Why Combining Designs Can Be The Best Idea Of All
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Adding a verandah or patio area to your house can completely transform your home. But how do you decide which design to choose?
It’s true to say that you may be limited in some way depending on the size of your property and the way it is designed, but for the most part you will have plenty of choice in the final structure and how it looks.
Most people assume that they can only have one structure and they need to decide between them, but this isn’t necessarily the case. For example the Heritage design can equally well be used for a carport as it can for a covered entertaining area outside. So if you have the room, why not get a carport added to the side of your home and a separate verandah added to the rear?
This can give you an extremely versatile space to use. While the carport will obviously be used to park your car (or cars, depending on the size) in for most of the time, if you decide to hold a party or celebration of some kind you can park your vehicle on the street and then use the carport for part of the celebration as well.
The Benefits Of Outdoor Living
There’s nothing quite like the outdoors for revitalising the way you feel, and you can enjoy your garden space even more than you already do if you add a patio or veranda to your property.
There is a lot to be said for enjoying more time outdoors. For starters it can relax and calm you like nothing else can, and even if you have only a small garden the addition of a patio area for seating will encourage you to use it and make the most of it. The peaceful sounds of a garden with the breeze rustling through the trees and birds calling to each other can give you an oasis of calm to enjoy at any time of the day.
But of course you can get great exercise in the outdoors as well. Simply working on your garden from time to time to get it looking just how you want it to look is a wonderful idea, giving you plenty of fresh air and exercise that will lead to a great night’s sleep at the end of a good day.
When you are thinking about how you could enjoy your garden, think about whether a house veranda might improve the versatility of your space. Some gardens get the sun all day, but in very hot weather it can make them unbearable to sit in. If this is the case in your garden, a veranda could make it much more usable because you are assured of some shade whenever you need it.
Softening The Look Of Your Verandah With Pot Plants
Having a verandah added to your home is a big decision to make, and it can totally transform the way you use your house. But while the biggest decision is in choosing the style you want, you still have some work to do once the structure is complete and ready to use.
For example, you will also need to think about how to make it the most inviting space that you can, and simply adding some chairs or a lounger won’t always do the best job in this regard.
What does always work well here is to make good use of flowers and shrubs to soften the overall appearance of the new structure, and this can actually be a lot of fun as well.
Making The Most Of Your Back Garden
How good does your back garden look at the moment? Is it exactly how you would want it to be, or do you feel that it lets your property down a bit?
If it is the latter, don’t worry. You can do a lot to enhance your garden without making any huge changes to it. Transforming your garden can be very expensive if you tackle it on a large scale, but you can make a lot of changes on a much smaller scale to accommodate any size budget that you have.
For example, if you would like an outdoor entertaining area then you could invest some cash in building a veranda. Obviously a large one will cost more money, but a small sized one will be cheaper and it will really enhance your garden and add value to it and how you can use it.
If you do decide to add this kind of structure to your home, you will find that it becomes a good focal point in your garden. So before you have it built, try making a sketch of your garden – roughly to scale – and add the verandah so that you can see how it relates to the rest of your garden. This will enable you to decide on how to approach the rest of the space in a way that will really do it justice.
Why You Shouldn’t Clutter Up Your Verandah
So you finally have the verandah you have always wanted, and you love the reality of having a covered area in your garden that is right next to the house, and that you can enjoy virtually all year round.
But does it look exactly as it did when it was first put in?
That might sound like a strange question, but in actual fact it’s worth thinking about because some people are tempted to use the new covered area as a haven for storing things, and that can make it look untidy and uninviting as well.
Cluttering up the area can also make it dangerous; young children don’t tend to make a habit of looking where they are going for example, and if you have various things stacked out in the open they could end up being knocked over.
How To Have Attractive Plants On Your Verandah All Year Round
There is nothing better or more joyful than seeing gorgeously full hanging baskets creating a splash of colour during the summer months. They can also add a nice finishing touch to any verandah and make it even more welcoming and enjoyable.
But while there is no doubt we will use our outdoor spaces more during the summer, it’s still nice to see some colour during the winter too. We may not go outside quite as often but we can still see our garden from indoors, and this means it’s nice to be able to see a riot of colour throughout the winter too.
And it’s not as hard to make this a reality as you might think. The only thing stopping you from having a gorgeous looking verandah or patio area all year round is knowledge – knowledge of what grows at what time of the year, and how to grow it.
Some people are unaware that it is perfectly possible to have hanging baskets all year round, but there is no reason why you can’t; you just need to know which plants will be coming to fruition just as your summer ones finally reach the end of their life.
How To Choose The Right Style Of Verandah For You
The addition of a verandah to your home can make a huge difference to the feel and quality of your property. Essentially it gives you another whole room to use, because it provides you with a covered area outside that you can use for many different reasons.
But of course you have to choose the right style of house veranda to have, and that isn’t always easy. The best way to begin is by looking at the amount of room you have available, as this can dictate your choice to a certain extent.
For example, not everyone has a large back garden and if this sounds like what you have you might think that a veranda just isn’t possible for you. However a curved roof veranda would be ideal, because it can stretch for the entire length of your house without having to extend too far out into your garden. You can even run it around the side of your house as well if you have the room, making it even more versatile. The curved design of the roof, which gives you more head height in the middle, also means you have the illusion of a larger space.
Alternatively there is a sun roof design which enables you to use the space you have available as a screened off area protecting you from the sun, or alternatively as a place to enjoy more of it, because the roof is made from slats which can be opened or closed as and when necessary.
Extend Your Home Without Building An Extension!
If your home is starting to feel a little bit too small but you cannot afford to move at present, it can feel as though you are stuck for space. But there are solutions that can greatly enhance your home without having to go to all the expense of building an extension.
The other problem with an extension of course is that you may not have enough room to make one practical. If you are in this situation now you might want to think about having a veranda built instead, because if it is done properly and designed with care and attention it can really transform your whole house.
The first step is to take a good look at the outside of your home and think about the amount of space you could give over to a veranda. It doesn’t need to be a perfect square or rectangle either – if you have space along one side of your house as well as at the rear, you could create an L shaped veranda that ‘hugs the house’. This can look stunning when it is finished and the ground is done to your chosen design as well.
The secret of a good veranda is that it almost becomes another room. The roof transforms what was previously just a part of the garden into a sheltered area where you can put a table and chairs for entertaining. You could even use it as an outside office when the weather is nice enough! Just imagine sitting outside with your laptop and enjoying a cool iced tea while you finish typing that report.
Types Of Verandahs
There are lots of reasons for wanting to build a veranda onto your home, and there are also plenty of different types to choose from. But the one thing that you are sure to get as a result of your efforts – regardless of what type, size or style you choose – is the satisfaction of having a brand new area of your home to enjoy.
Once you have worked out the amount of space you can devote to this new addition, you will need to decide what style you want to opt for. The one you eventually choose may depend on what kind of property you have and how you want to make use of the space.
Here are a few examples of the verandahs you can have:
Types Of Patios
If you are looking to build a patio in your back garden you will need to decide what kind of patio you want to go for. The type you choose will make a big difference to how the finished patio will look, so it pays to think about the kind of environment you are putting it into and how it will weather over time.
Patios can be made from several different types of material. Brick is a good choice if you want your patio to have an elaborate design, because you can make many different kinds of patterns with them. Herringbone designs in particular can look very effective.
Flagstones also look extremely good and you can get these ready made in specific designs as well if you wish. They also have a classic feel to them that can look good in any garden.