In tropical regions, having a patio and other covered outdoor living spaces as part of your home is a must…right? After all, we have this amazing climate, awesome weather and stunning views.
However, it sometimes seems that though many homes have a patio or some sort of covered outdoor space, they are not used very often.
When I observe homes around the country, most patios are seldom used. In conversations with family and friends, their covered outdoor space seems to be an area not used as often as they would like.
Types of Covered Outdoor Spaces
They are several types of covered outdoor living spaces, from those attached to your homes like patios, porches, verandas and balconies to free-standing structures like gazeboes and pavilions.
Each type may have slightly different parameters and may also differ in definition from country to country. For example, in Barbados, we use the word patio to refer to almost any covered area adjoining a home. However, a patio in some other countries is typically an uncovered space.
No matter what you call it, the type of space you choose may be dependent on the area you have available. How you want to use your outdoor spaces will also determine the type of room you create.
Reasons For Covered Outdoor Areas
There are various reasons for wanting to add a patio to your home.
Place For Relaxation
When most of us think about having a patio or veranda, we think of a place to go out and lounge. It is mainly to sit and relax while enjoying the view and sipping a beverage or cocktail of your choice.
We often imagine sharing that space with friends and family in a cosy and pleasant environment.
This may be true for several visitors to a tropical island and perhaps for some homes as well. However, I fear that it is not a situation that most of us get to experience very often in our own homes.
Our busy lifestyles often make this a luxury. In addition, our need to be around stimulating entertainment makes outdoor spaces uninviting.
For Taking In The Views
When you think of the idea of being in a tropical region, we can’t help but picture lush vegetation and ocean views. Beautiful sunsets and coconut trees swaying in the gentle sea breeze come to mind.
Photo: Rungkit Charoenwat | Panoramic Villa | OfficeAT
Many tropical islands like the Caribbean, Hawaii or the Maldives are small and can provide ocean and other breath-taking views and scenery from our homes.
Hence, taking advantage of views from your home is an essential part of tropical living. This condition is more advantageous when viewing nature.
Extra Room Outdoors
A patio and other covered outdoor spaces can offer some extra useable areas.
Placing dining or lounging furniture on your patio can provide you with an extra room. It can be an alternative to an interior space, like your living or dining room.
Also, it can be a way of extending one of your primary rooms, making them larger and facilitating space to spill over into when you are having a few friends over or a family get-together. It is also a good way to create a stronger relationship between your indoor and outdoor spaces.
Many people add an outdoor area to their home, specifically for entertaining friends and hosting social engagements.
Considerations When Adding Covered Outdoor Area
If you are considering adding a patio, veranda or another covered outdoor area to your home, here are a few things you should consider.
Hectic Lifestyles At Home
Our lifestyles do not often facilitate time to sit and relax while admiring the view. That is a luxury reserved for tourists and retired persons. When we ourselves are tourists or perhaps out on that staycation, we enjoy that type of lifestyle and leave feeling motivated to incorporate it into our next home improvement ideas.
However, our lives are primarily centred around activities. Whether it is cooking, dining, doing homework or another similar activity. Once we get home from a tiring day at work, we switch to working in our homes.
Sources Of Entertainment
After we have cooked and had dinner, cleaned the kitchen and looked over homework, we finally have some time to sit and relax.
However, most of us like to do so while watching television or in front of our computers.
Therefore, having a covered outdoor space that does not facilitate any of the main activities you engage in daily could cause it to be underutilised.
Where To Locate Your Covered Outdoor Patio?
Where your patio is located is also based on how you want to use the space. It is also dictated by what function you want it to perform.
Towards The Views
Views, as mentioned previously, are one of the main reasons people orient their patios.
The direction that has the most amazing scenery is where your balcony, patio and roof deck are likely to be oriented.
If there is no view, you can orient your patio to take advantage of a garden, trees or a pond. Adding views to nature through biophilic design has several benefits.
Depending On The Time Of Day
The time of day you will most likely use the space could also influence where you locate your patio or veranda.
Photo: Quang Dam | Umbrella House | AD+Studio
For example, if your outdoor space is more likely to be a place to sit and have dinner in the evening, then you probably don’t want to locate it on the west side of your home (unless that is where the amazing views are). This will make it more exposed to the hot evening sun.
Try placing it on the east side of your home so that it is cool and protected from the intense sun in the evening.
How To Make Better Use Of Covered Outdoor Spaces?
They are a few ways that may improve the chances of using your patio more often.
Make It A Functional Outdoor Room
We often believe that we must check off all our main functioning spaces as indoor rooms. Outdoor spaces are only there as bonus spaces. They serve as an area to go to occasionally when you feel like doing something different.
Rather than making your patio an alternative equivalent to an interior room, try making it the actual room. Things like dining rooms and family rooms facilitate activities that could take place outdoors regularly.
Photo: Peter Eve | Inside Out House | Sabi Design
It will ensure that the space is used more frequently while creating a smaller house. This will cut down on your overall square footage cost as well.
However, keep in mind that the tropics can come with some annoying pests like flies and mosquitoes.
Make Smaller Indoor Rooms
If you are creating an outdoor space that serves an adjoining indoor area, consider making that indoor room smaller. This forces you to open on to and use that patio more often.
My brother’s home has a roof deck that adjoins the family room. Though the family room is large enough to house a sofa and a TV, it is still a small room. However, the large roof deck adjoining that room provides ample space for my niece and nephew to play ball games and even ride their bicycles in a safe and protected environment.
Is The View Worth More Than Your Comfort?
I am not always sure that all views are as stunning and deserving of their own lounging outdoor area. That high-level view of a slither of the ocean between the two houses over on the next street, maybe nice but not enough to take your breath away.
Hence, it may be better to orient your patio which makes it more useable. Avoid creating an uncomfortable outdoor space because of evening sun exposure or lack of privacy, for that is slightly better than a mediocre view.
You can also consider introducing a partially covered courtyard if lacking good views, as well as privacy, is an issue.
Conclusion
Our climate is great for facilitating outdoor living. Having a patio, veranda, or other similar outdoor space would be a welcomed addition to any tropical home.
With many types of covered outdoor spaces to choose from, the reason for having them and how you want to use the space will determine what type of area you need.
However, consider your lifestyle as well as site conditions such as views, sun exposure and privacy to determine the best place to have your patio.
Explore ways that encourage the use of your patio regularly, like making it a primary, functional space rather than a bonus room.
The instinctive love we have for outdoor spaces makes having a covered outdoor room a major requirement for your tropical home. Once designed and implemented well, whatever you choose is sure to bring extra value to your home and great joy and comfort to you and your family’s wellbeing.
Do you use your patio? If so, what are some of the things you do to make it more useable? Let me know in the comments below.
Image by Gretta Blankenship from Pixabay