Given the lack of space in Mumbai, one thing that surprises me about where we’re living is how little people utilise their rooftop terraces. Day after day, the rows of surrounding terraces remain neglected, empty, and devoid of cheer. I can’t believe the potential that is going to waste.
Not our terrace though. I’m thrilled to have so much outdoor space all to myself, and am determined to make the most of it. This has meant turning the terrace into an attractive place to be. And, since I still have the bizarre habits of a foreigner, I’ve wanted the satisfaction of doing it myself. No painter. No gardener. No servant.
My announcement that I was going to paint and decorate the terrace was met with varied responses. “What for?” “You’re going to do it alone?” “Good idea” (That was, of course, from my husband who is now used to my creative visions and strange self sufficient behaviour).
With great enthusiasm, I dragged my husband to the paint shop. I aimed to find a durable concrete paint, but succeeded only in getting a water based wall paint — that had to be diluted. Hmmm, so the paint would look more like a colour wash on the concrete terrace floor. Not to be deterred, I set about sweeping and cleaning the terrace floor. Leaves were bundled up, dust swept away, and buckets full of water tipped everywhere to wash the floor.
While I waited for the floor to dry, I went to our friend’s place next door for a late lunch. “Started the painting yet? You’d better hurry up, it will become dark”, everyone laughed at me. I began to think that I was in fact a crazy foreigner!
I ended the day exhausted, with painting complete just as the sun started setting. The maid found me still in my maxi nightie, looking like I’d been playing Holi with red paint, face smeared with sweat, plant leaves in my hair, and blisters on my fingers. “Ah, I’ve been painting the terrace….”
Despite my ordeal, I did feel an undeniable sense of satisfaction though.
Today, I grabbed my husband and took an auto rickshaw to the local plant shop. Four large palms plus assorted flowers were loaded into two auto rickshaws for the return journey. The rickshaws looked like they had sprouted palm tree wings as they drove along.
Auto rickshaw sprouting palm tree wings.
This afternoon, I headed to Suriti: The Culture Shop in Hiranandani Gardens Galleria to get some tall coloured glass lanterns. At 1,500 rupees each, they weren’t cheap. However, they’ll emit a beautiful glow.
The terrace is still a work in progress, but at least all the hard work is now done!
So, what will I do on my newly decorated terrace? Sit in the sun during the day and enjoy its warmth. Be bathed under the moonlight at night, drink wine with my husband, and gaze at the stars.
Here are some before and after photos:
Before.
After.
Before.
After. The yellow colour is due to light. No, I didn't do that much painting!
Before.
After.
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{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Great job, it looks beautiful and inviting! If I was in the area, I’d pop in for a glass of wine as well!
Very nice! Good job! Now you just need some low couches with lots of bright cushions and maybe a sheer tent-y kind of thing for lounging in. Looks like a great place for hanging out!
Great job…that’s quite a makeover…looks very pretty !
The terrace painted in a different color looks better. You should paint the edge of the rooftop with another color. Watch out for torrential rains which would cause it to decolorize.
I hope I didn’t confuse you with the first line Sharell. What I meant by my first line is, the terrace looks better in pink color which is different from the same old boring light yellow color.
You may find this hard to believe, but the floor of my miniscule balcony in Copenhagen is painted the exact same color! Love it! http://copenhagenfollies.blogspot.com/2008/04/hot-dpink.html
Awesome!!! In New York that when people have an open terrance they make it a personal garden. So YOU GO GIRL!!!
You painted the floor too? Really? Why?
rickshaw’s palm tree wings!!! I love it
You’ve done an amazing job you truly have a great imagination and a little craziness in good way;-)I love your energy
what if that big pot of those beautiful flowers fall? is there something under or if it falls “run for your life”LOL, no but seriously is there anything to hold it, looks like there is empty space there, a little wind will and it is gone? is that so???
Great Colour! Looks like a great place to hang out and enjoy some vino and cheese
I have a reasonably large terrace attached to my flat. I had over 50 potted plants in it. Now I have brought it down by half. I even have several plantain leaf trees growing in pots. They look nice. The flowering plants are the best to see. Some are seasonal and some temparamental.
I will try to send you some photographs of my terrace.
The terrace looks great after painting. But would the paint last a monsoon? You can put some flowering plants in it. There are professionals who maintain gardens for a fee.
Best regards.
Best place to get together with some friends and a guitar in the evening ..
Wow…. thats amazing…. your sure creative and the place looks wonderful
you can also check out a store called Maati at Hiranandani Gardens… it has ethnic stuff from various parts of india !
109, 1st Floor, Powai Plaza, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai,
Mumbai, India, 400076Phone:+91 9820329818Mon – Sun:11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Cheerio !!!
Looks much better Sharell, battleship grey is never the most enduring floor colour. Well done for the DIY display, us gora/gori’s can get a bad reputation for austere lethargy. I remember helping my friend in Goa take down his beach shacks one year, basically me, him and two Nepali boys going at them with sledge hammers and crow bars. After the third day I had a crowd of at least 5 watching me use a hammer. I kid you not.
Enjoy your achievements.
Freak! whole address and phone number!!!
Thanks for all the encouraging feedback everyone! I’m very concerned that the paint won’t withstand the monsoon. I fully expect to have to repaint afterwards (and hopefully I’ll have been able to get some better paint by then) but it seems that such post-monsoon restoration work is common in India. There’s definitely space for plenty more plants and other stuff on the terrace — I’m sure I’ll gradually fill it up.
Shalini, I’ve been looking for an excuse to visit Powai Plaza (haven’t explored that far yet). Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely go and check it out.
Nelli, fortunately it’s not very windy here.
Jennie, your balcony also looks great! We have Tibetan prayer flags too, but they’re hanging inside at the moment. I might relocate them to the terrace!
Ramit, ah, just like all the other Indians say…. why?? Because, as FMCGora mentioned, grey is not aesthetically appealing. Plus, us foreigners like to waste time and money decorating.
Anjeneyan, I’d love to see some pics of your terrace. It sounds beautiful with all those plants.
Hey it look nice…… i Like it..
Hi Sharell!
What seems crazy to me is that people would _not_ want to use this extra space! I think a terrace, garden or courtyard can be like having an additional room if you’re clever in what you do with it – and who wouldn’t want that?! Just you wait … I think you’ll start a trend among the neighbours. Maybe you should do an “open terrace” night like an open garden? Then again, it’s probably nice at the moment to have the privacy of being the only takers of terrace time!
P.S. A lovely burnt orange could be nice on the walls … hope you end up finding something monsoon-proof – the colour is lovely and worth keeping!
xaspireonfirex, I totally agree with you, people could be enjoying a whole new extra room. Instead, they use it as a place to dry their laundry! I’m sure the neighbours would love it if I had open terrace nights. They’d come, enjoy, then demand to come back again! And can you imagine if the trend did start catching on, and everyone started spending evenings on their terraces! There would go the peace and quiet. I think I should consider myself lucky that the terraces are under utilised here.
I like the idea of burnt orange (we have burnt orange walls in the bedroom). I’ll definitely keep it in mind. 
Love it, and looks amazing! I love the thought of a terrace – variety in outdoor space is wonderful. And yes, keep the Australian DIY thing going…I think painting is for sure one of the most satisfying ones…such a huge difference. You really did a great job with the plants and lamp too…when I finally get my dream home in Mumbai I will definitely be employing you as my highly paid consultant
Love the auto photo too… funny!
I agree – it would look even better with painted walls!
I came across this website which you might find inspiring:
http://www.mysunnybalcony.com/
I love my terrace – it’s full of plants and cane furniture. A huge rain tree provides extra shade. I have hung a terracotta lamp and a wind-chime from the branches. It’s a place where the cats and I like to hang out. Thanks to Bangalore weather I can use my terrace throughout the year – except during the monsoon when I have to find a place to store the cane furniture!
Enjoy!
I was about to say dark orange looks good on the walls.
Ps dont forget to get some plants that produce good looking flowers and place them up there, and make it look like a small garden.
Great Job Sharell!
Now that ur staying in powai park,you must try China Valley for some chineese food.Its amazing food there.when i stayed at powai park and enjoyed food at China valley a lots…It just 1 min walk from ur house in front of Hiranandani school.
@@Sharell
Painter
Another entry into your highly illustrious CV!!!
Wow! The terrace looks amazing after decoration. You can keep more plants to enhance the beuty of red color.
Nice ! Especially, the potted plants.
I suggest adding a sofa-swing, with its own attached sun-shade-awning.
Namaste Sharell!
I’ve been enjoying reading about your views and feelings about India which I too am in Love with.
I’ve been wondering: Why do you refer to yourself as a “housewife” since, from what you’ve been sharing, you’re everything but that?
Thanks!
Looks amazing Sharell……too bad people don’t use their roof top more often. Mostly I’ve saw it used for laundry, or my husband took me on top of his parents home to set off crackers (fire crackers) but nothing more.
I personally LOVE the colour. Great job!
Hi Flo! Welcome to my blog.
Interesting question. I guess I see the term “housewife” as not an exclusive term — in that housewives can do lots of other things too. I work from home, and do all the household chores myself (apart from cleaning the floors nowadays, because we recently got a maid to do that) — so I feel housewifey. My blog has become more a “daily life” blog, but I’ll write about more “housewifey” things, like the first time I cooked a roast chicken recently! 
I’m sure you were tired after all that work… but it looks great, you did a good job. It looks much cleaner now… now you have to celebrate by having people over to enjoy it!!!! A bird bath would look cute… just a little idea!
nice.. your ‘barren’ terrace looks beautuful now!! Great job! Your hard work paid off. If you plan to use the space for open terrace parties then you may need Mosquito repellent plants or electric mosquito repellent usually seen in open garden restaurants. Great going..
Thanks for your lovely welcome, Sharell!
”
“but I’ll write about more “housewifey” things, like the first time I cooked a roast chicken recently!
=> Oh… I won’t be able to read about that… I am into an animal-cruelty free life…
Veganly yours!
Great!Da terrace looks lovely!Da colour is very hatke(unusual) but its lukin really gud!I suggest u get a nice cane swing for urself,u can swing n njoy da evening breeze,dats wot my mother does.I love 2 do dat as well!
Hi Suhani, great idea about the cane swing — we actually have one down stairs under the house. I love it!
Oh no, Flo, you’ll have to be content to read about my attempts to grow herbs then!!
hey, I love it! I was going to tell you that the balcony/terrace redecorating bizness is HUGE in Bangalore and post the mysunnybalcony link, but someone beat me to it (of course I should also disclose that I know one of the women who runs that company)….
anyway, lovely job!!! I am quite jealous and I miss my own terrace back in bangalore, and watching the parakeets and kites and squirrels and monkeys!
This is just absolutely awesome….. I am gonna do something similar to my little balcony here, I agree, we Indians hardly do anything good with our terraces…. Thanks for the idea dear
Look…you’re endeavour to paint the terrace was ambitious to say the least…..Even if I lived in a house as spacious and comfortable as yours, I still wouldnt be able to bring myself to do that.
Although I was pretty good at sketching back in school…ya know….Its one of those things that I didnt have to try hard for..Drawing just came naturally to me……I was a favorite of my art teacher…..And the little popularity that I enjoyed at school can be attributed to that……But thats where my creativity ends.
Apart from that I am just an ordinary 19-year old.
Glad to see that India didn’t kill the artist in you (like it does to the millions of others).
It’s crazy how the paint can make a difference. Definitely cheerful. Any western would want to have a party up there. Is your husband planning to display is DJ talents up there?
Maybe a party for Holi might be in order (then people can’t complain). Especially since it will be my birthday too.
did you just clean the cement with water…….not muriac acid?
Did you use a brush or roller to paint the floor.
I want to do a small screen-in terrace floor. the floor is dirty from what blows in through the screens, no oils.
Do I need 2 coats of paint and should I use cement stain?
thanks!!
Hi Carol, I only cleaned with water and used a roller to do the painting. As to how many coats of paint you’ll need, it depends on what paint you use. If it’s waterbased then you will most likely will need 2 coats, otherwise it will be transparent and look more like a wash. Try and get a tough cement paint — which I failed to do (although I wanted it).
Happy Painting!