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Featured ProjectPortola Valley, California
Two-Level
Cedar Deck Portola Valley
A two-level cedar deck connecting the home's main floor to the backyard via an elevated upper platform, an open staircase, and an oversized lower entertaining deck. Custom spindle railings, freshly stained cedar boards, and structural posts engineered to take full advantage of the wooded property.
Two Levels
Connected Decks
Cedar
Boards & Railings
Custom Stair
Upper to Lower
Engineered
Post & Beam
The Vision
A deck that bridges the house and the yard
This Portola Valley home sits on a sloped lot with mature evergreens and a generous lawn, but the original rear access didn't take advantage of any of it. The homeowners wanted a true outdoor living extension — somewhere they could step out from the main floor of the house, sit with a coffee, then walk down to a larger entertaining space at lawn level without losing the connection between the two zones.
The solution was a two-level cedar deck built on engineered post-and-beam supports. An elevated upper platform off the main floor handles morning coffee and quick access from the living spaces. An open staircase descends to a much larger lower deck for dining, entertaining, and direct connection to the lawn. Custom spindle railings in matching cedar tie the two levels into one cohesive piece of architecture.
Two-Level Deck · After
Two levels, one continuous piece of carpentry. Engineered post-and-beam below, hand-fitted cedar above, and spindle railings that read as one unified detail from the top step to the lawn.Bark & Build Builders · CSLB #1119304
Stage 01
The Upper Platform
The upper deck cantilevers out from the home's main floor, supported by full-height pressure-treated posts set on engineered footings. Sliding-door access from the interior makes the deck feel like a continuation of the living space, not an afterthought attached to the back of the house.
Cedar deck boards run perpendicular to the home, capped with a wide cedar handrail and finished with vertical spindles spaced to current code. The platform is sized for a small bistro setup or simply a place to stand and look out over the property.
Deck Gallery
Cedar, Spindles & Open Sightlines
Stage 02
The Lower Deck & Staircase
A custom open-tread staircase descends from the upper platform down to a much larger ground-level deck — sized for full outdoor dining, lounge furniture, and gatherings of a dozen-plus guests. The lower platform sits low enough to step directly onto the lawn at one end while the other end keeps the spindle railing wrapping around the perimeter for safety and definition.
Every cedar component — boards, railings, balusters, stair treads — was hand-fitted on site, then sealed in a warm transparent stain that highlights the grain rather than hiding it. The result is a backyard that finally matches the property it sits on.
The Result
Outdoor Living, Two Stories Tall
B&B
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CSLB License #1119304 · Fully Bonded & Insured