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Furnishing ideas and solutions for covering terraces with a simple, elegant style: here are our inspirations for trendy outdoor living spaces.
Anyone with the enjoyment of outdoor spaces around their home, however large or small, is definitely lucky. We have recently talked about how to furnish a garden, but today we are focusing our attention on the terrace: we will find out how to design and furnish it in minimalist style, with the coverings as the main decorative feature.
Furnishing the terrace of an apartment: spaces, functions, needs
A well designed terrace provides an apartment, and especially a small one, with fundamental additional outdoor space. This outdoor area can be used for dining, relaxation, playing with children or spending time with friends – or even for tending a small balcony vegetable garden.
Once the intended open air functions and activities have been decided, the terrace project will establish whether part or all of the area is to be covered with awnings or permanent structures, how to provide lighting, where to locate the lounge area and where to place the table and seating.
Terrace furnishing ideas: tiles as decorative feature
The first thing to be decided, irrespective of the spaces available, is the type of paving to be used: which tiles, in which size and with which installation method.
Paving surfaces must be anti-slip, but needs may differ: a space completely roofed with a permanent structure has requirements more similar to those of an indoor room, while an open terrace (unprotected or semi-covered by just awnings) has to be tiled in the same way as a garden.
Installing tiles on a terrace
A terrace, like a garden, can be paved in various ways: the traditional installation method involves preparation of the surface (with gradients to ensure run-off to the drains) with the necessary joints, while the increasingly popular raised paving method comprises a grid of pedestals to support the tiles, which in this case must be extra-thick (20 mm). The advantage of this option is that rapid action is possible in case of leaks and problems, and also that installation itself is fast (no grouting is necessary), not to mention the fact that the tiles (or just some of them) can be replaced quickly.
Explore the Marazzi extra-thick 20 mm products
With the infinite decorative potentials of outdoor porcelain stoneware a small or large terrace can be furnished using just one striking material effect: only a few items of furniture will then be required to complete the project and create a modern, minimalist outdoor area. Stoneware can be used to cover the paving, the windowsills or the outdoor walls, mixing effects or utilising just one of them for continuity of style.
Furnishing the modern terrace: stoneware as furnishing feature
When the living area overlooks the terrace (which thus becomes an extension of the indoor rooms), there is the option of using porcelain stoneware collections that enable continuous installation, meaning with the same effect/decor on tiles which can be installed both indoors and outdoors. This strategy is particularly effective if the aim is to make the rooms appear larger.
Explore the indoor & outdoor tiles for continuous tiling
There is another way of including porcelain stoneware on a terrace: by transforming it from a covering into a furnishing feature in its own right: nowadays, slimline slabs are able to cover countertops, tables, benches, shelves or other surfaces, and thus become part of the furniture.
The countertop: stoneware as indoor and outdoor home furnishing
Furnishing a designer terrace: the essential features
For a trendy furnished terrace the project should be put in the hands of a professional, who will select the right furnishings and reconcile needs, budget, taste and convenience.
Today, anyone furnishing a modern terrace is faced with an infinite choice of seating, tables, accessories and fixtures, light fittings and awnings. If, as we have seen, the tiles already provide outdoor areas with a strong personality, only a few items of furniture will be needed to complete the project (if the coverings are blander, more impactful furnishings will be required). This is why choosing porcelain stoneware is a foolproof solution!
