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Privacy and intimacy in a home is the most important. So much so that if you don’t have it, I don’t think you can even call it home. And I do not mean only the interior, but also the exterior: Patios, balconies and terraces. It is true that in these areas it is somewhat more difficult to get privacy, but if that is what you want, it is of the utmost importance that you get it. If not, you will not be comfortable or in your own home, right? That is inadmissible. That is why I have prepared this article with 30 ideas to have privacy and intimacy on your terrace, so that your neighbor does not see you, or to cover his view, and be able to do what you please, without stress or worry that someone is watching.
PRIVACY ON THE RAILINGS SO THAT YOU ARE NOT SEEN ON YOUR TERRACE
Many of the terraces and balconies have a mandatory and approved railing for protection against falls. But this railing, on many occasions, does not offer a bit of privacy. There are even railings that have completely transparent glass panels, in which you can see absolutely everything. Let’s see some solutions to gain privacy in this area.
CANIZO TO GAIN PRIVACY ON THE TERRACE
It is the most popular option due to its price, ease of installation and efficiency. In any warehouse or DIY and decoration center you can buy rolls of hurdle to install them on the railing of your terrace. On a Saturday morning you will have it done and, at least from the waist down, you will have complete privacy on your terrace or balcony. Let’s see another solution to gain privacy on the terrace by covering the railing:
TRANSLUCENT VINYLS FOR THE GLASS OF THE RAILINGS OF TERRACES AND BALCONIES
There are many terraces that have metal railings with glass panels, which makes privacy and intimacy nil. Just like the one we see above. In this case, the light that enters the houses is greater, since there is practically no obstacle. And this is the biggest advantage these railings offer. So if you want to keep this advantage but also gain privacy, you can install translucent self-adhesive vinyl on the windows, which lets in light but provides privacy. It is the cheapest and fastest method to cover the glass of the railing.
Depending on the meters you have of glass, you can do it in one morning, simply with the translucent vinyl roll, a cutter, a plastic spatula and a little water. The adhesive vinyl for windows adheres very easily, without the need for glue. Enough, as I say, with a little water. And you can buy it anywhere, from Leroy Merlin, to Amazon, like these static self-adhesive rolls that cost less than € 15.
BAMBOO TO PARTIALLY CLOSE THE TERRACE AND GAIN PRIVACY
Bamboo is another of the natural materials that we can use to put on the terrace and not be seen, gaining privacy and intimacy.
Take a look at the terrace above. Thin bamboo branches have been placed on the railing, as if it were a reed, but with more style, since it has a more modern aesthetic, and the result is very good. In addition, they have raised the height of the bamboo beyond that of the terrace railing itself, and leaving an irregular line, gaining much more privacy on the terrace and without closing it.
We can also use bamboo to close the side gaps between the terrace or balcony and the balcony, where, in many homes, there is no privacy at all. In this case, you can put a screen of bamboo branches, from the floor to the ceiling and so the next door neighbor will not see us again, at least inside our house. This idea is, like the previous ones, quite cheap to carry out, fast and effective. If you want it to be more natural, better put individual branches, like these that you can buy here. And if you want to do it quickly and efficiently, you can use mesh that already come with all the branches installed so that you only have to place the mesh, like this one that you can buy here.
Leaving the versatile bamboo aside to gain privacy on the terrace or balcony, there are other solutions, such as:
CELLOSIAS TO CLOSE AND COVER THE TERRACE
The world of lattices is immense. We have masonry louvers, metal louvers, laser cut, handcrafted, made of wood, ceramic and other materials. So you have at your disposal an immense very varied catalog of models, materials and prices to use a lattice to close or cover part of the terrace or balcony and gain privacy with the neighbors on the sides and with the street.
This lattice that we see above these lines giving privacy to that beautiful terrace is made of metal and is from the Andalucia Art firm. I have worked on occasion with this firm with its panels to separate interior environments, and they work very well. This Spanish company has a wide catalog of metal lattices, with different patterns and colors to be able to choose the one that best suits our terrace. It is a good option to close or cover at least part of the terrace. The one that is causing us the most inconvenience.
We have other more practical models of lattices, like these that we see below:
And I say more practical because they are easier to put on, and can be removed and collected whenever we want, in addition to being able to expand or reduce the surface they have, more or less covering the terrace or balcony. Although we see them on the inside in the image, these panels are perfectly suitable for outdoor use. These are panels that we are joining to create a curtain of the length and width that we want.
It is a comfortable solution that we can perfectly adapt to our terrace or balcony and that we can remove, put on and handle as we please easily and precisely, since these panels are almost light, and they are easily removed and put on. There are many models to choose from, you can see and buy them all on Etsy by clicking here. It is worth taking a look if this solution interests you because they are really practical.
Leaving the previous lattices aside, we also have these lattices / panels that they sell already manufactured (or we can manufacture them ourselves), and that fulfill their function very well. In addition, as they are panels, we can move or remove them at will. Another advantage of these panels is that they act as a perfect surface to put climbing plants and add vegetation to the terrace or balcony in an easy and exuberant way.
Nor is it necessary to resort to ready-made lattices to install one. We can also install one ourselves using wooden pallets, with the wood well treated and cared for so that they are beautiful, or even painted to our liking, and we will have a very practical and effective lattice in its mission.
Another element that we can put on the terrace so that they do not see us are the screens:
BIOMBS TO GAIN PRIVACY ON THE TERRACE
The advantage of the screens is that they are inexpensive, they install themselves and they also collect themselves when necessary. That is, they are removable. That you want to cover the terrace so that they do not see you at a certain moment, you put the screen. Then, you take it off, fold it up and put it away and voila, a clear terrace. And the disadvantage they have is that they also cover your view. That is to say, they are a screen, both for the one who looks and for the one who is looked at. But they are undoubtedly another great solution to gain intimacy quickly and effectively. You have hundreds of models and designs to choose from that you like the most. Here at Amazon you can see and buy countless of them.
Let’s see another solution to cover the terrace so that they don’t see us:
CURTAINS
It may seem strange to install a curtain on the terrace, but it seems to me the most useful and practical if we want to have privacy at certain times and then leave the terrace as it was. We just have to see the terrace above these lines. A curtain has been installed that, for the moment, protects them from the glances of the next door neighbor. If you want more privacy, you can draw the curtain further, as far as we want to even cover the entire terrace if necessary. In addition, following the line of the previous solutions, installing a curtain is something that we can do ourselves without having to resort to a professional.
It is also a fairly inexpensive solution, and really effective, and it can look really good, as in this other terrace that we see below:
A nice set of curtains has been put on, which now remain closed to allow light and wind to pass through. But when required, just run them to cover the terrace from prying eyes. In addition to these solutions that we have just seen, there is another extremely beautiful and effective element with which to gain privacy on the terrace or balcony: Plants.
PLANTS AND VEGETATION TO COVER THE TERRACE AND BALCONY AND HAVE PRIVACY
As we are going to see, with plants and vegetation we can cover any part of the terrace, totally or partially, to allow light and air to enter.
Something simple to gain privacy on the terrace and that does not require skill and sacrifice beyond taking good care of our plants, is to do what we see above these lines: Have a beautiful terrace full of plants. Higher for the railing, smaller to hang from the ceiling, climbing if we want, in pots for the walls and it goes on and on. It is true that this solution is for when you want relative privacy. Since they will continue to see us. Much less, depending on the plants and the amount of them that we use, but seeing us they will see us. Although for many, just having a little more privacy is enough. If this is your case, this solution may be the one you need. Also, leaving the issue of privacy aside, if you like plants, isn’t it great to have a terrace this beautiful?
Let’s see more ideas with plants to cover the terrace:
If you only want to cover the upper part of the railing and partially, to have a little more privacy, you can install hanging plants that provide the right touch of privacy. Of course, make sure to hang them well hung, firm and secure. You are not going to have a serious problem because one of them falls. Think that they have to endure wind and rain.
Another solution is to install a garden lattice, in which we can grow a climbing plant, such as ivy, and create a magnificent green screen that protects us from any gaze.
We can also use or create some relatively tall planters on which to plant some type of tall plant so that they partially close the view that they see from outside on our terrace.
This idea of planters is quite practical because we can cover from the entire terrace, as we see above in this paragraph, to simply a single hole that is the one that is giving us privacy problems, as we see below:
It is a versatile element, which you can buy ready-made or ask to have it customized depending on your space and your tastes. Or if you are good at DIY, do it yourself with your hands.
Another idea to gain intimacy with plants and vegetation is to create a curtain of leaves, whether natural or artificial and hang it right in the area where we want to cover so that they do not see us. If you liked this idea and it seems practical for your terrace or balcony, you can buy this type of curtain here on Amazon.
Another solution that we can use to cover the terrace or balcony with plants and gain privacy is to put a metal mesh from floor to ceiling, and in it grow climbing plants. Of course, the day they grow up and cover the entire mesh, they will also take away all your sight. You can also these ideas to make a garden on the terrace.
So this idea I think is quite effective and beautiful to carry out, but only to partially cover a terrace and not the entire one, as we see right here below:
A screen or vertical garden has been used to cover a specific area of the terrace. In this way, privacy and intimacy have been given, the terrace has been tastefully decorated, but it still retains a good source of natural light and views. It all depends on what you need to cover so they don’t see you. These panels can be made by you, growing the plants, or you can buy them already made and with plants and artificial vegetation, which will not give you any problem.
Of course, I advise you to buy them of quality, because if not, in a short time, especially if the sun hits them, you will have them made a shame. Artificial plants are like artificial grass, the better their quality, the better they withstand the sun, the passage of time, and inclement weather.
TREES TO GAIN PRIVACY
This idea is very attractive, but of course, it can only be used in low, low houses or interior patios, since a tree cannot be planted on a terrace, and in the previous cases, only in some cases. But if in your case you can, a tree, or some, can be the perfect solution to gain that privacy you need in your interior patio. Plants aside, we have another solution.
It is the solution of solutions. The most effective:
CLOSE THE TERRACE OR BALCONY TO GAIN PRIVACY
Closing the terrace or balcony is likely to lose all the charm of a terrace. That it is neither more nor less, than being outside, even if it belongs to the interior of our home. But if this is not a problem for you and you want privacy above all, closing the terrace or balcony is the most professional solution of all, as well as the most effective. Naturally, it is also the most expensive to carry out because it requires work and a license to carry it out. But as a solution, it is the definitive one. We have seen how to cover the terrace and the balcony to gain privacy from the sides or from the front, so as not to be seen by our neighbors next door, or across the street, as well as from the street, but on many occasions, privacy or, rather, prying eyes, come from above.
In this case, we also have several solutions for it:
AWNINGS, PERGOLAS AND OTHER SOLUTIONS TO HAVE PRIVACY AND PRIVACY ON THE TERRACE AND THAT THE NEIGHBOR ABOVE DOES NOT SEE YOU
Sometimes, depending on the architecture of the building, you may not have neighbors on the sides, but you do want to protect the privacy of your terrace from the neighbor above. As in the cases where the terrace or patio is on the ground floor, and you have the entire community of neighbors watching you sunbathe, right? In this case, you can do several things, such as installing an awning, as we see in the image above. They are not only necessary to protect you from the sun in the hours when it hits the hardest or when it rains a little and you want to be on the terrace. They are also necessary if we want privacy.
In this sense, you can resort to traditional awnings, installed by approved professionals, or you can make one yourself, as we see just below these lines, where they have built a beautiful decorative awning that protects and gives privacy to the terrace.
Before doing any of this, check with your neighborhood community, as you may have certain limitations. In addition to the awnings, you can use another more economical, versatile and easy to implement solution: Umbrellas, as they have done on this terrace that we see below:
You have them big, small, decorative or traditional like the ones on the beach. An umbrella is easy to install and very inexpensive. In addition, it is also more convenient to open it when you need privacy and to close it when not, and allow more light to enter the house.
However, if you are looking for something more “professional”, a more definitive solution, the best thing you can do in addition to installing an awning is to put a pergola:
The pergolas not only give intimacy and privacy to the terrace. They also protect from rain and sun and, of course, also add decoration. And the most important thing in this case, they offer the necessary privacy so that the neighbor upstairs does not see us. Of course, to install a pergola, first talk to the community and your city council, as there are cases in which they may not let you install it.
In other cases, such as the orientation of the home or the area or the positive consensus of the community of neighbors, yes. But do not install it without consulting it first. You may have to remove it if you do. Here you can see 15 ideas to make a pergola with style. There is another solution so that they do not see you on the terrace from above and gain privacy if you have a terrace on the ground floor: Close the terrace.
It is the most drastic solution and part of the charm of having an outdoor terrace or patio is lost, as we said before, but it is also the most definitive and effective solution to gain privacy, especially if we are concerned about being seen from above. . In this case also consult with the community or a property administrator or with your city council.
Although if done right, they shouldn’t cause you any problems. These have been the solutions to put on the terrace and not be seen, to give it privacy and gain privacy and cover once and for all, the view that the neighbor has of your terrace. There are more, but I think these are the most practical, demanded and, some, the cheapest, easy to carry out and effective.
