Santa Monica, CA

Large budget: $150/sq. ft. (including hot tub)

Key features: Extensive foundation, built-in benches, and a hot tub Surrounded by houses and apartment buildings in Santa Monica, this L-shaped deck is a tropical escape off a master suite.

It’s where owners Tom Fuller and Bill Kelly relax in the evenings. Architects Ken Payson and Peg Denney designed the serene space as part sitting area off the bedroom, part spa off the bathroom.

The deck had to be built over a sandy hillside, so Payson and Denney supported it on a heavy-duty concrete foundation.