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Expert Tips: Find a Decking Color That Suits Your Home’s Style
A design star shares her advice for picking the perfect palette for a variety of looks
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The design world has turned its attention to outdoor decks and the results are stunning. No longer utilitarian afterthoughts with a few plastic chairs, decks are stepping into the spotlight as outdoor style stars. To make sure yours fulfills its potential, start with a design that complements your home’s exterior. “Your outdoor space should be a natural extension of your home,” Canadian contractor and TV design star Kate Campbell says. “It’s important to think about your home’s materials and colors.” She’s teamed up with Trex, a premium decking brand, to share her advice.
Meet Kate Campbell. Always an excellent student, Campbell discovered her true passion after being accepted into a Women in Skilled Trades course. “As soon as I picked up the circular saw, I knew I found something I loved: being creative and active,” she says. She’s been working in the renovation industry for over a decade now.
Below, she shares her deck design tips for five popular home styles.
Below, she shares her deck design tips for five popular home styles.
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If your home is a balance of classic and modern design, Campbell suggests brown decking with darker striations. Striations, or vertical stripes, are common to tropical hardwoods. This type of decking grounds modern exterior elements and complements traditional ones. “I’d stay away from red tones, but if you’re drawn to them, accent your deck with a darker brown,” she says. Whichever hue you choose, keep the lines clean.
To enjoy the view from all angles, make sure your deck complements your interior design. Notice, for instance, how the fade-resistant brown deck seen here visually blends with the interior hardwood floors. Campbell recommends looking at your outdoor space from inside your house (as well as outside) and ordering decking samples during the planning stages to better visualize your ideas.
If your home is a balance of classic and modern design, Campbell suggests brown decking with darker striations. Striations, or vertical stripes, are common to tropical hardwoods. This type of decking grounds modern exterior elements and complements traditional ones. “I’d stay away from red tones, but if you’re drawn to them, accent your deck with a darker brown,” she says. Whichever hue you choose, keep the lines clean.
To enjoy the view from all angles, make sure your deck complements your interior design. Notice, for instance, how the fade-resistant brown deck seen here visually blends with the interior hardwood floors. Campbell recommends looking at your outdoor space from inside your house (as well as outside) and ordering decking samples during the planning stages to better visualize your ideas.
Modern Farmhouse
Full of country charm and crisp lines, the modern farmhouse style continues to please. If you lean a bit more modern, opt for gray decking, as seen here. “It goes really well with a modern farmhouse aesthetic and is great at hiding dirt,” Campbell says. She recommends accenting gray decking with a darker gray border.
“There are a lot of browns with beautiful, natural striations that would also go well with a modern farmhouse,” she says. Consider lighter earth tones, burnished bronze colors and other natural hues. When it comes to railings, try a more traditional-style frame with glass inserts instead of balusters. Black railings also work well.
Full of country charm and crisp lines, the modern farmhouse style continues to please. If you lean a bit more modern, opt for gray decking, as seen here. “It goes really well with a modern farmhouse aesthetic and is great at hiding dirt,” Campbell says. She recommends accenting gray decking with a darker gray border.
“There are a lot of browns with beautiful, natural striations that would also go well with a modern farmhouse,” she says. Consider lighter earth tones, burnished bronze colors and other natural hues. When it comes to railings, try a more traditional-style frame with glass inserts instead of balusters. Black railings also work well.
Traditional
Rich, natural browns complement traditional homes, playing nicely off classic siding and masonry. Consider deep, dark browns for an elegant, polished look, or try a warmer brown with a darker border, as seen here. “Whether you have level changes or not, incorporate a border into your deck,” Campbell says. You can use borders to delineate different areas, such as outdoor dining spaces and kitchens.
To freshen up a traditional look, switch up your decking pattern. “Install the boards on a 45-degree angle or incorporate a spine that bisects the boards in an accent color,” Campbell says. You can also inlay tile or alternate complementary colors every other board. Step up the skirting around your deck with cabinetry or masonry — or both, as seen here.
Rich, natural browns complement traditional homes, playing nicely off classic siding and masonry. Consider deep, dark browns for an elegant, polished look, or try a warmer brown with a darker border, as seen here. “Whether you have level changes or not, incorporate a border into your deck,” Campbell says. You can use borders to delineate different areas, such as outdoor dining spaces and kitchens.
To freshen up a traditional look, switch up your decking pattern. “Install the boards on a 45-degree angle or incorporate a spine that bisects the boards in an accent color,” Campbell says. You can also inlay tile or alternate complementary colors every other board. Step up the skirting around your deck with cabinetry or masonry — or both, as seen here.
Contemporary
Beloved for their focus on minimalism and form, contemporary homes pair well with clean-lined decking in solid colors. Campbell favors gray for this architectural style. Choose boards with striations if you want a more beachy, laid-back vibe, she says.
The backyard seen here features gray-hued boards with striations that mimic the look of weathered driftwood. They complement the home’s charcoal gray siding, cream stucco walls, sleek cable railings and turquoise pool. Campbell recommends using low-maintenance composite decking around pools as it won’t rot, splinter or warp. Look for boards with a grain effect for better traction.
Beloved for their focus on minimalism and form, contemporary homes pair well with clean-lined decking in solid colors. Campbell favors gray for this architectural style. Choose boards with striations if you want a more beachy, laid-back vibe, she says.
The backyard seen here features gray-hued boards with striations that mimic the look of weathered driftwood. They complement the home’s charcoal gray siding, cream stucco walls, sleek cable railings and turquoise pool. Campbell recommends using low-maintenance composite decking around pools as it won’t rot, splinter or warp. Look for boards with a grain effect for better traction.
Mediterranean
Mediterranean-style homes, with their light-hued stucco and colorful tile, conjure up images of deep blue waters and sandy-colored cliffs. Though inspired by a different locale, tropical-hued decking, such as gray and striated light brown, complements this look. “Tropical colors are beautiful and whimsical,” Campbell says.
If your home has terra-cotta tile, look for natural tones that play off the reddish-brown shades, like the light sienna deck seen here. “Just don’t be too matchy-matchy,” Campbell says. “You want your deck to be a stand-alone piece, not be bland and blend into your house.” Accent it with bright pops of color, such as turquoise lounge cushions and pots of bright pink flowers.
More: To learn more about decking design and color options, visit Trex’s color-selector page.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Mediterranean-style homes, with their light-hued stucco and colorful tile, conjure up images of deep blue waters and sandy-colored cliffs. Though inspired by a different locale, tropical-hued decking, such as gray and striated light brown, complements this look. “Tropical colors are beautiful and whimsical,” Campbell says.
If your home has terra-cotta tile, look for natural tones that play off the reddish-brown shades, like the light sienna deck seen here. “Just don’t be too matchy-matchy,” Campbell says. “You want your deck to be a stand-alone piece, not be bland and blend into your house.” Accent it with bright pops of color, such as turquoise lounge cushions and pots of bright pink flowers.
More: To learn more about decking design and color options, visit Trex’s color-selector page.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Trex became the world’s #1 decking brand by engineering what’s next in outdoor living. Both homeowners and... Read More
Trex became the world’s #1 decking brand by engineering what’s next in outdoor living. Both homeowners and... Read More
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We really like the idea of trek or products like it, but we have a fish pond with a deck partially over it to protect the fish from raccoons. Would a plactic product wick into the water, especially if it is dark and breaks down in the sun for a bunch of years?
Beautiful decks!
We've used the composites on docks and even a deck around a homeowner's doggie swimming pool and haven't seen any problems like that. And it's 10 years since the first one of that nature. The composites now are even better than the first generation stuff as well.