An elevated deck in San Mateo — outdoor kitchen, built-in grill, entertainment TV, black metal railings, and a furnished lounge area that turned an underused backyard into a year-round outdoor room.
The backyard of this San Mateo home was going to waste — an outdoor space with real potential and no good reason to use it. The owners came to us with a clear vision: an elevated deck built for the way they actually live, with a full outdoor kitchen, grill station, entertainment setup, and comfortable places to eat, relax, and gather on Bay Area evenings.
The backyard's significant slope was the first thing to solve — we needed an elevated structure that could manage the grade transition without disturbing the drainage pattern away from the foundation. Building in a full outdoor kitchen and entertainment area meant running gas, electrical, and data lines before any decking went down. Every infrastructure decision had to be locked in before construction started.
We designed and built an elevated deck accessed by stairs — a defined outdoor room that sits above the yard and owns the space. The grill station anchors the kitchen, connected to the home's gas line and flanked by counter space and storage built for outdoor use. Black metal railings wrap the perimeter, adding a clean architectural edge without closing the deck in. A dedicated TV area with comfortable seating makes the space just as good for a game night as a quiet evening outside. Integrated LED step lighting takes care of the atmosphere after dark.