Get Inspired to Dress Up Your Terrace

When it comes to landscape design and backyard living, there are so many outdoor additions to choose from for your home. Floating decks, porches, and patios are among the most popular additions homeowners make to their landscape. Terraces are also widely regarded as a very desirable outdoor living space for the backyard and are perfect venues for countless cookouts, barbecues, and unwinding.

There are many gorgeous terrace designs out there all of which are very successful at spicing up backyard living. A terraced house goes far beyond improving property value. By applying a few terrace ideas and inspirations, you can build a backyard living space worthy of hosting social gatherings and cozy enough to serve as your escape to relax, read, and just take a breath of fresh air in style.

What Every Terrace Needs

With so many outdoor additions you can build around your home it is easy to confuse them for one another. But terraces do have their unique qualities and hold a special place in landscape design. Terraces are most often compared to balconies, as both are exterior extensions of the house which provide outdoor living space.

But there are some features and ideas that meld especially well with terraces that will typically differentiate your space from a boring balcony:

Terrace Dining Room Ideas

1. Lawn furniture is perhaps the most essential feature of an enviable terrace. It’s a very important part of relaxing on the terrace. Proper outdoor furniture brings the comfort of the living room into the outdoors, fusing the best of both worlds together.

2. Relaxing lighting is what creates a soothing atmosphere in the evenings. There are a diverse set of lighting options available for you to install. Custom lighting can create a moody exterior and help you relax after a long and stressful day at work.

Biophilic Exterior House Additions

3. Plant life is a cornerstone of any exterior living space design. There are plenty of terrace garden ideas that can create a more wholesome backyard. A terrace that is surrounded by rich plant life can bring more biophilia to your living space. So, if you are a bit of a gardener yourself, you should have plenty of fun growing, planting, and cultivating the area surrounding your terrace.

Nature Terrace Designs

4. More space is the biggest differentiating factor between a terrace and balcony. While balconies usually go up to 8 feet in width at most, 14 feet is considered to be an optimal depth for terraces, with many going far beyond that number. 

Biophilic Terrace Styles

5. Flexibility in structure: terraces can be grounded as well as built on top of another structure, such as a garage, while balconies typically jut out of the exterior of a building. 

Terrace Design Ideas

Bright, Grounded, and Modern Terrace

Terrace Garden Furniture and Plants

A terrace built into the ground level of your house has a lot of potential to receive a lot of light. Much like the exterior of the main structure itself, modern terrace furniture will typically feature straight edges and clean angles, driving a minimalist aesthetic. Muted beige, grey, and other neutral tones also work very well with most rest of the home’s exterior and are accentuated by a few potted plants to give it those aforementioned biophilic features. As simple as the design may seem, it offers plenty of room for outdoor living and is perfect for many occasions.

A Refuge Hidden In Nature

Woodlance Terrace Designs

For those looking to go that extra mile with the hopes of being closer to nature, here is some inspiration on how it’s definitely possible to do just that. Building a terrace surrounded by nature goes beyond placing pieces of furniture on paved ground and surrounding them with a few trees. Incorporating nature into terrace design should turn the living space into a biophilic paradise. This terrace design is not only surrounded by nature but also includes organic elements in its design features. From wooden floorboards to furniture made of natural materials, don’t shy away from incorporating the organic into your terrace design.

Rooftop Escape

Rooftop Terrace Design Ideas

Even if you live in a concrete jungle there are still plenty of ways to put together some truly gorgeous terrace designs. With all those artificial materials, surfaces, and textures surrounding your home, a few potted plants and natural textures make for great additions. Use these natural accents to contrast the otherwise artificial surroundings. Once your rooftop escape terrace is fully assembled, you’ll soon realize just how fun it can be to spend evenings on a rooftop hanging out with friends as the sun goes down. Truly, it is an experience that can’t be beaten. 

Barbeque Corner

Outdoor Kitchen Ideas

It is safe to say that cookouts are among the most fun outdoor hosting activities that involve friends and lots of food. Eating inside and having a pleasant dinner is fun in its own right, but there is something so refreshing about eating good food in the company of friends and sitting outside. This barbeque corner is the perfect terrace for getting together, cooking up some food, and remembering the good times with your friends and loved ones. The grey exterior is easy on the eyes, the brighter furniture makes for good contrast, and the plant life adds a bit of bright green to the design. Couple all that with durable natural wood flooring and you have yourself a terrace that will be the venue for you to share memories, laughs, and let the good times roll. 

Minimalist Terrace That Is Simple Bliss

Wood Terrace Design Inspiration

While furniture is a very prominent feature of most terraces, this does not mean you have to cram full sets into the terrace. Sometimes, keeping things to a minimum is more than enough, and nowhere is this more clear than in this simple, elegant, and serene terrace. While there is plenty of space to add more furniture in the future, opting for a hanging armchair and a little floor mat is more than enough to set the ambiance to relax and enjoy the beautiful vista.

Plenty of Space with an Oceanic View

Elements of Waterfront Outdoor Additions

Waterside houses are considered to be the jackpot when it comes to relaxation at home. The sound of waves crashing in the distance and water trickling past a dock are some of the most soothing auditory sensations one can experience. Why not experience this on a spacious waterside terrace? Expand the terrace and open up plenty of floor space. This should gently open up, both physically and visually, into the neverending blue horizon. Find a balance between the blue and white of the exterior, as too much one or the other can be overpowering. Also, remember to use lighter-colored wood, as making rich or dark brown could be too contrasting of the surroundings. 

A Patch of Grass Surrounded by Concrete

How to Implement Biophilia Into Concrete Jungle

Living in a major metropolitan area can make one miss the warm, earthy embrace of nature. Biophilic design is based around the idea that humans are always innately looking for ways to stay close to nature, even in overwhelmingly man-made surroundings. An urban terrace with a small patch of grass installed into the floor is a great way to incorporate a few natural elements into a concrete jungle. With a few paver stones designed to complement the lush greenery of the grass and potted plants, this homeowner turned a terrace surrounded by towering cement skyscrapers into a little homey forest. 

Homely Comfort of Brick, Wood, and Stone

Cozy Rustic Outdoor Additions

This homely and rustic design makes great use of natural materials and textures, such as wood, stone, and brick. The rustic design creates a welcoming atmosphere by combining these three elements to create a cottage-style terrace. Aged wood furniture, worn-out brick half-walls, and faded stone pavers make for a countryside vibe like no other. The design is simple, classic, yet so pleasant and effective at creating a comfortable environment to sit back and relax in. 

Evening Tranquility with Gentle Lighting

Soothing Outdoor Lighting Layouts

Knowing that you have a little outside living area to spend the evenings in is something that many homeowners cherish most about their landscape. This gently lit backyard terrace shows how tranquil it can get in the evenings when the last rays of sunshine are slowly disappearing and the only light that remains comes from the hanging bulbs and lamps which are strewn about the area. Lighting takes center stage in this design and demonstrates how putting in a little more effort into lighting layouts and how it accentuates the rest of the terrace can go a long way in creating a tranquil corner for you and your loved ones to enjoy.