Outdoor living features, the parts you use daily.
A deck gets built once. What decides whether you are still using it in October is everything we put on it. Shade, light, heat, screens and somewhere to cook that is not forty feet from the conversation.
- Own crews, no subs
- Permits handled
- 10+ Years
- 100+ Decks Built
Outdoor kitchens, cooking where everyone is.
The problem with grilling is that the cook ends up alone. A real outdoor kitchen fixes that. Built-in grill, counter space that fits more than one plate, storage underneath and cold drinks within reach, all built into the deck rather than parked on it.
We plan the gas, water and power runs into the build, so nothing is surface mounted afterward and nothing has to be dragged out and put away. Cabinetry and counters are specified for this climate, so winter does not undo them.
- Built-in grills, side burners and pizza ovens
- Refrigeration, ice and sink options
- Gas, water and electrical planned into the build
- Weather rated cabinetry and stone or composite counters
- Bar seating so guests face the cook
- Task lighting so you can see what you are cooking after dark
Outdoor lighting, warm, not floodlit.
Most of the good hours on a deck happen after sunset, and most decks are unusable then. The fix is not a bright light on the back of the house. It is a lot of small ones, low down, pointed at the surfaces rather than at your guests.
Low voltage lighting built into rail posts, stair risers, under cap rails and along the perimeter. Enough to see the stairs and read a label, soft enough that the yard beyond still reads as evening. Dimmable, zoned and on a timer if you want it.
- Post cap and rail integrated fixtures
- Under cap and under bench accent lighting
- Dimmable and zoned, controlled from a switch or your phone
- Stair riser lighting for safe steps at night
- Low voltage, low running cost, long life LEDs
- Wiring run inside the framing during the build, never surface mounted
Fire features, the season extender.
This is the feature that turns a three month deck into a seven month one. Chicago evenings turn cold in September and again in May, and a fire is the difference between everybody going inside and everybody staying out until eleven.
Full masonry fireplaces with a chimney and a hearth, or a lower profile fire table built into the seating. Gas for instant heat and no cleanup, or wood burning if you want the smell and the sound. Both get engineered into the deck structure with proper clearances.
- Full masonry fireplaces in stone or brick
- Gas or wood burning
- Proper clearances and structural support engineered in
- Built-in fire tables and fire pits
- Integrated hearth and seating
- Becomes the natural focal point of the whole deck
Outdoor entertainment, planned in, not taped on.
A television bracketed to a post with an extension cord running across the deck is not what anybody wanted. Weather rated screens and speakers, with the wiring runs planned into the build, are.
Everything is rated for outdoor temperature swings and humidity, mounted where the afternoon sun will not wash it out, and wired through the framing so no cable is visible. Speakers get spread around the perimeter rather than aimed from one corner, so the volume can stay low and still carry.
- Weather rated televisions and outdoor projection
- Cable and power runs concealed inside the framing
- Controlled from your phone or an existing home system
- Distributed speakers rather than one loud pair
- Mounted with sun angle and glare accounted for
- Pairs naturally with a louvered roof for shade over the screen
Usually yes, as long as the existing frame is sound and can carry the load. Louvered roofs and fireplaces in particular need a structure that was built for the weight, so we look first and tell you honestly.
Often yes, especially anything with a roof structure, gas or electrical. We handle the permit and the inspection. You do not deal with the city.
Screens for July and August, a fire feature for spring and fall, lighting for after dark. If you can only do one, most people get the biggest change from screens.
Yes. The frames are structural aluminum engineered for winter snow load and high wind. The louvers close into a sealed position and the gutter system carries meltwater away.
Yes, and it is often the smart approach. Tell us at the design visit which features you want eventually. We run the wiring and plan the structure for them now, so adding them later does not mean tearing anything up.
It varies enormously between a lighting package and a full louvered roof with screens and a kitchen. We give you exact pricing per feature after the design visit, so you can decide what goes in now and what waits.
No. Louvered roofs, screens and lighting all run from a simple remote or a phone app, and they integrate with most home automation systems. We set it all up and walk you through it before we leave.
Get more nights out of your deck.
Your request is in. We will call you within one business day to set up your free design visit.
- A one hour visit, measured and photographed
- Material samples on your table
- A 3D rendering of your deck
- An exact locked in price, no obligation
Mon to Fri, 9:00am to 5:00pm · Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Wilmette