Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

An Elegant Redwood Deck Transforms the Exterior of a ‘70s Home

An Elegant Redwood Deck Transforms the Exterior of a ‘70s Home

The beautiful two-story redwood structure forms an upper deck and lower dining room, creating a variety of outdoor spaces for the homeowners to enjoy.

When Orlando Soria's parents bought their 1977 home in California, it's safe to say that the interior designer loathed the existing deck that had been tacked on to the exterior. "One element that I’ve been itching to change on their house since they moved in is the deck that sits outside the kitchen," Soria wrote on his lifestyle blog, HommeMaker.

The previous deck had a corrugated metal roof, which was aging poorly and caused the area beneath it to be dark and uninviting. "It’s crazy how much one material can ruin a whole space," Soria said of the metal. Earlier this year, he designed an improved structure using a beautiful and timeless natural material: redwood.



Soria redesigned his parents' two-story deck with wood sourced from Humboldt Redwood.

Soria chose redwood for its many functional and aesthetic benefits, which include durability and a natural warmth and color that meshes with different styles. "With the deck plan, I’m trying to create something that is simple and elegant, not too modern, but also not overtly traditional," he said.



A view of the new redwood structure, complete with rebuilt stairs. "It has basically made the house look 100% better from the outside," Soria said.

Stylistically, Soria refers to the residence as a "Frankenstein of a house," due to ill-advised remodels executed before his parents bought it. The new deck is part of his effort to instill a cohesive appearance inside and out. For the design, he opted for strong lines created by substantial redwood timbers and a streamlined slatted roof.

Now, the new redwood structure conveys a warmth and elegance to the facade of the ‘70s home, and furnishes two separate outdoor areas for the owners’ use. An upper deck is a lovely spot to grill or curl up with a good book, while the lower dining room facilitates easy summer meals. No matter the occasion, thanks to the durability of redwood, Soria’s parents will now enjoy their backyard well into the future. "I can see us using this yard for years to come, because it truly is a lovely place to hang," Soria said.



The upper level of the deck now provides a cozy hangout spot right off the kitchen. The roof casts beautiful dappled shade.



Hefty redwood timbers support the structure and frame views of the surrounding trees.



The lower level area is now the perfect protected spot for al fresco dinner parties.



Humboldt Redwood lumber and timbers are Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C005200) certified, which means that the forests it's harvested from are responsibly and sustainably managed.



The entire redwood structure elevates the previously ordinary backyard, and also improves the overall value of the home.



Since the project was completed earlier this year, Soria's parents enjoy their backyard every day.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×