All Decked Out

Comfortable painted wood furnishings give front-porch charm to this builder-basic deck.

A rustic old table and Adirondack chairs, painted in colorful hues, forge cottage-style coziness on a backyard deck. Green and flowering plants fill in the corners, and a sisal rug spiffs up the floor.

Here are additional suggestions for decorating a deck:

• Pile on cushions. For comfort and for visual appeal. Be sure to use an outdoor fabric that can withstand sun and rain.
• Accessorize. Of course, there's a catch -- your accessories will be exposed to the elements, so be inventive. Fill a pottery bowl with pretty stones or shells. Find a jug or bottle with an interesting silhouette, and add a profusion of branches. Create a corner grouping with witty birdhouses on poles.
• Paint the deck floor. You can't go wrong with an all-over checkerboard design. Or, roll a light solid color over the floor, then paint on simple striped or checked area rugs.