Louvered partitions maintain privacy

Even though winter is just beginning, it's not too soon to make plans for inside/outside spaces such as terraces, porches and patios -- if you're lucky enough to have one, or if you're thinking about building one. In fact, it's smart to start planning now because designing such a versatile space often takes longer than furnishing a living room. The pickings for outdoor/indoor furniture are generally poor, so you may find better options by setting aside ample time for comparison shopping. Besides, more deals will be available in the winter than in the spring. And this is the time of year when contractors book jobs for spring.

QUESTION:

In our mild climate zone, we spend a lot of time on a terrace that has a roof but is open on three sides. One of the sides is too close to a neighbor, so we're considering building a wall there for privacy. That does seem awfully aggressive, however. Do you have another idea? The brick exterior of our house is painted off-white, and the terrace has flagstone flooring.

ANSWER:

I can think of a few alternatives, but the best one in your circumstances may be to install a freestanding trellis as a partition. Since you live in a mild climate, it should be possible to grow climbing and flowering plants that will provide year-round privacy as well as visual pleasure. But if you lack a green thumb or prefer a solution that doesn't require care, consider the option shown in the accompanying photo. It's taken from "House Beautiful Decorating School," a book written by Tessa Eveleigh and published by Sterling/Hearst.

Here, a partition consisting of louvered, shuttered panels was installed on a ceiling track.

That affords the choice of opening that side of the space by pulling back the panels or keeping it closed. Louvers can also be adjusted to ensure complete privacy or to allow light and breeze to enter your terrace. Canvas panels on a track or rod will give you pretty much the same options, as the photo also shows. You can choose either plain or patterned panels and achieve a decorative effect that's softer than what louvers will produce.

My final suggestion is to put a grass or canvas rug on the flagstone floor.

That will give the terrace a clearer identity of its own while at the same time making it seem more like a living room. Which is how you seem to be using it anyway.

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