Five ideas for arranging a terrace or veranda

Recommendation points

• What is a terrace
• The first idea – we cook outdoors
• Second idea – mini beach
• Third idea – a place for receiving guests
• The fourth idea – a full-fledged living room
• The fifth idea – just relaxation or to each his own

In the summer you want to spend as much time as possible outdoors! The four walls and the interior, albeit a very cozy and lovingly decorated apartment, have managed to get bored during the long winter months, and now they are drawn to nature, to the sun and a warm breeze.

Even the townspeople, not spoiled by greenery and clean air without dust and smog, are attracted by an open balcony or loggia, where a small seating area appears. And the owners of private houses are especially lucky in this regard – they do not need to go down the long stairs between floors, use the elevator and put on a “ceremonial” suit – just open the front door – and here it is, nature!

But among the happy homeowners and city apartment dwellers, there are those who are especially lucky – they have a terrace! Yes, not every house, let alone an apartment, can boast of such a continuation, but if there is such a space, it brings a lot of pleasure to the owners and allows you to create a very special corner for summer holidays.

Let’s try to figure out what, in fact, a terrace is and offer five ideas for the arrangement and interior design of this territory, traditionally open to all winds..

Does your terrace have a sea view? We can only envy and go to our home, summer cottage terrace, from where it will be impossible to admire the waves, but to relax with friends and have a good time is quite!

What is a terrace

French word terrasse translated simply “playground”. So from this point of view, any platform on the backyard or on the roof of a building, any flooring raised on supports can be considered a terrace.

But most often a terrace is understood as a fairly spacious area adjacent to the house, with or without a roof, fenced or not.

The terrace can be quite small, in the form of a balcony or a wide porch, or it can differ in a huge area and connect, for example, a residential building and a summer kitchen, a guest house and a picnic area, a pool and a path to a shady garden.

The main feature of the terrace is that it allows, being in the fresh air, to spend time with the usual comfort – here you can put furniture, place decor items, organize an area for preparing a dinner or receiving guests. Of course, the terrace is intended for relaxation, but at the same time it is surprisingly multifunctional and can turn into a front living room and a mini-beach.

By the way, the veranda of the house is also one of the types of terraces – only closed, fully glazed and necessarily adjacent to the building.

Such a completely glazed, but traditionally unheated terrace is called a veranda. Superb corner for summer gatherings with a view of nature

The first idea – we cook outdoors

Earlier, before the era of air conditioning, a summer kitchen was necessarily located on every household plot. Cooking in the fresh air is much more pleasant, and in the house itself, thanks to such a temporary transfer of the place of cooking, frying and cooking, a pleasant coolness remains, and there are no not always pleasant “kitchen” smells.

To organize a summer kitchen on the terrace, first of all, a reliable roof is needed, since you will have to cook in any weather. In addition, you should take care of the availability of household appliances – take out the hob to the terrace, move the microwave oven, install at least a small refrigerator so that food and drinks are at hand, and so on..

Of course, such a terrace summer kitchen will perfectly complement a brazier or a real brick oven – cooking on an open fire is already a holiday, and all the dishes turn out to be aromatic and especially tasty. But every time to light a fire in order to cook soup or pasta is impractical, so a traditional hob is also necessary..

Most often, an electric stove is installed on the terrace, since the removal of gas pipes from the house is associated with obtaining permits from the Gas Service and calling a specialist. But you can also use gas cylinders – two such containers with a volume of 20 liters each are more than enough to cook food, make jam and canned vegetables from your garden throughout the summer. Only, please, follow all safety rules, organize a separate storage place for gas cylinders, protected from fire and mechanical stress..

Grilling meat and admiring nature is no longer a banal preparation of lunch, but the eve of a real festive meal

Such a summer kitchen-terrace will also need a working area for the hostess, so you can’t do without a small table, but you shouldn’t take out all the dishes from an ordinary kitchen for the summer. One small cabinet is enough, in which everything you need will fit, and for a beautiful salad bowl or glasses you can always go to the house.

As for the design of the terrace, which has turned into a summer kitchen, there is so much room for creativity that the owners have a huge number of options – from traditional to futuristic. Of course, “rustic” country is better for decorating a terrace than a strict classic, but in general there are no restrictions. And it is not at all necessary to make your summer kitchen similar to the main one – on the contrary, it is here that you can take a break from traditional canons and experiment.

A brick oven or an ordinary iron brazier will allow you to organize a wonderful picnic area on the terrace

Second idea – mini beach

As mentioned above, the terrace can be open, that is, without a roof, and closed. So – on the open terrace you can organize an ideal place for sunbathing, a kind of mini-beach, comfortable, beautiful and functional.

What is needed for this? Quite a bit – to place sun loungers and sun loungers in the open to the sun, organize a shaded area using ordinary beach umbrellas or an awning – that’s, in principle, that’s all.

Of course, if you wish and if you have financial resources, you can create a bar area on such a terraced beach to turn the site into a real beach cafe. In this case, it will be possible to hold parties and arrange a disco on the terrace by simply removing the sun loungers..

But this is not the most important thing – since there is a beach, there must be a reservoir, albeit a small one. Do you already have a swimming pool or pond near your home? Fine! If not, you will have to get by with an inflatable or frame pool. This is the most affordable and affordable option to cool off after sunbathing..

To sunbathe, it is not at all necessary to go to exotic countries – the native terrace of the country house will become a magnificent mini-beach. It remains only to organize at least a small reservoir

Even on such a relatively modest outdoor terrace, you can equip an excellent relaxation area under the bright summer sun

Third idea – a place for receiving guests

Sitting in the summer with friends in rooms that have been boring over the winter is not at all interesting. But on the terrace, an ordinary dinner turns into a summer celebration, with the obligatory barbecue and a long pleasant conversation.

To organize a dining area on the terrace, you need only two things: a roof that will allow you not to interrupt your dinner due to a summer thunderstorm, and a set of furniture – table and chairs, benches, armchairs – everything that will provide comfort for guests and households.

The most inexpensive option is, of course, plastic furniture, which is not afraid of rain or sun. You can also use traditional summer cottage options in the form of sets of wicker furniture, and a wooden table and chairs will perfectly fit on the closed terrace..

For decor, it is worth using not too expensive items – the best decoration will be climbing plants planted near the terrace, hanging pots with flowers, vases with roses just cut from their flower beds. It is better to use textiles that are not afraid of moisture – light snow-white or colored curtains made of synthetic fabric, an unusual tablecloth, bright napkins and comfortable pillows.

The main difference between a dining terrace and a kitchen terrace is precisely in the absence of a hob or barbecue. You will have to cook food in the kitchen in the house and serve it on the terrace “in the heat of the heat”.

A dozen guests can comfortably sit at such a table on the spacious terrace. And the main accent of the rather simple decor was the checkered pillows on the chairs, tied with ribbons. You can support the design idea with the same tablecloth and original table setting

A small table for four or six people will fit even on a tiny terrace, and such a set of folding wooden furniture is not so expensive

The soft cushions of such chairs from the outdoor terrace will have to be removed every time if it rains. But they are very comfortable, and the appearance of the kit is beyond praise

The fourth idea – a full-fledged living room

Do you know what the Americans call the terrace? Outdoor-room, that is, “outdoor living room”. It is in this capacity that you can reveal all the best sides of this summer area and evaluate its comfort and capabilities..

Of course, to organize a summer living room on the terrace, you will have to solve three issues: to provide protection from rain, since it will be problematic to carry heavy sofas or remove numerous pillows every time; buy furniture, and not just a table and chairs, but a full-fledged sofa with soft pillows, albeit small and wicker; provide a thoughtful lighting system. However, light is needed on any terrace, except for the one that has turned into a mini-beach – it is better to dine in the light of a cozy lamp with a lampshade, and to cook food in the rays of powerful lighting sources.

Yes, and do not forget about the “main decoration of the table” – the TV! The TV panel is traditionally located opposite a sofa or a group of soft armchairs, turning the terrace into a home cinema.

And since we have not touched on the issue of arranging the floor of the terrace in the previous ideas, then it’s time to note that the flooring for outdoor-room can be very different – most often the so-called deck board made of wood species that is not afraid of moisture and the sun, treated with a special composition. But quite acceptable and very common options are brick, natural stone, ceramic or clay tiles..

Without a sofa, the terrace will never turn into a full living room. Only models are better to choose like this – artificial weaving, with removable pillows and seats. Remember that your upholstered furniture will have to “work” outside

On the terrace of a large area, you can organize not only a cinema, but also several separate areas for communication, so that guests can retire in a cozy corner surrounded by nature

The fifth idea – just relaxation or to each his own

A terrace can reflect the hobbies of its owners. It is not at all necessary to turn it into a kitchen, dining room or living room, you can simply equip a corner for doing what you love.

Do you have a lot of indoor flowers and is it a lot of fun to care for them? Transfer all the plants from the house to the terrace for the summer, add a few more boxes with annual plants, choosing them in such a way that the flowers are pleasing to the eye all summer – as a result, the terrace will turn into a blooming garden, not winter, but summer.

Flower pots, pots and hanging pots with all kinds of plants will transform the terrace into a beautiful garden

Do you like to embroider, paint or craft something with your own hands? The terrace can become a summer workshop for an artist or sculptor – the fresh air and nature around will be the best source of inspiration.

A married couple can easily organize an intimate corner for romantic dinners on the terrace and turn it into an anti-stress area. In this case, you should add a little more blankets and pillows to the interior, be sure to hang thick enough curtains that create an intimate atmosphere. But massive furniture is not at all necessary – you can use the oriental style and set a low table with a hookah, surrounded by many soft pillows and just sit comfortably on the plank floor of the terrace. A bottle of wine, candles, a loved one nearby and a beautiful view – in such an atmosphere it is easy to get rid of everyday worries and problems, relax and unwind.

In addition, on the terrace, you can hang a hammock, set up a sofa swing and “enjoy pleasant idleness”, swaying with your favorite book in your hands, or arrange an afternoon “quiet hour”.

A covered terrace is a great place for a hammock or hanging chair, allowing you to use a comfortable corner to relax even on a rainy day

The terrace is an amazing space, which, although it is used only in the warm season, becomes a favorite corner for all family members. Or maybe that’s why she is so loved, which is invariably associated with summer and rest?