HomeOutdoor Living BlogYour Guide to Deck Styles: Determining the Right Style for Your Space

Your Guide to Deck Styles: Determining the Right Style for Your Space

November 22, 2021
Deck styles and different styles of decks by TimberTech

If you’re thinking of creating an outdoor living space for your home, you’re likely wondering what kind of deck styles are out there and which will best complement your home and personal taste. Different styles of decks range from traditional shapes to more distinctive structures, so you’re bound to find one that works for you.

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No matter which deck styles you lean toward, there are significant benefits for adding an outdoor living space to your home.

Benefits of deck styles and different styles of decks

Benefits of Adding a Deck to Your Home


✓ Gives you a beautiful, inviting outdoor living space to spend time on with family and friends.

✓ Can improve your home’s resale value.

✓ Adds greater functionality to your backyard.

Factors That Affect Deck Styles

Determining which of the different styles of decks suits you best requires thinking through several factors beyond your personal preference, including:

Deck styles should complement home architecture

Home Architecture

Deck styles should complement their homes in size, shape, and aesthetic. Different styles of decks are highly versatile while others will only pair well with specific types of homes.

Deck styles are affected by available space

Available Space

Your deck should fit into the space available without overwhelming it. Yard features, such as a slope, trees, or a pool, can also affect which deck styles work best in your space.  

Deck styles are affected by primary function

Primary Function

Different styles of decks suit various functions better than others. Think through how you plan to use your deck to help you determine the right deck layout for your space.

Get Tips for How to Plan a Deck

Learn how to plan to a deck from design conception to determining budget and more.

What Are the Different Types of Decks?

Some of the most popular deck styles include classic shapes such as squares and rectangles. However, different styles of decks with more distinct shapes, like curved deck designs and octagons, give you a more daring design that stands out from the crowd.

Keep in mind that certain elements of most deck layouts can be customized further to suit your preferences and needs.

Start With a Template

Explore different styles of decks, each ready-to-customize, and jumpstart your design process.

Visualize your deck layout in our Deck Design tool

Traditional Shapes: The Versatile Choice

Deck styles made with traditional shapes are highly versatile. If you’re looking for different styles of decks that work in almost any space, support a variety of functions, and suit a wide range of home architectural styles, these are for you.

Traditional deck styles include low squares

Low
Square

Low simple square deck styles give you an open, inviting space that creates a seamless transition from home to backyard.

Traditional deck styles include high rise rectangles

High-Rise
Rectangle

A high-rise, second-story deck is ideal for homes with natural surroundings as the height gives you the perfect vantage point for taking in the view.

Traditional deck styles include rectangles with angled corners

Rectangle With Angled Corner

Adding an angled corner (or two) softens the deck profile and lends your design just a touch of the unexpected.

Distinctive Shapes: The Statement-Making Choice

Looking for more statement-making deck styles? These different styles of decks give you plenty of functional space while also reflecting your unique eye for design.

Distinctive deck styles include rectangles with octagons

Rectangle With Octagon

Different styles of decks featuring larger and smaller sections, such as a rectangle with a smaller octagon, give you the flexibility to host both large and intimate gatherings.

Distinctive deck styles include wraparound decks

L-Shaped Wraparound

Extend your home’s floorplan with a wraparound deck. This design keeps your backyard open by hugging your home, while still offering plenty of space for entertaining.  

Distinctive deck styles include curved deck designs

Curved Design

Whether you curve a section, or your whole deck perimeter, curved deck styles give you a truly unique, elegant deck that gracefully blends with landscaping elements.*

*Note: A curved design requires a qualified contractor, familiar with the heat-bending process, to build.

Go Multi-Level

Most deck styles can accommodate a multi-level design for greater dimension and functionality.

Different Deck Styles by Home Aesthetic

See how different styles of decks suit various homes and backyard settings to inspire your own deck design.

Traditional-Style Home

Different styles of decks for a traditional home

While many different styles of decks suit a traditional-style home, an elegant and unexpected option is a unique curved deck design.

Deck styles with a circular section give you a natural gathering place, made even more inviting with a built-in deck bench along half of the circle. Place a coffee table in the center of the circle to create a focal point while giving family and friends a place to set down their plates and drinks. For an even more of an eye-catching design, use different colored deck boards to define the circle.

Mid-Century Modern Home

Different styles of decks for a mid century modern home

Pair your sleek mid-century modern home with different styles of decks that are equally simple and chic. Square and rectangular deck styles mirror the same right-angled geometric shapes in your home design, creating a cohesive look and feel. Choose deeply saturated, nature-inspired decking to capture a character-rich look that complements other natural textures, like stone and greenery, of your home’s exterior.

Craftsman-Style Home

Different styles of decks for a craftsman home

Craftsman-style homes are well-known for their hand-worked structures and artisanal feel. Choose from different styles of decks that play up the architectural craftsmanship of your home such as squares and rectangles with angled corners. Deck styles with angled corners give your outdoor living space a curated feel that will fit right in with other artisanal elements of your home.

Deck styles with mixed railing materials

Mix Railing Materials for a Curated Perimeter

For another layer of character, opt for a mixed-material railing for a texture-rich perimeter. Choose the Classic Composite Series Drink Rail that mixes composite posts, a deck board top rail, and stainless steel cable infill for a truly custom perimeter.

Farmhouse-Style Deck

Different styles of decks for a farmhouse home

Wraparound porches and decks are a defining characteristic of many farmhouse-style homes. However, wraparound porch and deck styles can work with many other types of homes as well. Low-to-the-ground wraparound deck styles give you plenty of real estate for large family gatherings while allowing the crowd to spill seamlessly out onto your lawn.

Designate separate sections for different uses by placing furniture strategically along the length of your deck. A dining table on one end and lounge chairs on another gives your family and guests lots of seating variety and different places to mingle.

Scandinavian-Style Home

Different styles of decks for Scandinavian inspired homes

Scandinavian-style design is defined by a neutral color scheme, natural materials, and minimalist design elements. Low rectangular deck styles capture the simple comfort of Scandinavian design, especially when paired with a muted foundation, such as warm tan decking. Layer textiles like woven furniture, patterned throw pillows, and blankets for a cozy look and feel.

Deck styles with Multi Width Decking

Create Texture With Multi-Width Decking

Looking for different styles of decks that add texture to your space? Opt for a Multi-Width Decking design featuring narrow-, standard-, and/or wide-width boards. Alternate different widths to add a touch of visual interest to your deck design without overpowering your minimalist aesthetic.

Start Designing Your Own Deck

Now that you have an understanding of different styles of decks, it’s time to start designing a deck of your own. Start with one of the templated deck styles in our Deck Plans page and customize your deck from there in our 3D Deck Designer. Or, start from scratch by launching the Deck Designer and drawing your own custom shape. Either way, your deck design is totally up to you.

Turn Your Deck Dream Into Design

Play with shapes, colors, lighting, and railing to bring your deck ideas to life with our custom Deck Designer tool.

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