Favorites

New Deck

Decking extends from the living space, adding outdoor space to the Hollywood prefab.

“It was rewarding to communicate directly with the future residents and learn what worked.”—Damien Brambilla, architect

The renovated deck stayed true to the original design.

Marjorie takes to a Brumby rocking chair on the deck off the bedroom, which is privatized by a forest of bamboo.

A mix of vintage finds and pieces designed by Mathesius, including a Cor-Ten steel fire pit on the second-floor deck, furnish a majority of the home.

Floor-to-ceiling pivot doors and flushed skirting make the boxy space appear much higher and larger.

Large Marvin Windows were added to the back of the house to improve views of the yard. "We replaced the old 1980s shingles with stucco—since it was an approved material according to our historic reviewers—and painted the house," Sullivan says. They also added a small balcony with ipe decking.

The newly expanded kitchen/dining area opens to the deck via doors from Hope’s Windows. There a pair of Butterfly chairs from Circa50 joins water-resistant resin Daniel planters by Crescent Garden. “So now, after essentially scooping out the entire interior of the previous house, we’ve got a great place—and, by far, the best-looking backside (of a house) in northwest Washington, DC,” Daniel says.

The broad deck and seating area are perfect for the Mediterranean climate and invite guests outdoors.

An L-shaped deck wraps around the house's ground level, creating a place for entertaining and taking in the scenery.

Living spaces are tailored to each of the two clients' needs. Here, the composite bamboo decking is by Calibamboo. Courtesy of Richard Leo Johnson / Atlantic Archives Inc.

A roof deck provides views of the verdant, southwest Michigan landscape.

Harry Bertoia’s iconic Bertoia side chair is surrounded by custom railings. A yucca plant grows nearby, its palm-like leaves celebrating the short but intense summer months in Wisconsin.

A prefab unit built from red cedar features several decks, which wrap around the homes structure. Photo by: Roger Davies

The outdoor deck is made from ipe. The wood was selected to complement the fumed oak flooring inside the house. “We carried the level of design detail throughout [the property] because we wanted the exterior to feel like an extension of the living space, especially for entertaining, but also as a connection to the coach house,” Dubbeldam says.

The modules come in various layouts, and can be configured and combined to include a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and living space.

The large terrace on the upper level, which contains the house's bedrooms, is nearly 968 square feet.

“When you have a tiny house, having outdoor spaces off a room can make a big difference,” Schicketanz says. Luckily, each room already had its own deck, which the architect simply refurbished by installing concrete floors and galvanized stainless steel railings.