ᐅ Terraces: How Many and Where?

I have another topic to discuss, as we will soon talk to the excavation contractor about where they can or should prepare the ground for the terraces.

Your opinion on the number and shape of our terraces, considering both aesthetics and practicality, would be appreciated.

First of all, I am thinking of three terraces: a main terrace at the back facing the garden (Terrace 1), a small terrace where you can quickly step outside from the kitchen for a tea or sparkling wine (Terrace 3), and another small terrace near our technical/utility room (Terrace 2) to put out a drying rack, empty a bucket of water, or just stand there and "gucken" (Swabian dialect for looking or watching).

Regarding the shape(s), I am uncertain. I like round, semi-circular, and organic forms but am unsure if they suit a square house (9.40m x 9.40m (31 feet x 31 feet)). Additionally, I like the idea of “paving circles,” some of which I want to include on the terraces and carport. I am not sure whether paving circles look better on round or square terraces, or if that would result in too many rounded elements. If you have successful photos, please feel free to share them with me.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all and your families a Happy New Year, with many joyful moments within ;-) and beyond the forum. Let’s continue to come together so nicely and supportively.

--> And if anyone has contact with Hampshire, please use all available means to encourage him to return. We miss him a lot.

One more note regarding my drawings on the photos: I was not able to draw semi-circular shapes, so I partly chose the shape “oval/round.” I hope my questions are still understandable.

Pinkiponk schrieb:

I like round, semicircular, organic shapes, but I'm not sure if that fits with a square house (9.40m x 9.40m) (31ft x 31ft).

Why wouldn’t that fit? Nature is organic, and most gardens and parks are designed with organic shapes (except for planned layouts with different design principles or styles).
Is your Terrace 2 really about 70cm (28 inches) deep as indicated? Where would laundry be dried there? That’s more of a passageway, nothing more.
Since a border is probably planned, I would suggest something like this. The red area is a rotary clothesline (I assume that’s what you’re planning). Water buckets should be emptied on the lawn or in planting beds.
Brown areas are beds for perennials and shrubs, and green marks the paved surfaces.
The main terrace will be dominated by furniture, so you need to decide for yourself whether you want to look out from inside onto a tree, shrubs, or the furniture.
If you want to design it semicircular and symmetrical, then go ahead and do so.

ypg schrieb:

Why wouldn’t that fit? Nature is organic, and most gardens and parks are designed in an organic way (unless they are planned layouts with different design elements or styles).
Your Terrace 2 is about 70cm (28 inches) deep, as you said? Where is the laundry supposed to dry there? That’s just a walkway, nothing more.
Since a border is probably planned as well, I would do it something like this. The red represents a rotary clothesline (I’m assuming you plan to have one). I would empty water buckets on the lawn or flower beds.
Brown indicates beds for perennials and shrubs, green is the paving.
The actual terrace is usually dominated by furniture, so you just have to decide whether you want to look out from inside onto a tree, shrubs, or the furniture.
If you want to make it semi-circular and symmetrical, then go ahead and do so.

Oh, you’ve sketched that nicely. That’s how we’ll do it. Except for the rotary clothesline—I always find it too dominant... not every neighbor needs to see my laundry. ;-)

Is it really intentional to have 80cm (31.5 inches) between the house and the garage/storage room?

Regarding the window/door of the utility room: I would like to point out that this will be the spot where an unwanted visitor can take their time entering unnoticed and undisturbed…

Overall, the narrow passage isn’t ideal (can you even get through with a bike by pushing it, without having to remove the handlebars?). I would therefore suggest designing the storage room by the garage more as an open bike shelter, then covering the passage with a translucent roof and installing a proper gate or something similar facing the street.

I also noticed this narrow gap between the utility room and the storage room. I would never design it that way.

If it is going to stay like this, you can pave the entire area from the corner of the house to the end of the storage room, because grass will never grow there.

barfly666 schrieb:

Is it really intentional to have 80 cm (31.5 inches) between the house and the garage/storage room?

Regarding the window/door of the utility room: I would point out that this will be the spot where an uninvited visitor can take their time to enter unnoticed and undisturbed...

Overall, the narrow passage isn’t ideal (can you even push a bike through there without removing the handlebars?). I would rather design the storage room next to the garage as an open bike shelter, then cover the passage with a translucent roof and install a proper gate or something similar facing the street.

I’m still hoping my husband will give up the storage room at that spot, so we will just have a nice, airy parking space for the car with circular paving stones, ;-) or that the storage room will be only 1.5 m (5 feet) wide instead of 3 m (10 feet). I’m not allowed to decide alone.

I don’t want a gate. For now, I want to keep everything open all around. We had it that way at our last house and I really liked it.