deck design of your choice, it is much easier to gather design ideas from already completed tasks.
Thankfully, there are lots of deck designs you can choose from. Under deck materials vary widely and can include softwoods, hardwoods, synthetic woods, and pressure-treated lumber. This means you have multiple options when it comes to under deck ideas and inspirations.
Whether you decide to go for multiple levels deck, cool-looking overhead deck, and spa-like deck, all you need is a little amount of planning. However, compared to patios, a deck involves a little more planning because it involves a raised structure.
Depending on your jurisdiction and the local law in existence, you need to get a permit and approval from the local planning department.
When you have decided on the best materials to use for the under-deck design, the next thing to decide is the design type. Will it be a wraparound or pool deck and so on?
After that, you should determine which size, shape, and placement pattern would be most suitable.
Also, if you’re planning a DIY project, besides the under deck design model, you’ll need to get some special tools and equipment like circular saw and jigsaw. If you aren’t a DIY enthusiast, you can hire a contractor or subcontractor to do the job.
Besides, you have to consider the budget, which is the key determinant of the design you will choose. Another essential consideration when planning for under deck is to choose a location that offers a great view.
In general, there are multiple under deck ideas and inspiration to choose from. However, your only limitation will be your budget, the local law, and what will match your home setting.
If you’re aren’t sure what design to go for, these 25 under deck pictures can serve as great under deck design ideas and inspiration. Let’s quickly see what design samples we have on our list.
Trex RainEscape is a unique under-deck drainage system that uses a network of troughs and downspout construction to keep rain, spills, and snowmelt from dripping through elevated deck boards creating a dry space below the deck.
Top 25 Under Deck Ideas and Inspiration
1. Raised Rustic Deck
A blend of rustic materials with contemporary designs is an easy way to give your home a high-end modern-day feel. This raised under deck utilizes clean lines and numerous straight edges to develop a minimalist style.
The integration of dark wood packed with numerous features offer a realistic aged feel to the garden. The under deck color was also carefully selected to match both the fence and the furniture, and this gives it a unified appearance.
Besides the visual appeal, the raised structure makes it a great sitting area of the garden. Incorporating this type of demarcation helps you to maximize your garden space and allows you to utilize the different spaces for their respective roles.
2. Poolside Comfort
You can leverage on the low-profile of your under deck pools choose a design of choice which can include the use of natural stone, concrete, or pavers. What makes a suitable material differs depending on your personality, the type of home you have. However, the materials you use will commonly match the landscape materials used around your homes like the materials for your sidewalk or porch.
This under deck pool inspiration will give you a respite on those especially hot summer days. You can relax under your under deck shade. The ceiling fan will offer you some relief instead of burning yourself out in the pool.
3. Private Pergola
The area around this under deck private pergola created a private space that will work for dinner for relaxing with a book. The pergola provided a bit of privacy to the decked area and additionally served as a boundary for the deck.
If you’re after an old-style English country style in your garden, a pergola is a very good choice. You can paint the wood in a classic shade of sage green or duck-egg blue to additionally offer the stylish country design of the pergola and reminisce a private English garden.
Although pergola by itself is stylish looking, you can boost the beauty with hanging flower baskets placed on the top planks. Alternatively, you can plant climbing plants at the bottom part of the deck to grow up the pergola. The color of the deck in this design matches with the color of the upper part of the pergola beams to create a seamless appearance.
4. Composite Deck
Photo: Courtesy of Eckhoff Construction
You can equally use composite materials for your under deck design. An example is this wrap-around deck. The good thing about composite materials is that they require low-maintenance compared to wooden materials. They will also last longer in comparison. They equally work best for small under deck designs that don’t need plenty of materials.
5. Stylish Sundeck
A stylish painted sun deck is a great option if you want a sophisticated under deck design like this one. The smart-looking dove color of this under deck design matches well with the sunbeds and the exterior of the house. Using the same color, or integrating minimal variations of the same color results in a fluid and tasteful design. The uniform color equally generates an illusion of a larger space.
If you choose to go with a painted underdeck, remember to first clean the material with a deck specially made cleaner. Alternatively, you can utilize a pressure washer to eliminate the remaining debris that may prevent proper sticking of the paint.
It’s always best to use paints specially manufactured for exterior woodwork. This will boost its lifespan. However, remember that painted decks to be repeated every few years, anyway.
6. Dark Deck
This under deck design comes with a lot of features that make it a fantastic addition to the living environment. To start with, the sheltered roof is an excellent way to make the deck look like a part of the property.
The roof made the area to serve as an additional purpose and makes it look like the extension of the home instead of being just a garden.
Also, the roof provides some protection against UV rays from the sun and serves as shade. This gives you the option of sitting out under the deck for relaxation, especially during those hot days.
You can equally hang string lights from the roof or plant climbing plants at the base to create a ‘lived in’ impression of the space. This will provide more attractive interior design.
Leaving the sides of the under-deck area open allows you to have a good view of your garden. What this implies is that you’ll be truly getting the best of the two worlds- you enjoy the comfort of being sheltered from the sun and at the same time, you’re not far from nature.
The black-colored paint of the under deck matches with the floor visually and additionally generates a sense of home extension rather than an outdoor deck area.
7. Outdoor Living Space
This raised under the deck is very attractive because it used soft furnishing materials commonly utilized for home interiors. Using the materials for exterior under deck areas generates a comfortable external living space that will make you want to spend more time outdoors.
To create a similar effect, you can use rattan furniture, or rattan effect furniture which works for outdoors and at the same time come with a comfier feel than when you use a metal or plastic outdoor furniture.
Soft furnishings are the best way to go if you want to change your outdoor under deck into comfortably a living area. Therefore, you can swathe your chairs and sofas in soft blankets and luxurious cushions, and utilize an outdoor rug to offer the space different textures.
You can get outdoor waterproof cushions that last the entire summer period so your mind is at peace in the event of shower rains. Alternatively, you can use indoor soft furnishings and take them back in after each use.
8. Dinky Deck
This backyard shows that size doesn’t matter when it comes to having a great-looking under the deck. Irrespective of the small space, the impact it created can’t be ignored. The shape and the color of the deck well match the grey pebbles and created a visually appealing environment.
Besides it also comes handy for delineating the space for a special purpose. You can decide to position a coffee table under the deck to serve as a resting place for your books and magazines.
Alternatively, you can use mini sized dining set in the area to offer you a flatter and more stable surface for the furniture. The rounded design of this under deck also indicates that you can design your deck into different shapes instead of just creating only straight edges.
9. Commercial Common Area
This under deck design of this office building makes a gorgeous looking exterior where the employees can relax and wind down during their break or lunchtimes.
The deck materials used for the pathways created a more aesthetic appeal and made the space great for relaxation. The pale color of the materials used created a lighter feeling that brightens the whole environment without looking bold and intrusive.
The integration of plants and trees makes the space lively and created a positive feeling that will help employees to maintain the right frame of mind.
10. Parquet Balcony Deck
This multiple patterned under deck design will make a suitable fit if you want to go a bit more unconventional. The under deck design features a parquet flooring style that provides a stylish look to the area and at the same time exuding a rustic feeling.
These multiple pattern designs come with some motivating appeal thanks to the deviation of the design from the regularly used parallel lines deck designs. Nonetheless, because of its uniform repeated pattern that created a seamless feeling, it’s still stylish.
This under deck made use of deck tiles which are commonly multiple pieces of wood combined to produce a square that you can then use on the floor following your desired pattern. If you’re looking at a DIY under the deck, decking tiles are a better option. They are easier to install compared to decking boards.
11. Bespoke Pool Deck
This under deck design integrated a private pool into a balcony. If you have such a pool in your property, a deck that could lead to the pool like this one would make a fantastic fit.
A deck around your pool immediately creates an updated look of the entire pool area and can make an outdated pool to look more lively and modern.
Besides, giving your garden a high-end look, it equally serves a practical purpose. You may want to go for wooden under deck material because they’re more forgiving than a concrete material in case you have a fall.
Also, if you have little children who are more prone to falls with wet feet, wooden materials would give you more peace of mind and ensure that any injury they have during falls would be minimal.
However, if you ensure proper maintenance of your decking, it would rarely get slippery under wet conditions. This will also minimize the number of possible falls.
12. Walking on Water
This under deck design gives your garden a magnificent, futuristic, and appealing. It is designed to mimic an under deck afloat a pond’s surface of a pond, creating a bold and stylish feeling.
While the first impression may seem like an artistic design, it serves practical purposes. The central part of the under-deck design serves as a seating area. The slanted part serves as a roof that provides some shelter to people sitting beneath it.
The pathway that leads to the central seating position features a mosaic design to match with the unconventional style. The decking, on top of posts or boulders beneath the water surface, makes it look like a bridge on top of the pond.
Although this minimalistic design is undeniably stylish, it is unsuitable for every home. The absence of sides on the ‘deck bridge’ makes people working on it susceptible to getting soaked feet if they misplace their feet. It is not a great design idea if you have little kids or pets. They get easily slip into the pond.
13. Grand Entrance Deck
This grand entrance deck works for homeowners with imposing properties like this one. The lustrous shiny decked porch is a suitable fit for this magnificent design. The deck features natural colors that give the structure a shiny appearance with its multiple layers of varnish.
It accurately replicates the colonial stimulation style of interior design, albeit on the exterior of the property. The deck has been intentionally created to mimic the look of indoor wooden flooring to make it look like an extension of the home instead of looking like part of the garden. Be warned though, only use a deck material meant for outdoor for porches like this to ensure they can resist elements of weather.
The luxurious appeal of the deck is as well because it was designed to match the color of the rest sections of the space. The upper rail of the adjoining banisters left in a natural color together with the outstanding double door.
The integrated plant pots and furniture additionally created a feeling of the deck being the part of the property. While coming with some indoor features like chairs, door rugs, the interior deck design, and a ceiling, it as well comes with exterior garden features like wall lights and the plants. This fantastic design combination allows you to have the best of the two worlds.
14. Double Decker
An under the deck of a double-decker system means you have two exterior spaces for Partying above and below. You can increase your entertainment space merely by integrating this type of under deck system into your home main design.
15. Expand Your Playing Field
A deck offers you a grand way to enjoy the outdoors and your backyard. However, you can enlarge your outside living room with a few hardscaping by integrating a courtyard, dining area, and under deck like this one to enlarge your space for social gatherings.
16. Above Ground Pool Deck
Photo by Paul Bardagy
This fantastic under deck design merges design and nature to eliminate heat. The integrated pergola with a pulldown screen provides some refuge against the dangerous UV rays. The redwood decking meanders around a cool pool with a cut that integrates arboreal shade.
17. A Deck Covered With Pergolas
Erecting an overhead structure above your under deck provides you some shade and protection from the hot effect of the sun. The airy walls provide you with some sort of privacy and at the same time ensures you have a sufficient amount of air.
The open lattice fence creates a feeling of privacy and equally allows a sufficient amount of light and wind to pass through. If you want to increase your privacy, you can plant climbing vines at the base of the under-deck design.
Growing climbing vine and directing it atop the pergola can change the entire structure and make it practical to be used as an enclosure. It also serves as a shelter against the summer sun and rain showers.
18. Wood Deck Buffer Zone
This under deck design serves a practical purpose in correcting the yard landscaping issue. It would equally work as a correction for an irregular grade, a rocky projection, or fluid sands.
It can offer a very solid base and make a lovely connection between the interior part of the house and its exterior. The design in the above picture features durable redwood planks with a quarter-inch space in between to serve as a channel for water to drip between the cracks.
The extra space allowed in-between equally helps to create room for the expansion of the boards under altering temperatures and humidity.
19. Rambling Composite Deck
This under deck design features lush trees that seem to embrace a multiple leveled, a curved deck that comes with plenty of room for entertainment.
An under-deck structure that integrates well with the angles and height of nearby foliage integrates a luxurious feeling which is possible only through customization.
20. Levels and Views
This a suitable under the deck in a home that has a long run of stairs like the seven stars in this picture. An underdeck can serve the purpose of splitting the difference.
You can design one set of three steps close to the house, for example, and afterward, add the other four. The different levels provide space to take in views from varying vantage locations. They equally help to divide the large space into separate outdoor spaces.
21. A Lower Level under deck for Unobstructed Views
This under deck smart design features a lower-level integrated curved bench. It features some seating areas. However, as the higher level is only a few steps above the lower level, the fencing doesn’t inhibit the stunning view for those sitting in the higher-level chairs.
22. Outdoor Deck Kitchen
This under deck design features an outdoor kitchen placed against a wall that makes connecting electrical and plumbing materials easy. Besides, the sliding window incorporated into the countertop makes it easy to transfer plates and other kitchen items to and fro the main building.
The second-floor deck makes outdoor relaxation a whole new twist. You can use this design to make your outdoor kitchen a remarkable cook space.
You can integrate the outdoor dining area in other locations like this smart under deck ideas and inspiration.
23. Rustic Beauty
This sheltered swimming pool with warm wood decking makes an especially inviting outdoor space with its rich wood deck surrounding. The integration of real or faux boulders give the design a rustic and natural appearance and also serve as walls that offer privacy to the area.
The Poolside deck is also a great choice because it doesn’t slip under wet conditions.
24. Fans of Light
Integrating ceiling fans and lights on and under the deck just like this one brightens up the entire atmosphere. You can also use lanterns and glossy white paint to add luster and shine to the area.
25.Under the Deck Storage
You can turn your large space into an under deck storage area. It can be dry or wet storage. Remember to install your under deck 30 inches above the ground to protect your items from elements of weather.
You don’t have to safeguard the wet storage from weather elements, and this means you can use such space to store items like PVC pipe, plastic snow toys, garden hose, and kayaks. If you want to store some wood materials here, you have to raise them off the ground and cover them loosely with a water-resistant tarp.
You can pack smaller items into plastic containers with tightly-fitted lids. For dry storage, you need to create a water-resistant fence between decking boards and the underneath space. Use plastic channels beneath or in-between the deck joints to create an under-the-deck drainage system.
Dry under-deck storage space provides you a great way to store different types of items. However, it’s better to find ways to raise your items off the ground and use plastic sheathing for the entire space to eliminate dampness and mold build-up.
FAQs
Can you build a deck directly on the ground?
You can build floating decks directly above the ground or on a bed of gravel. However, your best option is to prop up the deck with concrete blocks. This suspends the wood away from the ground and protects it from water so that it can last longer.
What is the best base for decking?
The best deck base is your present patio or a concrete base. This gives your deck a rock-hard foundation.
What can I put under my deck to keep it dry?
The best deck base is your present patio or a concrete base. This gives your deck a rock-hard foundation.
What is the best waterproof system for under deck?
The popular waterproof material used for under decks is to wrap plastic membranes around the joist spaces under the deck create troughs. The Trex RainEscape waterproof is an example of such membranes.
What can I put under My deck?
Gravel is a great material to use under your deck structure because it allows for easy drainage. So, if you have moisture-prone stairs, using gravel or crushed rocks is highly recommended.
Trex RainEscape is a unique under-deck drainage system that uses a network of troughs and downspout construction to keep rain, spills, and snowmelt from dripping through elevated deck boards creating a dry space below the deck.
Conclusion
Using these under deck ideas and inspiration to turn your space into a useful extension of your main property. Regarding what you can do with your under deck, the sky is your limit. You have multiple choices of design to choose from. Just remember to stay within your budget limit and ensure that you choose a design that is permitted in your locality and suits your home structure.
