The first thing I'd do is rip off the absolutely awful privacy wall. Plant arborvitae instead.

Prime and paint the entire ceiling , white, Floor and posts to almost black and white for railings.....or just keep the "almost black" going.

Nothing about it seems to suit the style of the house, but that wall has GOT to go.

I agree the wall is too much. A slatted design would look better I think. Also, the posts are weird- why are they not evenly spaced? For colors, you need to lean it back to traditional, dark dark dark on the posts and railings. Prime the ceiling and paint it haint blue, aka a light blue of your liking.

I agree about the wall and honestly who sees into that sapce at all? I love the blue ceiling idea and all the same color stin fin a very dark color for the rest . How was the flooring waterproofed to avoid the water washing down into the bottom deck?You have area mis mash of stuff going on black, doors white windows which do you want to keep? IMO all black windows and the deck done with black posts and railing and the floor of the decks stained to match the interior floos . IMO this could have been done so much better but now you deal with it best as you can.

I hate to pile on but it seems very discordant with your otherwise formal house. I would have imagined all the posts and handrails and framing white to match your trim, then the ceiling could be blue or stained wood. The screen by the hot tub looks really heavy- if it has to stay paint it black and mount lattice or Hogwire over it so vines can grow on it.

The posts on bottom were a structural issue. the two to the left had to be there. i asked the builder to add the one to the right so the posts would appear purposeful. there’s one right up against the house so theres 4 total. but without adding the one i asked for it was like a 3rd eye that woukdnt stop staring at me.

W few different angles. the posts were a structural issue and the result of having a second buider to fix a firsts mistakes.the second did the best he could without tearing the fully framed deck off. we’ll add a spiral staircase to the side bc tgere isnt enough space for wood stairs. its been one disaster after another. and we’re $60k in without the $8k stair case and the cleaning and painting. a year and a half. its not at all what i wanted but the 2nd builder did the best he could

i think one of the reasons we added the privacy was to try and hide some of post issues.

the trim is actually gray. doors are brown. i know. i was thinking we could paint the doors black. they need to be replaced anyway. but i cant really afford to repaint all the trim right now.

with the roof on the top, not a drop of water washes to the bottom. i asked about drying in the bottom to have some sort of ceiling but there would be no purpose other than asthetics so its not worth the $15k cost

That's the biggest 70 k mistake I've seen all month. WAH.

I tend to think you went right to a draftsman and contractor type builder, but skipped over the architect and structural engineer?

The first I’d agree. he just threw up the framing with no real end plan. I envisioned large columns from top to bottom. i ended up with 6” posts that are not even the same wood. i nearly divorced my husbabd bc he let that continue on to tge point of no return. the second brought in the structural engineer and others. by then the framing was done and most materials were laying in my back yard. Without a total tear down, this is what could be done. we had to get a roof on it asap bc the first attached the framing to the house the gutters were down and we had water coming down the walls in the basement every time it rained.

so yes, everything about this us a mistake. my only hope left is that the paint/stain colors can help salvage

Before I threw a gallon of paint or stain on that?? I'd get a major league rim contractor,

It is partly a lack of BEEF, and horrible proportions you don't love the raw , rustic cabin look, nor is it even appropriate.

Fir those posts out to fatties, and clad !!!. Sayonara to rustic. Go to white. Add some lattice skirting and plant some arborvitae. They grow tall, and fast. In the meantime? Rip that wall TO JUST ENOUGH to block the tub height.

This is cheaper than a divorce....

Lesson learned.... The shortcut is oftentimes the long and very expensive route to a result you hate.

What do you have the stomach to change? What did you envision it looking like? Columns can easily be wrapped with pvc to bulk them up and the handrails Re installed with very little waste. Or they can just be painted. Or stain them if you want them to look rustic which is of course fine if it’s what you want.

Use daytime privacy screens on the lower deck to turn it into a sweet screened porch. You could ditch the wood wall. And it’s not very costly.

With the posts being off I’m not sure beefing up to columns even makes sense now. which posts do you beef up at this point? that should have been planned for from the first nail. i kept being told we’d wrap at the end but I dont know how you do that with all the added posts. the rustic sawn cut posts and rails- not my preference. the builder and my husband picked that wood. i asked for their visions multiple times.many arguments. now its done and they're asking me how I want it to look. I’m over this entire project to the point I don‘t even go out there. i just need to paint it and move on. maybe in s few yrs we can redo the rails. i have 2 kids playing travel sports and one going ti college next yr. ive spent all i can on this deck.

We are all crossing. Beef !!! ( see above. )

And I repeat......I wouldn't waste a drop of paint until It was beefed and re clad.

Even beffier bottom.....?

Either is closer to what you wanted

Thank you jan for taking the time to draw this picture! this is exactly what i envisioned. unfortunately the posts ive marked have to be there.

Add!!!!! and take it up - fix the third EYE

Look again, and count

Widen the "third eye" to more centered and take to top roof. The other of your x's? Was still there on the first.....and still is there on this one : )

Lordy, just about anything is better lol short of the hurricane that rips the whole thing off your house.

Beefy white....Yes, add to the offending offender