Building

I think that the availability of images of things that are marvelously done can at times corrupt our understanding of what is possible and prudent. Take, for example, the railing around our deck.

Several years ago, we had our standard-issue deck taken down. Much of the air space formerly occupied by the deck became our kitchen breakfast nook. A vestigial deck was built around the outside. When we spoke with the builder, we said that we wanted a fairly ornate railing -- the style is one that I think of as 'Colonial Williamsburg'; I can't easily find an image, and I'm too lazy to go and scan the photograph of one that I took, last time we were there; suffice it to say that it's a simple, elegant pattern -- and we wanted a gate that would slide, rather than a swinging gate. He said that both things were possible. As we got closer to the actual date of completion, though, it became less and less likely, and what we ended up with was a nice-enough railing that wasn't anything like the photograph, and a split swinging gate. It was okay. We just wanted to be done, and now we were.

From time to time, though, I think about that deck, and how I'd like to redo it. I'd leave the actual decking as it is, but replace the railing with a white Colonial Williamsburg fence, with polished wood handrails and broad steps leading down to the garden. Enclose the bottom, too. Maybe some outdoor furniture (since the decking would, after all, leak when it rained or snowed.

I blame Fine Homebuilding.