Terrace Landscape with Green Pergola and Fire Pit

Yes, a round concrete fire pit sits at the centre of the lounge, ringed by low outdoor sofas. It gives the terrace a natural gathering point and keeps the space usable on cooler evenings. Gas pits like this light instantly and skip the smoke and ash of wood, so there is nothing to clear up after. The sofas face inward around it, which turns the corner of a rooftop into a proper sitting room.

They are vertical gardens, living plants grown on panels fixed to the stone-clad walls. A green wall softens hard stone and concrete and brings real life to a built terrace. It also helps with sound and a little cooling on a hot roof. Living walls do need irrigation and trimming to stay lush, so they are best planned with a watering line built in rather than added on later.

That is an outdoor tv, mounted on a book-matched marble panel on one wall, so the lounge doubles as a spot for films or the match. Book-matched stone mirrors its veining across the joint for a bold, symmetrical panel. Outdoor-rated screens handle heat, damp and glare that a normal tv could not. Placing it on a solid stone wall rather than glass keeps the picture readable against the bright sky behind you.

A floating stone staircase runs up from one corner, its treads cantilevered so they appear to step off the wall. It links this terrace to the level above and doubles as a sculptural feature in its own right. Cantilevered steps keep the corner open underneath, so the staircase does not eat into the lounge space. Stone treads suit an outdoor stair since they take weather and foot traffic without wearing.

The hard surfaces are built for it. Stone cladding, concrete and the wooden deck all handle sun and rain, and the outdoor sofas use weatherproof frames. The soft cushions are the exception, so they are best brought in or covered during heavy rain and stored in the off season. The green walls need their watering line kept running. Plan for a little seasonal care and the terrace stays ready to use most of the year.

Built features carry the cost more than the furniture. The pergola, the floating stone staircase, the stone cladding, the green walls and the fire pit are all structural or specialist work. An outdoor tv and weatherproof seating add to it. You can phase the build, starting with the pergola and seating and adding the fire pit, green walls and tv later. Where you begin depends on how you most want to use the space.

It is moderate and mostly seasonal. The green walls want regular watering and trimming, the deck needs an occasional clean and re-oil, and the stone benefits from a wash to clear dust and leaves. Cushions should be stored out of long rain to last. The fire pit and outdoor tv just need a wipe and a cover. None of it is daily, but an outdoor room does ask for a bit more seasonal attention than an indoor one.