Featured Carpentry Project

Custom Outdoor Living Build

This project was shaped around a strong client vision rather than a generic deck package.

Time spent working through layout, materials, access, and finish details before construction paid off: the project reached completion without a single change order, while the finished deck, stairs, railing, lighting, and surrounding hardscape were coordinated as one outdoor-living system.

Finished octagonal composite deck with teak seating, aluminum railing, lamp posts, and slate patio under redwoods — A custom outdoor-living build shaped around a strong client vision rather than a generic deck package. Clear communication and time spent working through options meant the project reached completion without a single change order. Butyl tape protects the support framing for long-term durability, while properly spaced Trex decking, integrated lighting, and aluminum railing create a low-maintenance space designed to age well.

Client Vision First

The project was developed around the clients’ specific goals rather than a standard deck package.

Plan Before Build

Time spent working through options, layout, access, materials, and details before construction allowed the project to proceed without a single change order.

Built for Longevity

Butyl tape protects the support framing, while properly spaced Trex decking, integrated lighting, and aluminum railing reduce maintenance and support long service life.

Planning

Working the layout out on paper and on the ground first is what keeps a deck, its stairs, and the stonework around it fitting together at the end.

Construction

Deck framing underway with sawhorses, joists, posts, and tools staged across the work area — Construction underway, with the main deck framing and access points taking shape. Careful layout at this stage set the proportions, stair locations, and relationship between the deck and surrounding site.

Details

Slate patio laid between the finished house deck with railing and the new composite deck stairs — Deck structure and finish work progressing together. The framing, stair geometry, and low-maintenance materials were coordinated to support both long-term durability and a clean finished appearance.

Completed

Close view of the finished composite deck corner, broad wrapping stairs, integrated riser lighting, and aluminum railing above slate paving — Finished deck detail showing the broad stair treatment, clean composite layout, integrated lighting, and aluminum railing. The result is a low-maintenance outdoor space designed to feel custom rather than off-the-shelf.

Services Consulting

Returned Client

Evolving Property Needs

After the original outdoor-living project, Living Earth was invited back to build a custom catwalk-supplied catio, then later returned again for a definitive privacy fence.

The work changed, but the value of knowing the property and the client’s priorities carried forward.

Custom catio with elevated catwalk connecting enclosures alongside the deck and house — Custom catio and elevated catwalk integrated into the existing deck and house layout, giving the cats secure outdoor access without compromising circulation or the finished property.

Detail of the stained catwalk framing and roofing where it meets the house siding — The catwalk ties multiple enclosed areas together while staying visually light and serviceable.

Catio access door, shelving, and interior perches built against the house and deck — Access details were built around the house and deck so the system could function cleanly without feeling like a temporary add-on.

Horizontal redwood privacy fence running along a wooded property edge — Living Earth was later invited back again for a privacy fence, extending the relationship as the property’s needs continued to evolve.

Long-Term Property

Repair, Replace, or Rethink

What makes this property story valuable is its range. Rather than a single isolated carpentry job, Living Earth was invited back over the years for multiple phases of repair, rebuilding, and improvement.

The pictured work includes structural deck repair, balcony replacement, and replacing unnecessary or aging privacy/screening elements with more open, modern builds designed to fit the home and showcase the broader landscape.

Together—and alongside the dozens of other landscape and construction projects Living Earth has completed on this property—these before-and-after examples show the kind of long-term property care that goes well beyond a one-time project.

Targeted Repair Where It Still Made Sense

Some of the most important carpentry work is not glamorous at the start.

This repair addressed significant decay at structural deck supports, where deterioration had developed at the base. The damaged material was removed, the support condition was corrected, and the repair focused on restoring strength and extending the useful life of the larger structure.

The point is not to replace everything simply because one component has failed. When the surrounding structure remains worth preserving, targeted repair can be the better choice.

Deteriorated deck support post with rotted wood at the base beside the deck framing — Before

Repaired deck support post set on a new concrete pier with hardware in place — After

Complete Replacement After a Long Service Life

Forty years is a long life for a well-built lumber deck.

In some cases, selective repair can extend that life further. In others, deterioration has progressed far enough that full replacement is the better investment.

This balcony had reached that point. Rather than continue layering repairs onto an aging structure, Living Earth replaced it completely and rebuilt it for another long service life.

Significant rot and structural deterioration in the aging balcony's support beam before replacement — Before

Completed replacement balcony with new railing above the lower entry, matching the house — After

Opening the Courtyard Without Losing Containment

The original screen had deteriorated and was no longer serving a privacy need. Its real job was simply to keep deer out of the courtyard and the dog in.

Living Earth rebuilt the enclosure using the same substantial lumber language, but replaced the confining screen with steel cable to open sight lines and reconnect the courtyard to the surrounding landscape.

The lightweight original gate was also replaced with a custom-fabricated steel gate weighing roughly 300 pounds, engineered and hung so it still swings with a feather touch.

Aging louvered courtyard screen and weathered lightweight gate before rebuilding — Before

Rebuilt courtyard enclosure with steel cable infill and a custom steel gate open to the lawn — After

Sometimes repair is right. Sometimes replacement is right. Sometimes the better answer is to rethink what the old structure was actually trying to accomplish.

Deck Repair, Renovation & Replacement Guidance →

More Carpentry & Custom Work

Different Projects, Different Solutions

From custom stairs and outdoor amenities to site-specific structures and unusual problem-solving, not every carpentry project fits a standard category.

Small Outbuilding / Retreat

Compact custom outbuilding with barn-style doors, painted siding, and a finished roof — A compact custom outbuilding designed as useful finished space rather than simply storage.

Warm finished interior with wood-paneled walls, leather seating, pendant light, and windows — A warm, simple finished interior shows how a small structure can become a comfortable retreat without becoming a full-scale building project.

Custom exterior stairs in clear-grain redwood and tigerwood with recessed low-voltage riser lights — Custom stair work using rare clear-grain redwood milled from salvaged logs, paired with sustainably harvested South American tigerwood and integrated low-voltage lighting.

Hardwood outdoor shower enclosure with copper fixtures on a paver patio — A simple outdoor shower built as a durable, site-specific amenity rather than an off-the-shelf add-on.

Custom bear-resistant trash receptacle enclosure with lift lid and hinged wood doors — Sometimes the job is solving a very specific problem. Custom bear-resistant receptacle built for practical daily use.

Redwood deck stairs with cable railing alongside a segmental block retaining wall — Deck, stairs, and retaining conditions coordinated as one site solution rather than separate pieces.