The Deck!

You guys, our roof deck is done and furnished and ready to party! Building the deck was my first experience with construction crews, and while it was a little stressful making decisions and pushing for them to finish (it took over double the estimated amount of time) it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. Now that it's finally done I am so excited to have such an awesome outdoor space. We've had parties on back-to-back weekends, as well as lots of hang out sessions up there by myself or with Jeff and a bottle of wine.

I was a little stressed picking out furniture - I mentioned it here but we don't have anywhere to store furniture indoors over the winter, so whatever we bought has to stay outside through Chicago's brutal winters. For our downstairs deck we picked this fairly expensive dining table and chairs set that supposedly can withstand the elements, but for upstairs we decided to go the opposite route and get cheaper furniture since the direct sun and exposure to the elements were likely to mess up whatever we bought. That doesn't mean I couldn't find something cute though!

Sectional - Wayfair / Flower Pillows (similar) - Target

We were debating between a sectional or a couple of smaller pieces, but I'm glad we went with the sectional. It's big enough to lay down on and great for a party, and the stripes are so cute. They have faded a bit already, so be warned if you're considering this set. We decided we didn't need a dining set up here since we have one downstairs, and the chairs from the downstairs deck are perfect to bring up here for extra seating for having a big group over. 

We also didn't need a dining set because we had them add a bar! The bar was definitely an extra but I'm so glad we decided to add it in. Having the bar is perfect for hanging out or for using as a buffet, plus it gives us a bit of extra storage. It has a granite top, which supposedly can withstand whatever Chicago can throw at it. It weirdly is always dusty though - where is all of the dust coming from?!

 Bar stools - Target (We went for folding bar stools so these are also easier to store) / (Yes, our last name is Barry, and no, we didn't steal that sign!)

The other add-ons I'm so glad we went with besides the bar are the full-shade pergola and the ceiling fan. Since I'm, you know, afraid of the sun, being able to be on the roof and not worried about burning is huge for me. We initially were just going to get slats, but our contractor took one look at me and suggested a fully-roofed section instead. Having the roof and fan have also been really nice because for some reason every time we have people over it's super sunny and 90+ degrees out, so they have wanted to hide from the sun and catch a little breeze too.

In case you're wondering about specifics, the decking is Trex, which is faux wood that doesn't need any upkeep. All of the wood on the paneling and roof is pressure-treated pine. If you're interested in learning more about the deck company we used or our experience just shoot me an email - I'm happy to share! 

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