The terrace is that place in the house that is often neglected, serving as a storage room or a place to store some old objects. However, in this post we recommend you 8 tips for decorating your terrace that will make this space one of the favourites for family and friends.

The terrace, whether it is glazed or open-air, has an infinite number of functions that we should make the most of. Without a doubt, the terrace has the ability to be eclectic and adapt to a multitude of decorative trends that serve as a complement to the rest of the house.

Decorating terraces: types and trends

The first of these tips for decorating your terrace has to do with the wide variety of options available on the market that can give this part of the house its own style. Choose the one that best suits your mood, your space needs, among other factors.

Here are some ideas.

Slow Life style for your terrace

During 2021 – and due to the global pandemic – the style that remained on the rise was the slow life, which, as its name suggests, has to do with slowing down the pace of everyday life as a way of life. This means enjoying life consciously and fully, with the now as the present moment to hold on to. Remember the famous carpe diem?

Within this trend we will look for colours that move away from a cold and melancholic chromatic range, to focus on colours that bring luminosity and comfort. In the same way, we will look for the union with nature to connect with the world around us.

Surround the terrace with plants, but also use colours that take us back to nature itself, such as ochres, greys, browns, greens or neutral colours. The idea is that the space conveys peace and allows us to get through the rest of this year in absolute harmony.

Intimacy and warmth

In line with this search for peace, we should look for decorative elements that serve as an escape valve for introspection, serenity and relaxation. To create a space in which we can sit down to have a coffee or read a book, feeling that connection with nature.

To this end, the use of natural fibres and fabrics is sought, which accompany both this outdoor space and the interior of the house. Natural fibres and fabrics such as wool, linen, cotton and wicker bring freshness, evoke summer and also reduce allergies. Use them in sofas, chairs, cushions or other decorative elements.

If the terrace is outside, use pergolas, awnings or parasols that can protect you from the sun and use rugs made of materials such as raffia, which also provide an air of warmth and intimacy for walking barefoot through the space.

Plants as a decorative element

In recent years, plants have become a crucial decorative element in every home. Trends such as the urban jungle try to recover that space stolen from nature and fill our homes with large plants that occupy the main rooms.

On the terrace we could not fail to include plants to guide us in that peace and tranquility that we want this year. The ideal plants for this type of decoration are hanging plants or those that grow in a multitude of leaves, such as potus or potos; curly fern; ribbon; common ivy; or rosary.

Soft lighting for relaxation

We are looking to relax in an atmosphere that creates peace and tranquillity; therefore, we will try to avoid high wattage lights and look for dim lights that accompany us without disturbing us. The main purpose is not to illuminate, but to convey warmth to the atmosphere.

For this we can use strips of lights on the walls, use solar torches that illuminate a plant from below or hanging bulbs on shelves that also add a chic touch.

A good idea if you have a low table on the terrace where you can have dinner with your partner or family, is to use scented candles around it (now in summer remember that there are also anti-mosquito scented candles).

Have you thought about growing an urban vegetable garden?

Having a large outdoor terrace can be useful for various purposes, but what about growing an urban vegetable garden in your own home? Although it may sound complicated, it is not really necessary to have a large space to grow all kinds of vegetables.

If you want to start simple, you can build a vertical garden on the wall of your terrace using boxes and even recycled bottles. Before embarking on the adventure of growing vegetables such as courgettes or tomatoes, try planting aromatic plants such as lavender or spices such as parsley, oregano, thyme, among others. As well as decorating, take it as a hobby that will boost the chef in you.

Terrace as a play area

If we have children and we want to give them fun moments that are not indoors, what better than to use our terrace for this purpose? First of all, if the terrace is on a raised floor or attic, it is very important to take extreme safety measures for our children (using protections or safety glass).

For play, we can use chalkboard walls and chalk, artificial grass areas with toys, small fountains, among others.

Pizzas on the terrace

With the proliferation of different home decoration chains and the falling cost of prices, it is becoming easier and easier to buy an electric oven, fireproof ceramic oven or any other type of oven.

Having an oven on the terrace can be a great opportunity to develop your culinary skills and surprise all your friends and family. Pizzas, meat, fish: this will open up an infinite number of opportunities for cooking at home.

And if you find it too complicated to manage an oven on the terrace of your house, something that has also become much cheaper in recent years are barbecues. Nowadays it is possible to buy a barbecue for 20 euros that can surprise your guests. Think about it!

Glazed enclosures

Glazing a terrace can also provide that touch of privacy that we mentioned at the beginning of the post. The best thing about this is that during the winter we can create a thermal sensation inside the terrace of up to 3 degrees with respect to the outside. This will allow us to make the most of this space which, otherwise, could be abandoned in winter.

There are a multitude of options on the market that will also help us to open up the space in the summer: bioclimatic pergolas, sheet glazing, among others.

Conclusions

We hope that these ideas will encourage you to decorate your terrace and use this space that is sometimes the forgotten part of the house. Whether you have decorating ideas for small terraces, attic terraces or other open spaces, we are convinced that you will be able to apply many of these tips.

At Gilmar, a leading real estate company with more than 37 years in the market, we have a Construction Solutions service that can help you find the best way to decorate a terrace. You can call us or get in touch with one of our specialists free of charge. Let us know what you thought of this post and if you have any other useful tips!