| Today, when building costs make large houses | | | | create a sense of luxury long after the children |
| prohibitive, one way to extend your house is to | | | | are grown up). |
| use your outdoor space to full advantage. And | | | | You need not rely on trees alone for shade. |
| many contemporary houses make many a room | | | | Construct a self-bracing terrace roof in an |
| look larger by visually extending it into the lawn or | | | | egg-crate design, using the side of your house |
| garden. | | | | and wood, masonry or metal pillars. Corrugated |
| Tricks such as glass walls, using the same wall | | | | plastic and reinforced glass is in frequent use |
| material inside as for a continuing wall on the | | | | nowadays because they are watertight, yet let |
| terrace and using the same material for the ceiling | | | | the sunlight through. |
| inside as on the extended terrace eaves, help to | | | | Coming into more and more architectural use - |
| do this. | | | | particularly in hot climates-is the "parasol" roof, |
| Your living room or dining room and even your | | | | extending from the walls of the house some 4 |
| bedroom or your children's bedrooms can flow | | | | feet and even more to give pleasant shade to |
| right outdoors on to "floating" decks of wood, | | | | the surrounding area. |
| bricked terraces or lattice-roofed loggias. | | | | Since glare reflected on bare grounds is a source |
| However you do it, with the aid of vine, fences, | | | | of heat, a carpet of shaded grass under the |
| shrubbery, shade trees and flowers you can | | | | parasol roof helps to keep the house cool. |
| make your terrace a delightful place for | | | | Often an outdoor living space gets twice the use |
| entertaining, sun-bathing and relaxing. | | | | if it is made more accessible. A window in a living |
| With a barbecue another dimension is added, for | | | | room can be converted to a French door, making |
| with your own fireplace or barbecue any terrace, | | | | it more natural to step right out on the terrace |
| lawn or garden spot can offer the blithe | | | | instead of walking around the house to reach it. |
| enchantments of dining under sun and stars. | | | | A terrace that is an extension of a narrow |
| In planning your terrace, consider installing an | | | | porch-a paved area adjoining the porch-will make |
| electric outlet for lighting, portable radio, electric | | | | the porch that much more liveable. A flagstone |
| spit for your barbecue, etc. | | | | path-or any other path- leading to a terrace away |
| Use vines for a lattice roof (grape vines, for | | | | from the house will increase the usefulness of the |
| instance, leaf out late when shade is wanted and | | | | terrace. |
| drop their leaves early at the beginning of cool | | | | Some kind of hard flooring is of prime importance, |
| weather, giving delicious fruit as bonus). Choose a | | | | whether it is of brick, crushed rock, cement, |
| rapid-growing vine like grape, hyacinth or the | | | | wood block, or flagstone, for it makes it easier to |
| gourd vine. | | | | move the furniture around and eliminates worries |
| Relate your terrace to the rest of your grounds | | | | over tramped-on turf. In fact, it is a good idea to |
| with flowers and vines grown in pots, baskets and | | | | have a terrace in a spot where you are having |
| tubs. If the wall of the house next to your | | | | trouble with the lawn. |
| terrace seems bare or the profile of your cement | | | | Outdoor living space is successful, too, when it is |
| or asphalt paving seems too sharp in contrast | | | | sheltered-away from street noises and traffic, |
| against the grass, soften the line with pots of | | | | from the neighbours, from the wind. An unused |
| plants. | | | | corner of the house or the garage, with the aid |
| Have dwarf trees on your terrace and blossoming | | | | of fences and walls, can turn into a sun trap that |
| shrubs in the terrace-retaining walls. Create | | | | will stretch out the season for outdoor living both |
| interest with changes of level; build flower beds | | | | in spring and fall. |
| around trees, steps and walls. | | | | A louvered board fence, a basket-weave fence, |
| For a terrace where everybody in the family | | | | asbestos laid in cement to form a modern wall, or |
| assembles, have play space for young children, a | | | | the traditional brick wall, all are pleasant |
| sand box which can later be filled with plants, or a | | | | backgrounds for planting and good screens against |
| little square pool for sailing small boats (this can | | | | wind and other disturbing elements. |