Making your place great is important as it can enhance your image as well. When people think of you, they will recall their experience in your property, which links to your image unconsciously. However, it would not be an easy task to make a good impression on someone as they feel the vibe of the place just at one glance as they walk by.
Not only for the people, but it is also crucial to create an appropriate environment for you. Before you begin, you need to think about the purpose of making a rooftop in your place. What is it for? What impression do you like to give to people? What would be the first thing they would remember when they think of your place? If you don’t know where to begin, here are some simple tips to help you organize your thoughts.
Table of Contents
Evaluate Your Space First
Make sure to check the building codes of the city. Before starting construction, growing plants may not be allowed in the area under the building code of the local municipality. There might be a restriction on the plants’ height, how you can use space, or specific decorations.
- If you rent the property you live in, you should contact and seek permission from the landlord.
- If the house is part of the historical area, you may need to get in touch with the leaders of your district to find out whether there are any additional laws to keep in mind.
Monitor Sunlight & Wind Level
After reviewing the code, you should check how much sunlight hits your building. It is because all plants have different required sun exposure levels, and you can sort out which plants you can grow or not. Keep an eye on its movement over one or two weeks, from morning to evening. This should give you a pretty accurate guide for sunlight exposure to your building. If you have extra space, you might want to consider installing a sunroom next to your house.
One thing you can monitor is the wind level. In common sense, the wind is significantly stronger on the rooftop than on the ground level. If the plants are exposed to powerful wind, they might suffer damage and perish as a result. You can consider installing a weathervane (anemometer) for other options.
If your rooftop is especially windy, you should avoid planting high-maintenance or sensitive plants. You might need to monitor your plants and give consistent watering since the wind might cause the soil to dry out. Then, by using graph paper, you can examine where to place plants and furniture.
Furniture Plan
Decide what type of furniture you want to buy ahead of time. Which types of furniture and decorative elements do you want to add to your place?
Do you want a lounge on the roof terrace or are you thinking of having dinner there? Do you want to make a garden on your rooftop or have a pool party in the summer? This should be decided in the beginning. Then you can successfully buy types of furniture that fit the overall theme and aesthetic style of your place.
For example…
- If you’re thinking of throwing a party with your friends in the evening, you can install a bar, a mini kitchen, or a barbeque grill for inviting people and cooking for them.
- If you want to cool off in the summer heat, you can consider adding a mini pool to your rooftop.
- If you want a place to dine in and study, you can have fancy tables or chairs set up. Small bookshelves can also be good decorative elements.
Especially for chairs and tables, you will eventually need them whenever you have tea, dine in or work on something. You can have a cup of tea or coffee with your friend in the afternoon sometimes.
If you’re worried about putting too much pressure on your roof, you can select lightweight items. For example, foldable chairs or tables can help you save space more effectively. Make sure the furniture is either secured to immovable objects or stored when not in use to avoid it being blown away by strong winds. For better interior design for the rooftop, try not to pick too many colors and stick with a two-or three-color range.
Lighting Design
Since you are setting up outdoor environments, lights that hang on the ceiling would not work. For example, you cannot install fancy chandeliers since you have no ceiling outside. However, what you can do is to place lighting underground or on the wall. In this case, what I suggest is to place underground lighting, wall sconces, a stained glass lamp on the table, or step lighting if there are any stairs.
If you are thinking of installing a bar or small kitchen on the rooftop, you can add track lighting, simple modern lights, or even ambient lighting. Other decoration options include fairy lights, festoon lights, standing lights, or ground lights. Pick lightings appropriate depending on what atmosphere and mood you want.
Make Garden
If you are thinking of creating rooftop gardens, you may find plants that suit your theme and aesthetic style. Since it is outdoors, you can consider planting some trees for a more garden-like view. If you are worried about its maintenance, low-maintenance plants like bamboo would also be a good choice.
The rooftop gets hot in summer, and drought-resistant plants are recommended to plant as well. Also, rooftops tend to hold heat, and you will need to find plants that can withstand the heat. You may need to bring them indoors in winter as many of them may not be tolerant to the cold.
Recommended plants to grow on a rooftop
- Flowers: Begonia, Rose, Pansy, Lavender, …
- Veggies: Tomatoes, Beans, Lettuce, Cucumber, Carrots, …
- Herbs: Basil, Mints, Parsley, Oregano
- Vines or climbing plants: Clematis, Ivy, Morning Glory – these plants can help you protect your privacy from the neighborhood
Choose Focal Point
A focal point is something that is emphasized and grabs people’s attention first in your place. It could be a big plant, a statue, or one of your art collections. This would be the first thing they see and remember when people come to your place. A sense of equilibrium and harmony in your garden can be achieved if you create a great focal point. Pick one point and try not to decorate more than two pieces because they will be seen as distracting.
If you’ve done by this stage, you’re almost done. What you need to do else is to maintain your rooftop properly, and regularly. If you planted some flowers, make sure to take good care of them and water them. If you are not using the furniture during the winter, it should be stored or covered with tarps.
If you want to know more about how to make your garden stand out, don’t forget to visit our website for more insightful ideas!
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