Two goals: 1. Celebrate the picturesque water view of a sheltered cove. 2. Create an outdoor deck that could be used rain or shine and anchors the house to the steeply sloping yard almost 10 feet below the main living level. A dramatic improvement to the view from the living spaces was achieved by building a nearly 200 square foot two-story dormer window in place of a former inexplicably small window with a high sill, which barely acknowledged the view. The new deck is characterized by right-sized specific activity spaces on distinct levels; including a large hot tub, a small sunning deck, an uncovered lounging and barbeque area and a distinctly sheltered dining loggia. Anchored by several large built in planters; the deck assemblage as a whole acts as a cascading skirt to better ground the high base of the house. A large stone fireplace in the loggia topped with a distinct custom chimney cap makes “life outside” cozy on those occasional less than perfect Northwest days.