Affordable Midcentury Terrace Ideas and Designs

Mid-Century Modern Condo in Historic Capitol Hill

A two-bed, two-bath condo located in the Historic Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC was reimagined with the clean lined sensibilities and celebration of beautiful materials found in Mid-Century Modern designs. A soothing gray-green color palette sets the backdrop for cherry cabinetry and white oak floors. Specialty lighting, handmade tile, and a slate clad corner fireplace further elevate the space. A new Trex deck with cable railing system connects the home to the outdoors.

Oh What A Ceiling!

Green Sheep Collective

‘Oh What A Ceiling!’ ingeniously transformed a tired mid-century brick veneer house into a suburban oasis for a multigenerational family. Our clients, Gabby and Peter, came to us with a desire to reimagine their ageing home such that it could better cater to their modern lifestyles, accommodate those of their adult children and grandchildren, and provide a more intimate and meaningful connection with their garden. The renovation would reinvigorate their home and allow them to re-engage with their passions for cooking and sewing, and explore their skills in the garden and workshop.

Cable Railing Madison WI

Quigley Decks

First floor main entrance stairway with cable railing & 2nd floor balcony with cable railing Quigley Decks is a Madison, WI-based home improvement contractor specializing in building decks, pergolas, porches, patios and carpentry projects that make the outside of your home a more pleasing place to relax. We are pleased to service much of greater Wisconsin including Cottage Grove, De Forest, Fitchburg, Janesville, Lake Mills, Madison, Middleton, Monona, Mt. Horeb, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Verona, Waunakee, Milwaukee, Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, the Dells area and more. We believe in solid workmanship and take great care in hand-selecting quality materials including Western Red Cedar, Ipe hardwoods and Trex, TimberTech and AZEK composites from select, southern Wisconsin vendors. Our goals are building quality and customer satisfaction. We ensure that no matter what the size of the job, it will be done right the first time and built to last.

Oakland Modern

Knock Architecture and Design

Photo of a medium sized midcentury back terrace in San Francisco with a potted garden and no cover.

House // TW

M Gooden Design

Photo: Roy Aguilar
Design ideas for a large retro back terrace in Dallas with a fireplace and no cover.

Federal Hill Rooftop Deck

One Source Contracting

On this project, the client was looking to build a backyard parking pad to ease frustration over the endless search for city-parking spaces. Our team built an eclectic red brick 1.5 car garage with a rooftop deck featuring custom IPE deck tiles and a metal railing. Whether hosting a dinner party or enjoying a cup of coffee every morning, a rooftop deck is a necessity for city living.

Mid-Century Modern Landscape

Inge Daniels Design LLC

This beautiful fire bowl lands on a bluestone plinth set into an ipe deck
Photo of a large retro back ground level terrace in Boston with a fire feature.

Olympic Manor

Tristan Gary Designs

A perfect spot to sit and enjoy the PNW views of the puget sound.
This is an example of a small retro back first floor metal railing terrace in Seattle.

Stanton Deck & Patio Remodel

Assured Accuracy, LLC

This remodel was needed in order to take a 1950's style concrete upper slab into the present day, making it a true indoor-outdoor living space, but still utilizing all of the Midcentury design aesthetics. In the 1990's someone tried to update the space by covering the concrete ledge with pavers, as well as a portion of the area that the current deck is over. Once all the pavers were removed, the black tile was placed over the old concrete ledge and then the deck was added on, to create additional usable sq footage. The old landscaping was removed and a more minimalist, midcentury aesthetic was used for the new landscaping installation.

Outdoor Fliesen

FHM Fliesenhaus München GmbH

pflegeleichte Natursteinoptik
This is an example of a medium sized midcentury ground level terrace in Munich with no cover.

Deck | Custom Composite Deck With Covering | Santa Fe, TN

Troys Outdoor Services

Design ideas for a medium sized midcentury back ground level mixed railing terrace in Nashville with a roof extension.

White Plains Deck Makeover

Austin Gray Design Group

Large retro back terrace in New York with an awning.

Ideal Space, Lavish Lifestlye

Prime Realty

Design ideas for a medium sized retro back first floor terrace in Los Angeles.

Mid-Century Circular Deck - Fox Point, WI

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

The circular fire pit deck was made to contrast with the angled geometry of the rest of the design. Renn Kuhnen Photography
Medium sized retro back ground level terrace in Milwaukee with a fire feature and no cover.

Stanton Deck & Patio Remodel

Assured Accuracy, LLC

Hillside Drive

Mica McOmber-Three Creeks Construction

Back Deck Cumaru decking Cedar railing
Inspiration for a medium sized midcentury back terrace in Other with no cover.

Cable Railing Madison WI

Quigley Decks

House // TW

M Gooden Design

Photo: Roy Aguilar
Inspiration for a large retro back terrace in Dallas with a fireplace and no cover.

Mid Century Chic

NUMI Build

Inspiration for a medium sized midcentury back terrace in Los Angeles with a fire feature.

Ranch 31 - Mid-Century Modern Ranch in the Catskill Mountains

Charles Petersheim, Builder

Generously sized deck outside the great room of Ranch 31, a fantastic example of mid-century modern country. Located in the Catskill Mountains, this vacation home showcases danish modern interiors with sleek modern fixtures, blonde wood and white walls.

Affordable Midcentury Terrace Ideas and Designs

There’s nothing quite like an outdoor space with a view and if you’re elevated up high then there’s more chance of getting that view. Even if you’re not blessed with a natural view from your home, an elevated space outdoors will at least give you the chance to survey the land in front of you; whether that’s a few square metres or whole acres! A terrace is one way of achieving this as it gives you the flat surface of a patio but elevated; either on a flat roof, as decking in your garden, or extending out from your house at ground level or higher. Whether a midcentury terrace is your only outside space and you want it to function as a garden or you’ll be using it as a dining or seating area, there are all sorts of midcentury design ideas, furniture, plants and accessory options to think about.

How do I decorate or design a midcentury roof garden?

UK homeowners are resourceful when it comes to outside space and will make the most of anything they can get their hands on, so it’s no wonder that in urban areas and cities we look to the roof for a place to get some rays. A midcentury roof terrace can work in just the same way as a decking area, but you just may need a few extra elements to make it more comfortable – a way of shading an area from the sun, perhaps a parasol or sun shade, a touch of green to break up the stark nature of a roof, and a drainage system that will stop rain water collecting in colder months. If you want to create a whole garden on your roof you’ll be a little more restricted than when on ground level. Plants may have to remain potted, but you can find companies that design and install green roofs – systems that allow plants to be planted into the roof surface. However, green roofs can be costly and tricky to install, so stick to pots and raised flower beds if you want to stay on the safe side. Loungers, deck chairs and rattan chairs are great pieces of roof garden furniture as they’re portable and can be moved around your rooftop garden easily; perfect for sun chasers. However, if you want to create a larger sense of space for your roof terrace design, think about built-in benches or seating around the sides or a corner of your roof garden.

What to consider when designing garden decking

A decked garden area may look simple once finished, but there are so many factors to consider when it comes to putting together decking ideas. You’ll need to think about the materials you want to use, the balustrades or railings you might choose, whether you will have a raised deck and decking steps, and whether you want decking lights.

Which decking material is best?

Composite decking is a popular choice for outdoor deck material because it offers a combination of practicality and style. The boards are made of wood and plastic fibres so that the classic wooden look is kept but the plastic fibres mean they will be much more durable and easier to maintain than traditional hardwood. If you can’t resist the natural look and feel of hardwood decking boards, then yellow balau, iroko and ipe decking are suitable outdoor boards that will give you the classic feel of a traditional wooden deck. Remember, with hardwood decking you will regularly need to treat the wood to keep it clean, waterproofed and to maintain the colour. As wood is usually more of an investment than composite or plastic decking, it’s a good idea to speak to decking specialists or timber merchants because they will be able to advise you on the best wood for your design and how best to treat it. You may find that different decking materials are better to suited to different types of terraces; whether that’s on a roof, in the garden or on a balcony. Whether you are designing a terrace, balcony or decked garden area from scratch, or just looking to decorate what you already have, take a look through the photos on Houzz to find terrace and balcony ideas and inspiration.

United Kingdom

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