Verandas: Rocking chair optional

Breakfast on the terrace, sundowners on the veranda. Working from home in the garden room, or doors that allow the seamless melding of the outside and in.

Teach us to care and not to care.
Teach us to sit still.
– T.S. Eliot

Some people prefer an unadulterated view of the surrounding countryside; rolling hills, meandering streams, snowy mountaintops. For others, it’s the ideal spot from which to people-watch; letting the world go by as you watch with interest, observe, and occasionally participate. An escape from the outside world, or a link to it. In this gallery, we’re lamenting the rarity of the veranda.

I’d never consider sitting out the front of my property – mainly due to the danger from being run over, but that’s beside the point… what happened to having time to sit and watch the world go by? Where did the long summer evenings go that I remember from my childhood?

As we’ve pulled together some of the most interesting and enticing examples of verandas from around the world, maybe it’s time for us to consider building them back into modern designs. A lot of the new-build flats have balconies, or Juliet balconies (to save money and increase internal space), but very few properties now have that sheltered space linking house to garden. Yes, we have decking, bi-fold doors, and an inclination to keep the flooring consistent and “let the areas meld together” – but it’s not an overhanging roof with space for my rocking chair. Maybe it’s just too murky most of the year for us to need the overhang – it would cut out light inside. Mostly it’s just too cold most of the year for us to want to sit out there, and when it’s warm enough, we like to see the sky.

However you approach your outdoor space, there should always be time to sit and take stock of the world. Here we’ve collected together some examples of perfect places to eat, work, pause, and sit.

You can view more of our collection on our verandas Pinterest page.