apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

OMG.
Amazing.

outdoor shower?! i love this. amazing. congratulations. can i come over and catch some rays? thanks

Garden envy! You are one lucky (and elegant) duck! Hiding the sky light with a glass table is so clever.

Wow, that is just spectacular!

Quick question for you -- it looks like you painted (or stained) the deck flooring on the main level. Did you find that the dark color caused the flooring to retain heat at all?

:O

Wow. I'm speechless. Great job! Absolutely love it.

Brilliant!

You've got my vote - that is really spectacular.
Classy, upscale, comfortable, I love your choice of plants - really well done.

Fantastic!

that's amazing! i'm jealous...

I am about to purchase and renovate a 1000 square foot roof deck above my apartment. This is the look i want. I jusst purchased restoration hardward del mar sofa and club chair and ottoman..looks so great. Who built the actual deck?

I am so jealous!

Thank you all for your very nice comments! So glad to see that you like our little terraces.

@Kathryn: you are very wise indeed! This is probably the next little work I will do: removing the actual stain, and refinish it with a much clearer color. Any advice on the color?

@Jenda: thank you for your comments on the plants! With a watering system, it's not that difficult to keep it low maintenance.
On the lower level, clockwise, from bottom left, you can see a Birch tree, a Crab Apple tree, Wisterias on each side of the pergola, Tomatoes, Basil and Chive next to the breakfast bar, a very old Japanese Maple next to the sofas, some Euonymus on the right and some Rosemary bushes on the window box.
On the upper level, just some wild grasses and some topiaries (boxus).

@ Anash: Lucky you! I think you are making a great investment. And an investment you can enjoy every day.
Regarding the lower deck, it was built by a previous owner. So I don't know who did it. It is simple pressure-treated wood: inexpensive, low maintenance, and you can restain it multiple times.
On the upper deck, the deck tiles are from Smith and Hawken. Very very good quality (teak), very easy to assemble. Mine were used already. I just put some teak oil to give them a fresh look. You can find them here: http://www.smithandhawken.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=prod22046&categoryId=cat340045p&sku=22046
They are actually on sale right now. Still not cheap...

@ PeteTheCat: just saw your post, you really did a great job on your balcony! And as I see you like birds, I want to share with you this story: last year there was a couple of doves who nested above the pergolas. And we got little baby birds. This year, despite the fact that we removed the nest in the winter, a couple of doves (maybe the same couple?) rebuilt a nest at the exact same spot and we got again new baby birds. Manhattan will always surprise me!

Matt-

Beautiful space in my favorite part of the city (where I make my own home). Let me know when you're having AT UWS cocktail hour on the deck. :>)

Congratulations on a beautiful job!

Tom

all that and an outdoor shower!

so smart, so handsome... i think i'm in love

@Matt,

I'm glad I asked, since I was just about to paint my deck to match the dark brown color (Cabot, "Burnt Hickory) which I chose for my planters and fencing.

The current deck is just an old grey wood, so I'm thinking of using Cabot "Pepperwood" now, which is sort of a taupe-y stain. (I painted my Adirondack chairs that color last summer).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcweiss/sets/72157620773717388/

You'd really have to do a lot of work to remove the dark color. Perhaps some large polypropolene rugs would be a easier solution?

Matt - really amazing and an inspiration for my deck project that is in early planning stage! I am also on the UWS and have a very similar layout to you. Can you share with me who you used to fabricate the ladder stairs to the top deck?

@ Kathryn: yes, get a light color, especially if you're facing south. To remove deck stain (which I did once) I used an Exterior Wood Stain Stripper (Defy for instance) and it worked well (but you need to scrub for a little while)

@ Itsmarkip: for the fencing and the staircase, depending on your project, you can get ideas from the most famous company in town:
http://www.clarkandwilkins.com/

A small collection of bonsai plants up there would be fantastic. While you are at it, consider also a Hokusai art piece or two for the living area.

This is beautiful!