Without borders: How to merge the living room and the terrace into a single space

Living on the Costa Blanca or the Balearic Islands means enjoying the sun and the breeze almost 365 days a year. Because of this, the traditional concept of having a closed living room and a terrace separated by a small door no longer makes sense.

True residential luxury today is the "In & Out" concept: designing the home in such a way that you don't exactly know where the inside ends and the outside begins. To achieve that feeling of absolute freedom and spaciousness in our villas, we rely on three design pillars:

1. Windows that disappear

The first step to uniting two spaces is removing the barriers that separate them. Instead of opaque walls or conventional doors, we use large floor-to-ceiling glass enclosures.

The trick to making the terrace a direct continuation of the living room is ensuring these windows can be opened wide, hiding or sliding away to leave a completely unobstructed path. A clear example of this is applied in Canyamel, where the massive sliding glass doors with wooden frames open to the exterior, allowing you to step onto the terracotta terrace straight from the sofa.

2. The landscape as part of the decor

Even in the winter months, when the glass is closed, the connection with the outside should not be lost. The architecture must be designed to frame the views and make the landscape act as another decorative element of the interior.

To achieve this uninterrupted visual continuity, we use clean enclosures that maximize the glass surface. In the case of Ca l'Àmfora, we opted for immense arched windows with very fine dark profiling. When sitting on the white sofas or cooking at the large black island in the living room, the view extends uninterrupted to the outdoors, turning the horizon and natural light into the true protagonists of the space.

3. Creating outdoor living rooms

The In & Out concept is not just about bringing the living room to the terrace, but providing the terrace with the same level of comfort you have inside the house.

For a seamless transition, it is vital to create cozy shaded areas that function as outdoor living rooms. In Ca l'Àmfora, we achieve this thanks to the structure of the house itself, where the large arches on the facade form covered porches on every level facing the pool. On the other hand, in projects like Canyamel, we use warm natural wooden pergolas anchored to the facade that extend the living space outwards, creating the perfect spot for outdoor sofas just a step away from the water.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Does having such large windows in the living room affect the home's thermal insulation?

‍Not at all. At Bersife, by building under the Passivhaus standard, we install high-performance glass (usually triple-glazed) and window frames with thermal breaks. This ensures that when the windows of your villa are closed, the house maintains its ideal comfort temperature without energy loss or extra costs, regardless of the outdoor weather on the Costa Blanca or the Balearic Islands.

2. How does Bersife ensure privacy with facades that are practically made of glass?

‍Privacy is an absolute priority in all Bersife designs. Before placing a large In & Out window, our team studies the topography of the plot and its orientation. For projects like Ca l'Amfora or Canyamel, we use landscaping solutions, integrated walls, and the natural unevenness of the terrain. This way, we ensure you have spectacular panoramic views from your living room without anyone being able to observe the inside of your home from the outside.

3. Is it possible to use the same type of flooring inside and outside to improve visual continuity in In & Out projects?

‍Yes, in fact, it is one of the favorite design techniques in Bersife villas. Using the same tone and stone material in both the living room and the outdoor terrace tricks the human eye, creating the illusion that it is all one infinite room that merges with the landscape. The only difference is that the outdoor paving around the pool incorporates a specific anti-slip treatment to ensure maximum safety without breaking the aesthetics.