Deck Designs

Posted 24 April 2019 7:01 PM by Jase DeBoer

One of the more common deck designs consists of traditional deck boards laid out in horizontal rows. For those of you looking to explore other design options, we feature some of the latest trends in deck design below.

Picture Framing
For a clean yet bold look, outline your deck with a contrasting yet complimentary color. Create a striking, picture frame color combination by using a brown composite deck board with a dark slate picture frame. Another attractive option for picture framing is to choose a deck board color that’s darker than the deck inlay color. Think of a light gray deck inlay with a dark gray picture frame or even a tan-colored deck board inlay with a brown picture frame outline.
Deck built by Adrian's Quality Fencing & Decks from Beaverton, OR. Deckorators Frontier Summit decking with Dark Slate picture frame board.
Deck built by Adrian's Quality Fencing & Decks from Beaverton, OR.

Breaker Boards
If you have a large deck, breaker boards (also known as transition boards) can be used to define spaces on a deck. This can be accomplished by using a board that’s the same color as the remaining deck or go with a contrasting colored board to outline the space. Breaker boards help to add a simple yet unique and custom element to your deck.
Deckorators Vista Driftwood decking with aluminum ALX Classic railing in matte black. 

Varying Board Widths
A typical deck board is 6” wide. We are now seeing a trend of varying composite deck board widths. Whether it’s a smaller 4” wide board or larger 8” wide deck board, installing nontraditional width deck boards provides a unique appearance to a deck. Additionally, alternating deck board widths achieves a high-end look, that resembles beautiful, interior wood flooring.
Deckorators Vista Ironwood decking. Rotating between 6 and 4 inch board widths. 

Chevron and Herringbone
Chevron and herringbone are elegant patterns that have continued to remain a classic designs over time. Not only are these patterns used in interior design (kitchen backsplash, tile floor design, wood floor design, furniture coverings), we are now seeing them as a trending pattern in deck design. A herringbone pattern is very similar in design to chevron but requires less angled cuts. Whether you decide to integrate one of these patterns into your entire deck space or as a small inlay section in the middle of your deck, know your deck’s design will be on point.
 Deckorators Vista Driftwood decking with Vista Ironwood inlay.

Allow your outdoor space to be a reflection of who you are and your personal style. We can help you accomplish this: take the next step in the deck building process, order a free Style Guide to see what composite deck board colors are available or check out our Color Selector tool.