24 Covered Deck Ideas to Shade Your Outdoor Space (2024)

Home Improvement

Outdoors

• 01 of 24

  Make It Modern

  

  A WashingtonD.C. home has a modernist sensibility focused on the privacy of the rear yard: from the front, you'd never guess how open and modern it is in the back. It's a covered deckthat's an extension of the interior and reflects the proportions of the primary bedroom as it looks across a grassy "courtyard." Designed by Kube Architecture, the deck is built with ipe wood and pressure-treated framing. Small, in-ground deck lights were purchased on Amazon for subtle illumination.

  About This Term: Primary Bedroom

  Many real estate associations, including the National Association of Home Builders, have classified the term "Master Bedroom" as discriminatory. "Primary Bedroom" is the name now widely used among the real estate community and better reflects the purpose of the room.

  
  Read more about our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge to make The Spruce a site where all feel welcome.

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• 02 of 24

  Let It Overhang

  

  Following his client's request, Austin-basedAndrew Hinman Architecture incorporated this cherished 1954 Spartan Imperial Mansion-house trailer onto a ranch in South Texas overlooking the Nueces River. FSC-certified ipeand Douglas fir decking frame a vintage California redwood hot tub. The roof, which overhangs the deck, is made of metal and reflects the sun. The ceiling is built of Douglas fir, which buffers sound during thunderstorms and insulates the home from that Texas heat.

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• 03 of 24

  Try a Thatch-Style Roof

  

  A slightly rustic, greyed-out hardwood deck lends this space a beach vibe that reflects the homeowners' lifestyle in Sydney, Australia. Designed by Maria Villa ofVilla and Villa, the wood-frame pergolafeatures a thatch-style roof for a casual, tropical look.

  See Also

  20 small garden decking ideas – clever designs for tiny spaces with grass or notEasy Deck Ideas to Cut Costs & Stress31 Small Deck Ideas and Designs [with Pictures]Small Outdoor Deck Ideas & Designs | Decks.com

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• 04 of 24

  Use an Outdoor Umbrella

  

  This two-tiered deck from A Beautiful Mess has a covered dining area and a seating area that has a large portable umbrella to offer shade when needed.

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• 05 of 24

  Add a Fabric Canopy

  

  A sturdy outdoor fabric canopy is stretched over this large deck from Fantastic Frank to protect the outdoor kitchen and dining area from the elements.

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• 06 of 24

  Extend the Roof

  

  A deck with a patina blurs the transition from indoors to outdoors of this home in coastal Melbourne, Australia. This outdoor space, designed by Planned Living Architects, features an outdoor kitchen with an indoor pass-through window covered by a framed roof extension that continues ceiling materials used inside.

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• 07 of 24

  Add a Freestanding Structure

  

  Envisioning this space in Chicago as an outdoor family room,Scrafano Architects collaborated with ho*rr Schaudt Landscape Architects to transform a West Loop loft roof space into something that is inviting and comfortable. The roof deck expands the living space, providing room for entertaining, playing, and relaxing. Anipe wood deck and lush plantings soften the property's urban, industrial setting, while a lawn lets the kids stretch out and run through the sprinkler.

  An asymmetrical wood trellis emphasizes the outdoor living room while framing views of the Chicago skyline. Stainless steel mesh panels separate the deckarea from mechanical equipment and provide new ways of occupying a formally industrial neighborhood.

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• 08 of 24

  Shade the Outdoor Kitchen

  

  The challenge for Stumpff HomeWorksand Escape Lawn & Landscaping: building a deck and outdoor kitchen with directives from the city that they could not extend into the backyard any farther. In other words, working within a limited space. Using TimberTech decking, Stumpff framed out the covered roof area with 6 x 6-inch smooth cedar posts and curved cedar brackets. The ceiling material is a pine car (a.k.a. box car) siding and the roof rafters are 2 x 6-inch cedar painted white. Escape did the stonework for the kitchen and installed the appliances. For grilling at night, low-voltage track lighting illuminates the area.

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• 09 of 24

  Mount a Gazebo

  

  Craftberry Bush mounted a spacious gazebo on this London backyard patio that provides cover for a modern outdoor living room.
  

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• 10 of 24

  Complement Tree Cover

  

  This outdoor deck from Emily Henderson Design has plenty of tree cover that adds shade on sunny days, but a portable umbrella in the corner can be deployed to make it usable on rainy days, too.

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• 11 of 24

  See Also

  25 Small Deck Ideas (Furniture & Design Guide)

  Paint the Pergola

  

  French doors lead to a secluded deck off the primary bedroom of this wine country house, with a pergola providing additional privacy. Collaborating on this contemporary farmhouse in Napa, California, was Zero Ten Design,Randy Thueme Design,ZFA Structural EngineersandBeaman Construction.

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• 12 of 24

  Use Affordable Materials

  

  A high, dramatic awning roof built over an outdoor room gives the occupants of this home a sensation of being outside, yet sheltered from the elements. Designed byDanny Broe Architect, the kitchen was perceived as a sort of sculptural element. It's attractive yet practical and makes the most out of economical materials.

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• 13 of 24

  Hang a Shade Sail

  

  For a high-rise deck in Manhattan,New Eco Landscapesof Brooklyn created an urban perch with warm wood decking and an angled sail that shades the outdoor dining area. Nature in the form of evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, and tall trees in planters adds privacy and touches of green and other colors. New Eco used a mixture of low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants and annuals, including Adagio maiden grass, river birch trees, and sweet potato vines in lime and purple.

  The 9 Best Deck Boxes of 2024

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• 14 of 24

  Incorporate Balinese Style

  

  A trip to Bali inspired the outdoor space of this home in Austin's Tarrytown district.Webber + Studio Inc.recreates the romance of the homeowners' Balinese adventures with three pavilions unified by a large roof that creates an exotic regionalism yet keep an understated presence within the neighborhood. One of the pavilions shelters a covered porch and uses Texas limestone, river rock, oak millwork, and mahogany finishes. The deck is made of ipe with birch plywood soffits.

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• 15 of 24

  Wrap It Around

  

  While Ten Broeck Farm, a thoroughbred horse ranch in central Washington, is new, it was important to the owners that the house and guest house appear as though they were original and had grown over time. To achieve this,Designs Northwest Architectsdesigned simple gabled forms and elements while enhancing the360-degree pastoral views connecting the occupants back to the land around them. The farmhouse vernacular is expressed by the use of a wraparound veranda and low-pitched roofs. Large windows reinforce the home's connection to the surrounding landscape, where the pasture fences come close to the house so the horses are in view.

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• 16 of 24

  Go Mid-Century Modern

  

  Just steps away from Tampa Bay, a Mid-century modern home is updated with a deck covered by an extension that provides a visual continuation from inside to outside, for a smooth blend. The deck flooring is constructed ofconcrete and Cumaru (an exotic hardwood), while the kitchen and deck's ceiling is cypress. Repurposed terrazzo pavers lead from the water to the deck, which is also made of Cumaru. The project was a collaboration among builder Corbin Moore, architect Dale Parks, and designer Magida Diouri.

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• 17 of 24

  Use Contrasting Wood

  

  A dark stained wood pergola adds contrast to this light wood deck in Los Angeles from Home Consultant, adding a touch of cover from the sun while providing a place to mount a hanging chair.

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• 18 of 24

  Install a Retractable Awning

  

  Awood-framed cover cools things off when the deck warms up at this home in New South Wales. Designed byLuigi Rosselli, who specializes in residential architecture, adaptive reuse, and heritage designs, the deck makes smart use of limited space. That faceless, low-maintenance puppy is byEero Aarniofor Magis.

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• 19 of 24

  Add Integrated Lighting

  

  Look behind this covered deck for this Virginia home's cantilevered roofs, which lift and extendin contrast to the deck's flat roof. Designed byMoore Architects, the decking is constructed of ipe, while the ceiling is exterior-grade drywall for a smooth, clean look. A double-sided fireplace allows the homeowners to enjoy it indoors and out.

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• 20 of 24

  Keep It Open

  

  The removal of a center column of a hip roof projection opens up the indoor/outdoor living space of a house in Texas. The project, designedAustin Outdoor Design, features a tigerwood ceiling over an ipe deck that measures about 20 x 25 feet. Lueders limestone and crushed grey basalt add simplicity and elegance to the space.

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• 21 of 24

  Embrace Asymmetry

  

  This spacious outdoor deck from Cathie Hong Interiors has a large open area and a smaller section that is covered by an asymmetrical slanted roof.

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• 22 of 24

  Add Drama

  

  The challenge: to construct a deck in Los Montreros, Marbella, Spain in 23 days with just five people.Cape Reedused 200 pressure-treated poles and more than 1,000 nuts and bolts to build the structure. Thatching from the southern tip of Africa grown under strict, sustainable farming practices was used for the roof and outdoor building.

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• 23 of 24

  Add Layers

  

  This outdoor dock from Maestri Studio is sheltered by a roof and includes an extended open-air deck with a patio set and outdoor umbrella that provides a place to soak in the waterfront views.

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• 24 of 24

  Play With Lighting

  

  Sometimes you just have to let things rust. For her own home in Michigan, designer Elin Walters ofExactly Designsallowed the patina of a portable fire pit to work with her eclectic outdoor design. Hanging planters are also permitted to rust, as well. For a deck cover, she used metal conduit to emphasize the horizontal lines of the midcentury modern home, then placed bulb lights on the end for an atomic touch.