No. 98 Decks · Desert & Southwest
Desert Deck Featuring Concrete Fire Table
Set at night, this Southwest desert deck features a concrete fire table, overhead string lights, and soffit lighting beside an adobe and stucco home framed by native agave and saguaro.
Design notes
Desert and Southwest design is shade, earth and sky. Look for stucco or adobe in earthy tones, flat roofs with deep overhangs, decomposed granite and gravel instead of lawn, and planting of agave, yucca, saguaro, ocotillo, palo verde and desert wildflowers. Corten steel, concrete and rammed earth handle the sun; ramadas, shade sails and pergolas make midday usable; and lighting stays low so the stars can compete.
What to look for
- Board direction and how it changes the apparent size
- Edges: built-in benches and planters instead of rail where allowed
- Stairs wide enough to double as seating



