Creative use of space in an urban backyard

Our new deck

Last week my father-in-law and his friend built a deck for us in our backyard. I had (boring) visions of a basic, flat deck covering the dirt wasteland that was home to old wood and leaf piles. Little did I know that a treehouse would evolve over the course of four days as Larry and Joe worked their magic. They had a simple plan to begin with too but it was modified as extra wood pieces and tricky corners became tables, benches, railings, and tree framing countertops. It's as if a whole new room has been added to our house! I love our new space so much that you'll probably find me out there with my coffee and paper even in the dead of winter. "Before,""after," and "during" photos are below. The "before" photo is a shot from last summer - it shows the yard with one extra tree and without the wooden privacy fence that was installed in July.

The backyard before - Summer 2009

After - September 2010

I call our deck "the treehouse"

Benches and table

The dining room

Day 1

Day 2