This outdoor deck and its surrounding gardens provides a beautiful and relaxing space to enjoy the incredible ocean views of La Jolla.  The homeowners wanted to utilize part of their front yard to create an outdoor kitchen and living space where they could enjoy spending time with their family and friends.  One important design consideration was to integrate the deck into the existing house.  The deck creates a better flow around the house and blends smoothly into the existing flagstone landing and steps that lead up to the house.  There are also numerous connected pathways throughout the surrounding landscape and gardens.  Behind the deck is a secret garden that provides a calming sanctuary space for the clients.

The concrete support walls had wood siding put into the formwork, giving the concrete a wood grain texture consistent with the existing wood siding on the house.  The floor of the deck features a fossil print flagstone matching the existing flagstone steps.  The deck slopes slightly towards the west to allow any water to flow into the landscape below and avoid placing drains on the deck surface.  The railing structure is solid bronze with bronze glass supports which will weather nicely in the marine environment.  The glass was intentionally left open on all four sides to allow the ocean breeze through, cooling the deck.

The BBQ area serves as an outdoor kitchen featuring outdoor burners, a luxury grill that cooks with three fuel types (gas, wood, and charcoal), refrigerator/freezer drawers, outdoor sink, and a gourmet pizza oven.  The BBQ surround is made of cast-in-place, colored concrete.  The raised bar is also made of concrete and has pieces of sea glass collected by the clients and their daughter throughout their travels pressed into the concrete top.

Other elements of the deck include the cast-in-place concrete fire pit and the glass outdoor table.  The glass for the table was custom fabricated and is 1” thick to help it resist the elements.  The stainless steel supports underneath the table were custom designed and fabricated as well to hold the weight of the extra-thick glass above.  Underneath the deck is a craft room for the client’s daughter as well as a home movie theater.