Custom Covered Deck in Highlands Ranch with Seamless Roofline Integration

Interview with Shawn Vernon, Owner | Home Renonvations Colorado

When you’re investing in a custom covered deck, the goal isn’t just to add square footage—it’s to make it feel like it was always part of your home. That’s exactly what was achieved with this Highlands Ranch project. From the matching roofline and siding to the flat ceiling, integrated lighting, and extended TREX decking, every detail was designed to blend seamlessly with the existing structure while creating a functional, comfortable outdoor living space built for Colorado weather.

When homeowners want a new outdoor living space, the best result is when it feels like part of the original home, not an afterthought. That was the goal with this Highlands Ranch project. From the matching gable and siding to the flat ceiling, lighting, TREX decking, and steel framing, every detail was designed to blend seamlessly with the house while creating a comfortable, high-value outdoor space.

Custom TREX Deck with a roof that made it look like it's been a part of the home since the beginning

This particular design had a lot of thought put into it because the homeowner wanted the larger columns with the siding that matched the home, but also wanted the gable. If you look to the left of the photo, there’s already a gable on the house itself, so we carried that same look all the way out. We faced the front of it to make it solid, and then the ceiling is flat with some crown molding inside, along with a ceiling fan and lights. Then there’s a TREX deck, of course, with steel framing as well.

It integrated into the home perfectly, and that’s what the homeowner wanted. He wanted that outdoor space to be able to get out of the elements but still enjoy our Colorado weather. The look of it is just extraordinary in how it became part of the home.

Does a custom deck like this add value to the home? When doesn't it?

Absolutely this deck added value to the home. When you do something like this, you add great value to the home because it looks like part of it. Because of the closed in portion of the new living space it adds literal square footage to the home. When it doesn't add value, is when it looks like it was an after thought and barnackled on to the home. A deck has to be to code so it's not a structural safety risk. That's when I cringe when I see some pretty big DIY deck projects being built by neighbors. Because improper attachment (such as failing to use a ledger board, improper flashing, or lacking structural fasteners) poses a safety risk, the deck is classified as a liability rather than an asset.

What lighting was included in this project?

We added a ceiling fan and light, but we also put lighting on the inside of the columns. That was mainly for safety when it’s dark and they want to turn some lights on and see what’s going on around the patio.

When I say columns, I mean the support portion of the structure. You can see where it’s wide on both sides and supporting the entire roof. On the inside of those, we added sconces. Again, that was mainly for safety, just to light up the patio area at night.

It looks like there are built-in benches. Is there an extension of the deck beyond the covered area?

Yes. We extended it about four feet beyond the cover and put benches there. They’re sun benches, so you can enjoy the sun and have a nice, comfortable platform to sit on.

You can also see in the steps that we put low-voltage lighting in there. Not only does it look good, but again, it’s for safety. When you’re walking out at night, you know where the steps are and how to get down to grade or into the landscape area.

How do you make the deck match the house so perfectly?

A lot of times we’ll take a sample from an area we know we’re going to remove, and then we match that sample perfectly. So it’s identical siding, identical material. Then, of course, the paint color matches the home.

From the trim work to the front face, it all matches the color of the house. Then on the inside, we went with a slightly darker color. You can see the ceiling portion is a little darker, and that created an accent that helped highlight the crown molding we put in there.

The homeowner did not want a vaulted ceiling. He wanted it flat like this. Similar to when you walk out from the kitchen, the kitchen has a flat ceiling, so they wanted to carry that feel outside. It makes it feel like continuous space instead of something completely separate.

Do you also match the roof so it looks original from above?

Absolutely. If you took a top view photo of the home, the shingles would match perfectly. When we build something like this, we integrate it into the existing roofline and match the shingles or tile or whatever type of roofing material they’re using.

That way it blends perfectly with the home and doesn’t look like just an add-on. It looks like it was made for the home.

Did this project require any landscaping updates after the build was complete?

Yes. In all the projects we do, there’s usually some landscaping to do. In this case, where you see those two little steps in the front of the photo, we added some concrete there, then some mulch on one side, and then redid the lawn shape to follow the new concrete.

We wanted a nice flat landing. Again, that’s about safety. When you step down and then go onto grade, you want it to be flat and solid. We always do some form of landscaping to make sure it’s by code and safe.

Did you consider adding shade structures on the sides?

Yes, a lot of times we can do shade structures on the side, but in this case we kept it open because they had really good views and their landscaping was immaculate. Their neighbor was close, but it was still open enough that they wanted to be able to look out and enjoy their yard. So we kept the sides open and just created a great outdoor living space.

A deck like this is a great example of what happens when the design is done right from the start.

Learn more about how Shawn works with home owners on their projects here. The finished space gives the homeowners protection from the elements, better safety lighting, extra seating, and a deck and cover system that looks like it was always meant to be there. If you’re ready to create a custom outdoor living space that fits your home instead of fighting it, contact Shawn Vernon, Home Renovations Colorado at 720-551-3962 for a free in-person estimate.