I know what you are thinking - why are you thinking about your deck - finish your master bedroom!!! I am, I am, I promise!

The truth is, when we decided to stay in the house I knew the deck had to be redone. It's my favorite part of the home and something I've wanted to tackle for years. After all - when we bought this mess of a house 7 years ago it was because of the decks and the view. The rooms were a bit small, the playroom was an odd shape and the finish out was terrible. But the view. The view was (and is) amazing. And, after all of this time, I never get tired of the view. I spend at least some part of my day - every day - on the back deck.

So why now? I don't know about where you are, but here in Texas, October is pretty much equal to May in most states. Warm temps (but not hot) and the mosquitos take a bit of a break (but not much). So naturally my thoughts do tend to turn outdoors.

As far as what to do, I've got A LOT of ideas. This is my dream deck - the deck I would put together if money were no object. Those who have followed for a while know that's how it starts - and then I find ways to get the look for less.

Because I like to spend time outside, I would love to have a sectional. The Wyatt Outdoor sofa from Arhaus is my top pick. Let's not talk about cost on this one because when you have a sofa this nice, you are going to have to spend a bit.

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And of course I would love to have a dining space. Our deck is huge but I like to keep the grill in it's own section. For dining, a really big coffee table would do the trick - like this Bordeaux table from Arhaus.

Of course I need a nice rug and you guys know I love blue. After searching way more than I should have, I found this super cute rug from Dash & Albert:

Ok so furniture? Check. Rug? Check! Those were the now brainers. Here is where things get dicey. Our deck is 16 years old and while not in bad shape, it isn't in great shape either. We decided to paint it using Sherwin Williams Super Deck. We love it! We opted for Coffee.

What I'm trying to decide, though, is if I should replace it with composite decking. If you have composite I'd love to know your input.

For lighting, I go back and forth between ceiling fans or lights. I thought ceiling fans because it is so hot during the summer - but then again it's so hot I usually don't go outside during the summer. With that thought, I'm thinking about these Dylan Lights I found on Wayfair.

The other thing I'm hung up on is the railing. The railing we have now is really tall and leaves me looking at this when I'm sitting on the deck:

Here is the view standing up:

See why I hate the railing?? Where I'm stuck, though, is do I go for glass railing like this:

Or stick to the style of the house and go European like this:

As you can imagine, the European route is about 1/3 of the cost (those glass panels are not cheap!). What do you guys think?

And finally, the last thing I have to have without any question is the One-Acre Natural Attractant Mosquito Repellent. It has mixed reviews, but I'm willing to give it a try.

So there you have it - my dream deck. I'd love your input and any suggestions you might have! For now, back to working on the bedroom!