I’m Sonja, a lifestyle blogger, mother of a 2-year-old toddler and an 8-year-old dog, wife, and an adventurer who loves interior design and travel.
Our family lives in a row house apartment in a new development in the Helsinki metropolitan area, and my favorite place at home is our glazed terrace and backyard.
I also spend a lot of time at our vacation home in Northern Savonia. I blog on Termomatto’s site and share about our terrace life throughout the seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Backyard for many uses
Our backyard has several different functions: a cooking and dining area, two lounging spots, and most recently, a hot tub. The open areas of the yard were also fenced off this early summer with animal netting to keep our dog (and sometimes our lively toddler) better contained. Our housing company doesn’t have a playground, so we also put a small portable sandbox for the child on the driveway and a weatherproof play kitchen on the terrace. We store the other outdoor toys conveniently in a large box in our backyard storage, making it easy to grab them for playtime.
Especially my husband is a passionate griller, and often we cook and eat outside during the summer. Eating is also possible in rainy weather when we move the dining table inside the glazed terrace. This way, we can enjoy meals and summer while sitting on the corner sofa.
The sun nest is my favorite spot in the yard. It provides enough shelter and is super comfortable both for sunbathing and naps. Even though we are outside, the terrace can be decorated with various cushions and blankets. I love shades of gray and anthracite, so I try to continue this look throughout our yard area from the open terrace to the glazed terrace.
The dark gray thermal mat blends perfectly with the gray terrace and the gray sofa cushions in the nest. We cover the nest with a protective cover meant for the round dining set during the night or rain to keep the textiles in good condition year after year.
The dark composite terrace facing south in our yard heats up easily on sunny days, but sitting on the thermal mat is still comfortable even when the day is scorching.
Although we chose a dark gray terrace mat for our terrace, I have never noticed it being too hot to sit on. The space is also cooled well by the terrace blinds, which we always lower in the summer, especially when we travel. Otherwise, a sunshade umbrella helps cool the terrace temperature a bit.
On the glazed terrace side, we have a corner sofa for relaxing. It can seat up to 6 people at once or just two lying down. I’ve already taken several naps on the sofa. The thermal mat’s shade also matches the sofa cushions beautifully.
We have often spent date nights in this space by bringing a laptop, treats, and good drinks to the terrace. Lots of cushions on the floor for padding, and lying down on the soft thermal mat to relax and enjoy. A fantastic activity for rainy days and evenings! My husband dreams of having a video projector on the terrace to project images onto the house wall, so we could spend time there with a bigger group watching sports or movies.
New look with terrace updates
I mentioned in spring that we extended the terrace a bit. When the weather warmed up, I decided to add an inflatable hot tub to bring more activity options to the yard. The warm tub is the toddler’s favorite, and we have spent time in it almost daily since getting it. Access to the tub is convenient through the glazed terrace.
The glazed terrace blinds can be lowered for privacy, and the thermal mat feels comfortable underfoot both when going into and coming out of the hot tub.
Some chlorine water inevitably drips onto the mat when getting out. However, it’s easy to rinse the chlorine off with a garden hose. The mat dries quickly even if the air is cold and damp.
When the evenings start to get darker and cooler in late summer, it’s nice to retreat to the shelter of the glazed terrace, light candles, close the blinds, turn on the terrace heater, and continue the evening with friends.
Luckily, summer lasts a long time! Still, I already miss the cozy lights and fresh scents of autumn. I’ll be back again in the fall! Have a wonderful summer!
Best regards,
Sonja
