A fast turnaround, I know! But I just couldn’t wait any longer. Today, I am thrilled to share our finished rooftop deck. If you missed any of the previous plans, head here or take a peek at my saved highlights on IG. Let’s jump in, shall we?
After the duradek went down, the eaves were installed and the railing put in place, we focused on the furniture and decor. But I don’t want to gloss over those elements because they made such an incredible impact on our house. There truthfully aren’t a lot of great duradek options on the market from what we could tell, but I think the colour we chose worked really well and it’s definitely a more cost effective option. Then there’s this beautiful railing. We went with an “off the shelf” style and had the company template right after the build was complete. It was hard to be patient but once they went in, absolutely worth the wait. Ryan and I decided to spend a little bit more for this particular spindle design and I love it. Once we finish the rest of the exterior, it will be even more beautiful.
I had wanted a pergola from the beginning to add in some warm wood texture and define the space. Obviously being able to hang cafe lights was a big part of the added structure too (these ones are from Canadian Tire PS). I’ve strategically placed a pothos plant at the base of one post and hope that I start to see some greenery climbing up soon. How magical to have more life up there, right? Having the patio divided really helps with furniture layout and defining the “zones.” Under the pergola is our main seating area.
I mentioned in my previous post how important it was to have a large sectional here to really ground the area and invite people in to relax. Enter the Capra sectional. I cannot say enough good things about this choice. It is comfortable but also made with really durable fabrics, making it easy to clean (trust me, the kids have walked all over it with dirty feet and it was just fine). It’s a large size and yet, really easy to move. It feels lighter than you expect probably because of the wicker base and sides – which I love by the way. It adds in the perfect amount of texture and detailing. Love!
Nestled in front of the sectional are the Gera black granite side tables. I truthfully expected them to be more black on top but the natural granite is stunning. I love the variation and detail. Contrary to the sectional, these are much heavier to move around (speaking to the good quality construction and material obvs) but I love that I can place them in various spots. They can nestle together to form a great coffee table, or split a part if we are hosting more people.
I couldn’t pass up an offset striped outdoor rug to ground this side of the deck. I can pop this into the wash anytime and it stays put with the rug pad underneath. Then to add in even more softness (and gain some privacy at the same time), I opted for some simple white curtains at the backside of the pergola. These are super affordable ones from Ikea (19.99 for two I believe) and I hung them on a wire system from the pergola itself. This will need some fine tuning but I do love having them here. They look so beautiful blowing in the wind!
On the opposite side of the rooftop deck, we decided to have a lounge area where we could lay out in full sun if we wanted to (which doesn’t really happen in this heat currently!). But we also love to host, so it was important to have more seating we could easily pull around when needed. So instead of going for full chaise style loungers, we nabbed these chairs from Hauser and a matching white pedestal table. My expectations were truthfully low for these chairs – they’re simple and pretty minimal. But now after seeing them in person and using them for a few weeks, I can tell you, I am seriously in love. And everyone who comes over remarks on how comfortable and deep they are. I popped these rattan stools in front to prop my feet and now I enjoy a glass of wine here all the time!
You might be wondering if the white is problematic but in actuality it’s very easy to clean and take care of. I find that the white almost shows less than some of the darker fabrics. Anytime there’s a little dirt, a quick swipe of my hand seems to clear it really well. And because they are in direct sunlight, I won’t have to worry about fading. Bonus!
I also had to order this reclaimed teak bench from Hauser too after eyeing it online for quite some time. There’s a strategy here, because even though it looks amazing outside layered in glorious pots and plants, it looks even better inside. So it will most definitely serve dual purposes and don’t be surprised if you see it in various areas of my house over the next few months!
Now, I’ve kept the accessories quite minimal here for good reason…or maybe a few. 1) Though I love a plethora of pillows, I want the turnover to be fast when we’re packing up at night or preparing for rain. I just wanted to keep it simple and fast – life is too busy right now and my kids just throw everything all over the place anyway lol. 2) Budget and time constraints played a bit of a role but I also 3) prefer to keep the focus on the main pieces and layering in the natural elements.
My mom helps me every year with my pots and this season they’re looking especially beautiful. I love what we selected – which tends to be very similar each summer. Hey, I know what I like! If you want something similar (PS – try these gorgeous recycled planters that look like real stone!) look for taller grasses first and then layer in something that trails like Bridal Veil. I love keeping the colours pretty neutral but have to layer in some small pops of purple because I can’t not smell lavender! Another favourite is the Dusty Miller (such a soft plant with a gorgeous shade of green) and it’s big sister, Angel Wings. So pretty and relatively easy to maintain!
And that concludes my tour of our rooftop deck. It’s been a pleasure! I hope you follow along on IG for more content to come…and hopefully I’ll be able to tackle the dining zone soon too!
