I am too big of a fan of spacious homes, which is the main reason why we don’t live in an apartment in a tall building with a large rooftop. I just can’t give up the privilege of having my private getaway on the upper floor and my living room and salon downstairs. Plus, if I didn’t have the easy access to my small garden outside to get out and meditate each morning, I think I’d go nuts. But, that’s just me being so accustomed to what I choose to be my living area.

However as a designer, I highly recommend to get an apartment – especially to newly-weds and couples without children. Maybe back in the day when I got married I wasn’t that smart, but today I can share the experience and knowledge and I am telling you, living in an apartment isn’t as limiting as you may be thinking.

You may be repelled by the idea that an apartment doesn’t offer the convenience of having a backyard and a patio where you can host your guests for coffee, cocktails and an occasional party or two (that’s what repelled me), but stop right there! There’s a solution, and a pretty appealing one: the rooftop. All you’re going to need to turn that perfectly illuminated but empty space into a getaway with a view, are a few elements: a modern outdoor setting, a fireplace and a few good decorations in various colours to bring warmth and personality to the place.

Have your breakfast on a French-y rooftop

Who doesn’t love Paris? When I say Paris, the picture I have in mind are gorgeous Parisians laughing and drinking wine dressed in their shirts and dresses with straps, their barrettes and red lips. And small croissants filled with cream along with a cup of black coffee – yum, the perfect French breakfast. You just need the right French scenery re-created and you can easily drift away in Paris. That means you need an outdoor table setting made of wicker, or to be precise: Kubu wicker, which can be found in white and nude colours – just what we’re aiming for. Make it a set of elegantly designed chairs and a suitable high table. You need a lot of green bushes here to complement the entire ambiance, and of course, candles for romance.

The city terrace for friends gatherings

A terrace of the kind will be perfect during the day when you want to have a cup of coffee with your urban friends, chit-chat and hang out. During night, it can be transformed into a podium which means you can invite a larger group of people and host a party with a DJ for example. For this idea it would be best to go with hardwood benches with back support which you can decorate with pillows and cushions for seating. Make them in vibrant colours, like peach nuances or pink shades and make sure you have vines installed so you can attach decorations like chandeliers.

Oh, dear sunshine

If Australia has anything in abundance, it’s sun. And we all love the sun, right? So, why not make the most of it by placing a hot tub or a small pool and a few lounge chairs for sunbathing? And you can turn the entire ambiance into a sun-dedicated shrine with an outdoor table setting made of iron, complemented with a large umbrella or if your space allows it, a pergola. And voilà – you have your own little sunbathing corner that simply screams sunscreen, cocktails and fancy music!

As you can see, all these ideas come down to choosing the proper seating set and customizing it according to the purpose of the space and your needs and desires. Have in mind that decorations here play a huge role and you’d want to properly choose them. How about flowers, decorative trees and small bushes planted in cute and fancy planters and positioned so they contribute to the warmth of the space? Just perfect.