Backyard Dreaming (and Measuring)
Lately Iāve been thinking a lot about our backyard and how underused it feels.
Weāve lived here in Hampden for just over six years, and the backyard has always had āpotential,ā but thatās as far as it went. A grassy patch, a tired old firepit ring, and two mismatched plastic chairs was about all we had going on. Donāt get me wrongāitās peaceful. Trees line the back, and the sun filters in beautifully in the evening. But we never use it. Itās not inviting. And every spring I get this little itch to finally do something about it.
This year, I think Iām finally ready to scratch that itch.
It started as a vague ideaāāwhat if we built a deck?āābut quickly snowballed into Pinterest boards, scribbled sketches, and me standing outside with a tape measure like I knew what I was doing. I imagined something with enough space for a dining table, maybe a lounger or two, and some built-in seating or planters. A place for coffee in the morning. Dinner with friends in the summer. Maybe even a hot tub someday (a girl can dream).
Of course, dreaming is easy. Actually knowing how to make it real? Thatās the hard part.
I started doing some research, mostly to figure out whether a deck is something we could tackle ourselves or if it was out of our league (spoiler: it is). Thatās how I ended up on this page from a local company, Vantage Decks and Sidingādeck installation in Brewer. Itās not right in Hampden, but close enough, and their approach really struck a chord.
What I appreciated right away is that they donāt just slap some boards together and call it a day. They talk about things like code compliance, climate concerns (Maine winters, anyone?), and how decks need to be part of your home, not an afterthought. It got me thinking not just about size and layout, but about materialsālike composite vs. wood. And what kind of maintenance I actually want to deal with in five years (hint: not much).
They also mentioned built-in seating and lighting, which kind of blew my mind. I hadnāt even thought about lighting. But imagining a softly lit deck on a summer evening with string lights and a bottle of wine? Yeah. Thatās what I want.
And honestly, it was helpful to see that they walk you through everythingāfrom permits to cleanup. Thatās the kind of no-drama approach I need in my life. Weāve worked with contractors before who left us guessing, and I swore never again.
Itās funny how once you start imagining these things, your brain wonāt let go. Now every time I step out the back door, I picture where the stairs would go. Whether the grill should be on the left or right. If we could get away with a pergola for shade, or if an umbrella will have to do for now. Even my partner, who was all āeh, weāre fine as isā at first, has started saying things like, āif we did build a deck, maybe we could add a bench here.ā
So yeah. Iām not pulling the trigger just yet. But Iām feeling a lot closer than I was even a week ago. And itās nice to know there are local pros like Vantage who seem to get it. No pressure. No cookie-cutter solutions. Just solid craftsmanship and smart guidance.
Itās got me thinking about whatās possible this summer. And thatās a pretty good place to start.
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