Cozy Cover: A deck do-over takes being outside to a new level

Now with a roof overhead and the warmth of a fireplace, Laura Adams and her family of four can enjoy the deck of the Mission Hills home when it’s chilly, raining – or even when the sun is shining.

“With the sun’s glare, Laura’s husband, Frank, wasn’t able to sit out there and work on his laptop like he wanted to when he worked from home,” architect Ione Stiegler explains. “So, I proposed creating a covered porch.”

“We really debated on whether to put a roof on because we thought it might make the interior of the house darker,” Laura says. “Plus, we thought that without the roof we could cut down on the cost of the overall remodel of the house.”

But when the builder said he’d never seen anyone regret having a cover in San Diego where” everyone wants an indoor/outdoor lifestyle,” and when they saw Ione’s design with the roof that allowed them to have speakers, lights, a ceiling fan and heater built into the ceiling, they wholeheartedly bought into the idea.

“Now the deck gets used constantly,” Laura says. “Even the dog loves it out there.”

Caption:

A roof and fireplace extended the seasonal use of this home’s deck. A 6-foot-wide, floor-to-ceiling glass glider brought a more indoor-outdoor flow from the kitchen. Previously a two-level deck, the new single level allowed for a larger outdoor living area.