Cedar Decks in Etobicoke — A Toronto Rebuild
This project replaced a poorly planned three-level deck in Etobicoke — narrow upper and lower platforms that left almost no room for furniture — with a layout actually designed around how the family wanted to use the space.
A few design principles carried the project: privacy screens create genuine separation even when neighbours are only a few feet away, especially once personalized with found objects or art rather than left as blank panels. Dropping the main deck level while keeping the barbecue area up top let us build a larger, more usable lower platform. The pergola was designed with a future retractable canopy system in mind, and a corner nook was built in specifically to house a hot tub down the road — planning for what the space becomes, not just what it is on installation day.
Good deck design in a tight urban lot is mostly about sequencing: what needs sun, what needs privacy, what needs proximity to the kitchen, and what can wait for a future phase.
