{dining on the rooftop}

since the start of s & b's project dream-cottage, hgtv has been on our television nonstop. and today i ventured onto the hgtv website where i found tons of photos of their latest project: hgtv green home. this home certainly employs the latest green technology to be as environmentally friendly as possible, but what really caught my eye was the green home's rooftop deck.

since deciding the dream-cottage is more accurately described as the dream-bungalow, a spiral staircase has appeared on and has continued to inch up our list of priorities. at first we were thinking to have one inside to save space, but looking at photos of a spiral staircase to a rooftop deck is really making a case for having one outside.

love the rooftop garden space & rain barrel. but for the green home, i'm a little surprised by the lack of natural green on the rooftop. i would add varying-sized pots and containers of colorful annuals and potato vines spilling onto the deck and a few shady palm trees. but either way, think of the views of the marsh from a deck like this! i could really go for a glass of red wine on a breezy summer night.

annnnnd i couldn't help myself, the green home prompted multiple google searches of rooftop decks and spiral stairs.

the above house is just a little more comparable to our real-life potential bungalows than the hgtv green {dream} home.

i also like the idea of having a double-decker porch/patio. though i'm thinking we'll want the bottom space to be screened-in to keep out unwanted savannah sand gnats (which i'm apparently very allergic to). that would be the best of both worlds.

see, more like this, though ours will have a more cottage feel to it. (and i think that door is kind of ugly, but you get the idea.)

i really like how this spiral staircase is more incorporated into the porch rather than attached randomly to the outside. it could definitely go inside of the screened porch area, though i suppose the trade-off is losing porch space.

check out the varying levels on this rooftop deck. it seems to really work with the roof line rather than just carving out a flat space. i also love the idea of having french doors from an upstairs master open up onto the deck.

more varying levels above. good for a party.

if this house wasn't on stilts it would be about what i picture for the dream-bungalow. just need a few cold drinks and good friends. perfect.

{images from hgtv, davenport-construction, chateau-animaux, parkwaymfg, decksouth, hawthorn villa, harbor island beach houses }