You may think of your deck as just an innocuous wooden platform jutting out to your backyard, but with a little planning and a good design, that space can become a fabulous alfresco family room and entertainment center.

Original or new addition? The beauty is in not knowing for sure. The lines of HGTV's Green Home screened-in porch smartly match those of the existing home, right down to the railings, and add to the quaint feeling.