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On-trend ideas for sprucing up your deck
(Family Features) Installing or updating a deck can transform your outdoor living area. Not only is a deck aesthetically appealing, but it also allows you to create additional space for a wide range of uses, whether it’s a lively entertainment zone or tranquil, relaxing retreat.
If you’re planning a deck build or renovation in 2022, consider incorporating one or more of these design trends identified by Westlake Royal Building Products, a leading manufacturer and distributor of materials for home remodeling, building and construction.
Creativity in Design
While decking design features used to be reserved for luxury upgrades, creative flair is increasingly mainstream. Some options for incorporating greater depth and style into your deck design include mixing and matching boards to create patterns, inlays and focal points or utilizing two-tone designs for more visually interesting aesthetics.
On-Trend Colors
Classic lumber-toned decks never go out of style, but adding some flair with an eye-catching color is a subtle way to elevate your deck’s aesthetic appeal. Some designs incorporate color throughout while another way to bring color to your deck is through distinctive inlay design or other design features.
Working with a product like Zuri Premium Decking gives you a selection of six on-trend colors, including Hickory, a true mid-tone brown, as well as Chestnut, Walnut, Pecan, Brazilia and Weathered Gray. The planks feature minimal grain repetition to capture the look of true exotic hardwood with no painting, staining or resealing needed, and all are backed by a 25-year warranty against color shifting.
Multi-Seasonal Spaces
Once you create an incredible outdoor space, you’ll likely want to use it as often as possible. That’s why many homeowners are designing decks with multiple seasons in mind. Features like retractable walls can help you block cool breezes and trap the warmth of space heaters or a fireplace while roofs provide shade and fans help circulate the breeze during warmer months. Decks built with clean, simple lines can offer a connection to nature as well as convenience for homeowners transitioning from indoor to outdoor spaces.
Popularity of Composite Decking
Weather patterns can cause substantial damage to a home’s exterior materials, including a deck where natural wood is prone to drying out. This creates an upkeep cycle that requires ongoing investments of time and money. An alternative to natural wood, such as Zuri Premium Decking by Royal, combines the low-maintenance, high-durability properties of composite decking with the exterior environment-defining presence of exotic wood. The result is an authentic look with zero-maintenance upkeep.
Bringing the Inside Out
A deck’s design elements were once limited to predictable furnishings like a picnic table and grill, but those days are gone. Homeowners seeking to create an outdoor oasis are bringing amenities of the indoors outside. You’ll find outdoor kitchens and weather-proof TVs, rugs and furniture, allowing homeowners to incorporate the convenience and comfort of indoor living rooms and kitchens into their outdoor spaces despite elements like snow, wind and rain.
Masonry as an Accessory
If you love the look of masonry but have your heart set on a deck, you can take the path of many homeowners and incorporate masonry as an accessory or design element. Mixing building mediums provides texture, which creates an immersive tactile experience through sight and touch. Options like a fireplace or firepit, pillars, skirting, bench seats, planters, water features, kitchen or bar space and walkways can all complement and enhance the decking so you get to enjoy the best of both worlds.
Clean Sightlines
A deck is an ideal vantage point when you have a beautiful view to enjoy and using the right materials can enhance that experience. Creating a clean, sophisticated and unobstructed view is easy when you outfit your deck with the right lighting and use cable or glass railings, which provide safety along with clear views of the landscape beyond.
Find more tips and ideas to spruce up your outdoor living space at liveabode.com.
(Tiffany Miller) The summer of childhood had a different quality to it. The days felt unscheduled, the weeks unhurried, and the season itself stretched on in a way the calendar did not quite explain. A new survey from ThriftBooks, the largest independent online bookseller of new and used books, found that many readers believe the endless summer feeling is gone, and that the one thing most associated with getting it back is also the thing they feel least entitled to do.
It also found that nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults who read say summer moves faster now than it did when they were growing up. And 76% say reading is the one thing that slows it down.
Summer used to feel different
Part of what shifted it was the screen. About 60% of readers say screens take away from the feeling of summer. The associations most tied to childhood summers — being outdoors, family time and reading — have quietly faded into the background. What replaced them is a season that feels more scheduled, more managed and harder to slow down.
Reading slows it down. Guilt gets in the way.
Reading holds a complicated place in that picture. Fifty-three percent of readers fell in love with reading during childhood, and the emotional connection between books and summer runs deep. Fifty-six percent say reading makes summer feel like it lasts longer, and most agree it helps them slow down in a way other forms of downtime simply do not.
But wanting to read and feeling permitted to read are different things. Seventy-four percent of readers say they sometimes or often feel that reading for pleasure is only allowed after everything else is done. That hesitation often looks familiar: a book left on the nightstand while the dishes get done, a chapter saved for when the to-do list clears. The single biggest obstacle is not a shortage of time but the sense that reading is not productive enough to justify: 27% say the main barrier is feeling like they should be doing something more useful instead.
A generational divide
That tension runs deepest among younger readers. Gen Z enters summer more optimistic about reading than older generations, but also more burdened by it. Seventy-seven percent of Gen Z say reading makes summer feel longer, compared with 44% of Baby Boomers. Yet it is younger readers who are most likely to feel they need to earn the time first.
Why it matters now
The findings suggest summer often feels shorter because schedules and distractions leave less room to slow down. For many readers, books may be one of the simplest ways to bring back the endless summer feeling.
Methodology
ThriftBooks commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 2,000 adults throughout the United States who read three or more books per year. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%.
Fieldwork took place between April 13 and April 17, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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(Feature Impact) As the days lengthen and warm air has you ready to get your patio furniture out of storage, that means it’s time to give your yard a fresh start. With a little planning now, you’ll be rewarded with a fuller, greener and easier-to-maintain outdoor space once spring is in full bloom.
1. Start With a Clean Slate
Winter leaves behind plenty of debris, including fallen branches and matted leaves. Before you start planting, take a walk around your yard and tidy up:
- Rake moisture-trapping twigs and leaves that can cause fungus
- Remove dead plants or spent annuals from flower beds
- Sweep or power wash patios and walkways
2. Tune Up Tools
Digging into yard work only to find rusty shears or a squeaky mower can prolong the task. Instead, ensure your tools are in good working order:
- Sharpen blades on lawn mowers, shears and pruners
- Install fresh string on trimmers and weed eaters
- Replace old fuel or clean air filters on gas-powered tools
3. Assess Your Lawn
Early spring is ideal for noticing how winter treated your grass. Dethatching and aeration can go a long way toward helping grass absorb nutrients. Set the stage for lush growth once warmer weather arrives by looking for:
- Bare patches that need reseeding
- Weeds making an early debut
- Compacted soil where water pools instead of soaking in
4. Give Plants the Right Start
Now’s the time to prep beds for new life. Before you plant:
- Loosen soil and mix in compost for nutrients
- Add mulch around perennials
- Plan your planting based on sun and shade patterns
5. Hydrate Wisely
Strong roots start with proper hydration. Even before sprigs pop up, early spring can be dry as the sun gets higher. Remember to:
- Water flowerbeds if rainfall has been scarce
- Check irrigation systems for damage
- Mulch lightly after soil warms to lock in moisture
Getting your yard ready early in spring isn’t about perfection; it’s about setting yourself up for outdoor enjoyment all season long. Find more tips to get your yard in shape at eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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(Feature Impact) After months of winter, spring cleaning isn’t just about dusting and vacuuming – it’s about inviting sunlight and fresh air into your space through the open windows and giving yourself a fresh start for the longer days ahead.
It’s also a perfect opportunity to clear out the old and make room for new experiences, memories and energy. Whether you’re tackling deep cleaning for the first time or you have seasonal rituals for tidying up your home, this room-by-room guide can help you plan and conquer seasonal chores.
Whole Home:
- Declutter spaces: Donate, recycle or discard what you don’t need
- Wash windows inside and out
- Dust baseboards, walls, vents and ceiling fans
- Wipe down doors, knobs and light switches
- Vacuum and clean under and behind furniture
- Clean curtains and blinds
- Store seasonal items like winter clothing and decor
- Replace air filters
- Shampoo carpet
Kitchen:
- Empty and wipe down refrigerator and freezer
- Clean oven, stovetop and microwave
- Scrub countertops and backsplashes
- Clean out the garbage disposal
- Sweep and mop floors
- Organize the pantry and throw away any expired items
Bathrooms:
- Scrub grout and tile
- Clean mirrors and glass surfaces
- Deep clean toilets
- Wipe down cabinets and bathroom fixtures
- Wash rugs, floor mats and the shower curtain and liner
- Empty trash and clean the bin
Bedrooms and Other Living Areas:
- Wash bedding, pillows and linens
- Organize closets and drawers
- Vacuum chair, couches and mattresses as well as under cushions
- Dust shelves and decor
- Clean light fixtures and lampshades
Outdoor Areas:
- Power wash patios, sidewalks and driveways
- Wipe down outdoor furniture and replace textiles like pillows, cushions and umbrellas
- Clear debris from garden beds
- Prune shrubs, plants and trees
- Organize garages and sheds
- Reconnect hoses and sprinklers
- Prep lawn equipment such as mowers, weed eaters and blowers
For more spring cleaning tips and tricks, visit eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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