#midwestbackyard

“There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing your neighborhood through a new lens…”

You’d think after a decade of living in Shawnee I’d have stopped noticing the little things — but last week, while walking the dog down our usual route, I passed a house with a brand-new deck and nearly tripped over my own feet doing a double take.

It wasn’t flashy. No crazy colors or complicated shapes. But it worked. Like it belonged to the house and extended it somehow — same lines, same energy. Wide steps, low lighting, composite boards that looked like real wood but cleaner. Effortless. I instantly imagined myself out there, glass of sangria in hand, watching the sun go down with that same quiet satisfaction.

So, naturally, I came home and went looking. Deck envy activated. I ended up on this page from The Decksperts — Custom Deck Construction Services in Shawnee, KS — and yep, that’s the vibe I was after.

What I liked was how they really get Shawnee. Like, they’re not just builders who happen to be nearby. They know this place. The local quirks. The zoning stuff. The soil (yes, we have weird soil). They even mentioned helping homeowners navigate HOA requirements, and that alone is worth gold. Ours has more rules than a middle school dance.

I appreciated how they broke down real options — from sunlight exposure to low-maintenance upgrades. One example stood out: a family in Hillcrest Farms who switched to composite to avoid yearly maintenance. That got me thinking. I’m all for the warmth of real wood, but I also know myself. I won’t be out there staining and sealing every season. Let’s be honest — I can barely keep our tomatoes alive.

And they really emphasize design that fits the way you live. For me? That means shade in the late afternoon (we roast like rotisserie chickens around 4 p.m.) and a wide enough space for our giant outdoor beanbags and my kid’s inflatable pool that we pretend isn’t a choking hazard.

The way they describe it, it’s not just about the deck. It’s about flow — how it connects to the kitchen, where people gather, how you move from indoors to out. That’s where I’m stuck. We have this awkward drop from our sliding door to the patio that always felt… off. But after reading about their ideas on stairs, railings, and multilevel designs? I feel like I can finally picture it.

I’m definitely bookmarking this: https://www.thedeckspertskc.com/areas-we-serve/shawnee-ks. Not just because they’re local, but because the way they talk about building feels personal, almost collaborative. Like they’re not just trying to “finish a job” but build something you’ll use.

No final decisions yet, but I’ll admit… I’ve started moving the patio furniture around in my head. Rewriting summer. One plank at a time.