The constant threat of rain in the UK means that the dream of al fresco dining may not always become a reality. If you plan to update your home with a new look kitchen and patio area, then bi-fold doors with a veranda, pergola or patio awning can provide the desired transition between the house and garden, whilst keeping the outdoor area sheltered from the rain and providing a place to escape from the sun when the weather warms up.
Verandas, pergolas and awnings add a real charm to a home and create the perfect outdoor ‘room’ for entertaining, relaxing or just letting the kids play outside, even when the weather is wet. It is also a clever way of adding extra space to your home without the expense of having an extension built or having a conservatory installed.
Why not just install a conservatory?
Conservatories add extra space to the home and provide an expansive view of your garden. However, if you want to make the most of bi-folding doors and really open up your space, doors which open directly onto your patio area create a true transitional space between the interior and exterior of your home.
One of the downsides of conservatories is that they can be difficult to cool in summer and difficult and expensive to heat in winter months, making them uncomfortably hot or cool for much of the year. In order to limit the heat transfer from the inside to out and to keep your room at its desired temperature all year round, Origin Bi-fold Doors have been specifically designed with an advanced polyamide break for optimum thermally efficiency, and therefore, avoid many of the issues with temperature control associated with conservatories. With a certified U-Value of 1.1, the Origin Bi-fold Door is significantly lower than British Building Regulation requirements. Double or triple glazing is available, so you can specify the glazing size according to your requirements.
As verandas and pergolas are open, they allow fresh air into the home, and can easily be teamed up with bi-folding doors, maximising your view and space, whilst creating the transitional living.
What’s the difference between a veranda and pergola?
A veranda is a common feature of colonial style houses in Australia, India and North America. In these locations, the hot climate in the summer months would make being outside unbearable for much of the time, so this type of structure enables people to spend more time outdoors, without being under the direct heat of the sun.
Pergolas originate from Italy and differ from verandas in that they can be free standing as well as attached to a building. Originally, pergolas were designed to support climbing plants such as vines, but they soon evolved to have a roof, making them more like verandas in style. Generally with a pergola, they will act as an extension to a garden as they will have vines growing up them. Verandas can span the entire length of a house, whereas pergolas cover just one section of a patio.
Both types of patio coverings are versatile enough to be modern or traditional in style and work well with bi-folding doors. Verandas are particularly good if you’re looking to open up a corner of your home with bi-folding doors as, like Origin Bi-fold Doors, verandas can also be built around corners.
As an alternative to the two, fabric awnings are also a good choice if you want the flexibility to extend or fold away the patio covering, depending on the amount of shade required. Awnings also require no structural work at ground level (pergolas and verandas require foundations to be dug for supporting posts), so they are quicker and generally more affordable to install.
5 Ways to make a patio covering work with your bi-fold doors
Whether you choose a veranda, pergola or awning, it’s important that the overall look complements your bi-folding doors and patio area as a whole.
There are a number of ways to do this:
- Patio floors which are similar in style to the flooring in your kitchen can help create a streamline look between the indoors and outdoors. This opens the area up by making it look like one continuous space. Using similar materials and colours is one way to do this, for example, if you have a flagstone floor in your kitchen, then continue this style of flooring onto your patio area to create a sense of continuity. This idea also works with decking; simply ensure the wooden flooring inside and outside is laid in the same direction to draw the eyes outside and elongating the space, rather than cutting the space short with different floor coverings in each space.
- Choose a timber finish for your veranda or pergola in a similar shade to your bi-fold doors. If you specified your Origin Bi-folding Doors in an authentic woodgrain finish (Natural Oak or Golden Oak), match up the finish of your veranda or pergola with these shades to help tie in with the overall look. If you wanted something a little different, then there are over 150 different colours available for Origin Bi-fold Doors, so you can contrast your veranda or pergola according to your taste.
- Clever lighting can perfectly blend your outdoor space with your indoor area. A pendant light hung from your veranda will create a focal point and enhance the feeling of a formal dining area, making your patio the ideal place for al fresco dining after dark. If you have spotlights in the ceiling adjacent to your patio, then continuing these onto your veranda ceiling is a stylish way to continue the look of the indoors to the outdoors. Wall lights create a similar effect of continuity when used outside.
Nautical lamp from All Things Brighton Beautiful.
- Accessorise the covered patio area with items that are equally at home indoors, such as lanterns, pictures, mirrors, cushions, sofas and side tables. Styling the outdoor area in this way not only makes the area comfortable and practical to use, but makes it feel like an extra room of your home. As the area is covered, it can be used for much longer periods than an open patio. Again, matching the colour you choose for your doors with accessories in your patio area can help tie the look together. Don’t forget to choose all weather fabrics for cushions and throws and match or contrast these with your main colour scheme.
Relax outside with a stylish daybed.
Day beds are comfortable, and offer the perfect place to relax throughout the day and the evening.
The Marigold Garden Mirror from Decorative Mirrors Online
Garden mirrors bring the interior look onto your patio and also create a unique focal point.
Lanterns from the Flower Studio
Pretty lanterns can be used inside and outside.
- Leave enough room for your bi-fold doors to open and close easily. Don’t go overboard with accessories to the point that you can’t fully open your doors as, when open, your bi-fold doors will need space to be stacked.
4 alternative patio coverings
If installing a veranda, pergola or awning seems like too much of a commitment, there are plenty of other options for creating a temporary shady oasis on your patio.
- Sun shade sails are a modern take on an awning, and are a fun and attractive way to protect your patio from the heat. Sails can be fitted to your home or from trees for a temporary solution, although they can also be suspended from patio posts if you prefer something more permanent.
Kookaburra 5m Triangle Ivory Waterproof Woven Shade Sail from Primrose
- Parasols are super simple to put up, and can be easily moved around the patio to keep you safe from the sun throughout the day – they can also be used as a stylish focal point for a dining area.
- Vines, hops and other climbing plants can be trained to climb your pergola to create pockets of shade the natural way. You can even co-ordinate the flowers with the rest of your patio and your bi-folding door finish.
In the meantime, you can create a stylish covering on your pergola by suspending a sheet from the beams for a tropical look.
Some of the best climbing plants for patios include:
- Roses for a romantic way to create some shade on your patio
- Honeysuckle will add a fragrant touch to your patio, especially in the evening when the flowers’ scent intensifies
- Sweet pea plants like sunshine so are ideal for taking the sun off your patio area and the pretty flowers will bring colour to the space
- A cabana or gazebo creates a low maintenance temporary patio covering suitable for areas of all sizes and can be used year after year.
4 Bonus tips for a beautiful finish
- Exposed beams under a veranda roof can look great, but they can also be attractive places for wildlife such as bats and birds to roost, which can cause havoc with droppings so choose an enclosed roof for your veranda.
- Verandas are versatile enough to cover patios and walkways all around the house. A house with a full veranda is known as a Queenslander, as this style is particularly popular in Queensland, Australia.
- Installing a wood-burning stove in the covered area means that the outdoor room can be enjoyed all year round. For a less permanent solution, chimineas are portable and can be used under awnings, pergolas and verandas, provided they are used with care.
- If you plan to paint your veranda or pergola, make sure you choose a paint suitable for exterior woodwork. Santex® have an extensive selection of paints that are suitable for outdoor use. The 10 Year Exterior Gloss range includes bright colours such as Teal, Hot Mustard and Pilar Box Red to really make your timber stand out.
If you want to make the most of your bi-folding doors all year round, then a patio covering will enable you to keep your doors open for longer, allowing you to enjoy your garden, whatever the weather.
Want to find out more?
For more tips on creating a transitional space between the interior of your home and your garden, check out the article Sarah Beeny’s Tip for Bi-folding Doors from Double Your House for Half the Money.
We share our top tips for flooring to transform your home and complement your bi-folding doors and patio flooring in the article 16 Flooring Tips, Tricks and Ideas to Transform Your Home.
For more information on Origin's bespoke bi-folding doors, contact your local installer today.