11 Ideas for making the most of the terrace

In the context of extreme temperatures, it is understandable to suggest the installation of portable pools. To follow the recommendation, however, is very dangerous because "buildings are built for overloads of 240 kg/m², a 60 cm high pool is equivalent to 600".

Source: Col-legi d'Arquitectes Tècnics, Aparelladors i Enginyers de Tarragona.

11 Ideas to make of the terrace a comfortable place

How to make the most of the terrace in the summer is a question that increases with the temperature, it's time to get inspired!

1. Take the opportunity to place flowers

Geraniums grow splendidly -they need a lot of water-. An alternative is the Dimorfoteca which needs little attention but very specific. There are many more flowers and aromatic plants. Let's go investigate what fragrance and color you like the most!

2. Are you sure that from the terrace you always see the same?

One of the joys of life is to have a creative personality.

The magazine Elmueble suggests: "Place a lattice and three flowering plants (Ivy, Bougainvillea, Ficus Enredadis, etc)". These plants must always grow on a maó wall, but not on paint.

These plants have three virtues:

- They beautify the sight

- They fight pollution

- They slow down the transmission of heat

3. Is it possible to combine privacy with thermal comfort?

Yes, it can. The ideal option is bamboo canes. These retain the humidity and release it little by little, at the same time, they build a wall against indiscreet looks. Finally, their maintenance does not require much effort.

4. The sea: a symphony of colors

Blue, green, turquoise, light grey, dark grey, storm black, white etc. 

5. Why not install a shower on the terrace?

From here the interior designer Pep Feliu enters the scene.

"Today we will not talk about interior design but about exterior design, the terrace is an exterior space" -he says didactically-. "I begin with the placement of a shower because of the infernal heat of this 2022".

Wait a moment Pep -the surprising stem-, the first paragraph of this text takes the installation of the portable swimming pool out of the picture. Why can we install a shower?

"It is puzzling, I admit: both pool and dutxa refresh and are structures, but a shower is much lighter, what separates safety from danger is the weight. An additional shower guarantee is that it evacuates the water while the pool accumulates. It should be emphasized that in order for the evacuation to be possible, the shower always has to be with clamp or plate".

At Finques Feliu we have searched the Internet for the weight of various shower enclosures in kg/m2 (we typed in Google: "shower kg/m2?") and the answer from Google is: between 25 and 50 kg/m2, far from the 240 kg/m2 of overload that a building can withstand. .

6. The awning: a key point to reduce radiation and reverberation

"It is not enough to use any color: it has to have chromatic coherence with the rest of the space".

7. Sunbathing must be done comfortably and safely

Getting color while working in the open air is available to everyone... to sunbathe, for aesthetic purposes, was staged by "Coco" Chanel, an influencer avant la lettre, in 1923.

Pep intervenes: "We will have to buy the hammock or the appropriate outdoor lounge chair. It is important to be comfortable and avoid any injury (lumbar, cervical, back, etc)". Certainly -I cut him-. Sunbathing has its own risks which are detailed in this link

8. Low tables: a synonym of comfort

"Collecting glasses, cups, the olive container is priceless. However, -she points out- it must be at the right height and distance from the hammock in order to avoid falls or dislocations".

9. Tropical hardwood flooring is a fantastic choice

"The floor of many terraces is made of slabs. I have nothing against them, they are functional. I recommend a tropical hardwood floor. This is a pleasant material for touch and sight. It's not bad to satisfy both senses at the same time" (photo 3).

10. The incomparable sensation of balance

"The soft rocking brings us to postural hygiene while reading".

11. And at night, what is the right option to have light? The flush illumination thanks to 40 cm foot lamps

At night, the artificial light is the main protagonist. The grazing lights are the best tria: they neither enlighten us, nor can they fall on us like a support" (I refer to a 40 cm foot lamp).

Thank you very much, Pep, you've provided a wide range of proposals that transform the terrace to the taste of each one of us.