In this suburban Durham house, the owners have done a number of updates and renovations to make the interior of the house modern architecturally. Now eyeing the exterior, they were looking to make a portion of the upstairs to an apartment with direct outside access and convert a deck into a screen porch. Tabling the interior work for now, the owners decided to focus on exterior.

The crisp modern design included adding a stair and elevated deck and new door to access the upstairs from the outside in addition to the screen porch and trellis. An open stair and transparent railing were important to “lighten” the stair and elevated structure adjacent to the neighbor and from the street. For the porch, the owners wanted comfortable and clean – nothing fussy – and a modern trellis. While a modern aesthetic was important, so was an aesthetic that blended with the house. The result is a cozy porch and a delightful trellis in which to entertain guests.