A beautiful old oak tree dominates the back yard of this north Berkeley residence. The owners wanted to improve the connection between their home and the yard, and to have the sense of being in the tree, as if in a treehouse. We designed this steel and wood deck off the dining room to be as visually light and transparent as possible. A catwalk was extended out into the tree, so that a seating area is nestled into the branches. From there a stair descends down to a tiled terrace below.

The detail at the railing was derived from the border design on a prayer rug that had been a wedding present to the clients, a rug that hung in their dining room. The deck boards at the catwalk were spaced slightly more far apart than typical decking, so that light would filter down to the terrace below.

The same saltillo tiles were brought into the renovation of the lower floor to connect the indoor space to the terrace beyond. A new family room, guest room, full bath and foyer were part of the improvements to the lower floor.

Finally, a lower deck was added for a more secluded spot for a hot tub. The redwood deck was built around an existing boulder, integrating this natural (and heavy) feature into the design.

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