Chris Loves Julia Creates a Dream Deck

Julia's sister, Andrea Ahedo, had a worn-out deck with rotted boards that needed to be replaced. But rather than sticking to the original footprint, they tore it down and replaced it with a new deck that ran the length of the house. This gave their family a large space for relaxing and entertaining guests.

Andrea and her husband, David, are novice DIYers and a little overwhelmed about where to begin. This is where Chris jumped in — with a little help from Lowe's. After they determined that the size and layout of the deck, Chris filled their online shopping cart. Once the supplies were ordered, Lowe's delivered all of the product to their home.

Get tips for planning deck layouts and frames.

When Chris and David had free time, they spent the month building the deck. 
Visit our step-by-step guide to building your own deck.

Once they were finished, it was time to stain — or so they thought. Staining presented a challenge. New lumber needs to acclimate, so staining couldn't happen right away. How do you know if your deck is ready to stain? Pour some water on the surface. If it beads up, it's not ready yet. They waited a few months before getting started.

Andrea wanted a painted look, so she selected a solid acrylic stain from Cabot called Acorn. It's a warm taupe that blends in nicely with their home. Acrylic stain is a durable choice that's heat-and weather-resistant.

Learn how to stain a deck.

When it was time to decorate, Julia had a great suggestion for the new space: break it into three zones. So they created an area for an outdoor kitchen, a cozy seating spot and a dining space. Once again, Lowe's had all the stylish supplies they were looking for.

Outdoor Kitchen
The outdoor kitchen area included a pellet grill, a charcoal grill, a pizza oven and an outdoor kitchen island with a countertop that can be used as a prep space.

Seating Area
Andrea and David love this cozy new space with teak furniture, taupe cushions and a circular fire pit that will ensure hours of enjoyment.

Dining Space
We can't forget the dining space. This nine-piece dining set is made of polywood lumber, which is weather-, fade- and UV-resistant recyclable plastic. It's a low-maintenance option for busy families because it never needs to be painted or stained. A large navy cantilevered umbrella with solar lights keeps the area cool on warm summer days.

All images courtesy of Chris Loves Julia.