If feasible, consider taking up the patio stones where the deck will go and reuse them to extend all along the back of the house. There are some nice creative approaches to stairs coming down from the deck to the patio, such as room for flower pots or landing with a corner bench. I'm a fan of curves in the grass to balance out straight edges of the patio and deck, so consider large beds along the fence with curves - maybe kidney shaped or hour glass shaped grass in the middle. You can bury black plastic edging (very affordable, I prefer the deeper style) to keep grass from growing into your beds. If you'd like a bit of height here and there along the fence or in the beds, consider a tall decorative lattice panel with a vine, or iron arch, or a willow pyramid - whatever your style. It's also nice to have some stepping stones to a feature in the back corner since your yard is so big - bird feeder or bird bath, or kids slide, or swing under the tree, or bistro chairs - again, it depends what you like. Looks like you could use some conifers for winter interest. I'm in Alberta, so of course we have cold weather plants, but you could probably have a few cedars or pyramid junipers that would grow nicely in Seattle. Good luck and enjoy your project!

A composite deck would work well for the Seattle climate and give good longevity, technology has come a long ways in this regard and there are a number of quality products that would work well and look sharp as well. If you do go the deck route you could just leave the existing brick patio only having to worry about removing enough to install your deck footings (depending on how large you make the deck). Looks like the back tree could use a good pruning and remove some of the lower branches so you have more use underneath, probably a good idea to keep the lawn area more towards the existing patio so that your lawn area if you choose to put one in can get enough light to thrive. You may want to also consider a small retaining wall towards the back and place a nice leveled kids play area with a big toy or other play feature(s) that fits the space. We can certainly help you out with design and/or construction of the space including the deck and fencing if you so desire, feel free to reach out if you feel inclined. Good luck with your project, the outside renovation looks great.

First have a professional landscape designer look at your yard. If the space slopes up toward the fence, then the drainage will be an issue. Water drainage should always be the first issue addressed. They can then offer a few designs you might like.

Hi houseceam, it's great that you uploaded several photos! If you want to have a safe play area for the kids that's virtually maintenance-free, have you considered adding artificial grass? At SYNLawn, we offer products designed for playgrounds and play areas, and you'll have built-in safety because soft padding is installed under the grass. Our artificial grass comes with a 15-year warranty, is stable in all climates and has excellent drainage with a drain rate of 30-inches per hour. You won't have to spend weekends mowing the lawn, and you'll save 50 percent or more on your water bills. If you're interested, we have distributors in Oregon (http://www.synlawn.com/oregon/) and Vancouver Island (http://www.synlawn.ca/vancouver-island/). Let us know if you have any other questions. Good luck with your backyard makeover!

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Artificial Grass for Playground Installations · 詳細

You might need a retaining wall or terracing; a rain garden would be a good idea to soak up runoff. Mature plants will also help with retention

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