I want to personally thank each and everyone of the participants of the 2010 Coolest Deck Contest for sharing your wonderful backyard deck getaways! They were all fantastic and really showed how much passion people are willing to put into creating the perfect backyard living space for their homes.
The number of entries continues to grow each year and I must say it is getting more and more difficult to select a winner. So I had my work cut out for me and after a lot of reviewing I have selected a winner. I would like to start with Honorable Mentions, then Runner Up and finally the Winner.
A tip of the hat goes to Ron Chudzinski, from Shelbyville Indiana with "Twisted and bent" for an impressive display of working with curved and interlinked composite decking boards. That was something I have only ever seen in Fine Homebuilding. So well done.
Congratulations goes to Cheryal Bauer, from Winfield British Columbia with "Asphalt to Azaleas" even though it was more of a patio than a traditional wood deck. But I loved the transformation so much and the great usage of a very though space to work with that I thought it deserved mention. Its also a great example for others as to what can be done with stamped concrete and how to make a challenging area really work well.
Another honorable mention goes to Jan Kelley, of Waterville, New York for "Simplicity". This one was truly simple but somehow captured the heart and soul of what makes a backyard deck such an integral part of our homes.
Last honorable mention goes to Jacob Huether for "A Deck For The Family To Enjoy". I thought this one was so cozy and made great use of lighting in a very tasteful yet functional way. So I wanted to highlight it for others to see and learn how to use lighting in a subtle but highly effective way.
Very impressed with the skill and craftsmanship and incredible attention to perfection displayed by engineer and first time deck builder, David from Fairport New York and "My 1st DIY Deck Project".
I want to also mention a second Runner-Up deck that I thought exemplified a great job done by Shirlene from Charlottetown Prince Edward Island and "Our Summer/Winter Getaway". Basic pressure treated material but totally functional and guaranteed to get a lot of use through all four seasons.
This years winner is Sarah Yanchyk-Lamoureux of Ottawa, Ontario with "Our Backyard Oasis and Suburban Retreat". This deck, for me, captured so many interesting elements of material for decking, railing, quality of workmanship, and it showed of so nicely with all the deck furniture, the hanging umbrella and the gardening work around it.
It wasn't the most complicated, multi-level construction project we often think of but it did embody so many of the subtle elements of deck design you often hear me speak about in my articles. Things like logical special purpose areas in a deck that still allow natural foot traffic flow. I also enjoyed the contrast of color and textures of wood and steel with the ipe top rail.
Again, a tough call but just a tiny bit beyond the rest.
Thank you all for participating in the 2010 Coolest Deck Contest! Enjoy your deck and have a great year.
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