Veranda; and vestibule both the realty-creations are distinct — their origin, their terminology and their purposes are different — veranda is common in Indian village houses, while vestibule is commonly seen in high-end urban apartment dwellings. But, now in modern realty development both these concepts are well blended in building bungalows and villas —— veranda’s and vestibule’s amalgamation is the finest form of modern luxury residential architectural designs of India.
The word veranda came from the Portuguese language, meaning a long balcony or terrace of a house — in English this word came in from this Indo-Portuguese creole word. And, Veranda later on came to be known as ‘verandah’ in Malayalam and Marathi languages. Verandas have been prominent areas designed in houses in countries like Brazil, Japan, Australia, Poland, Sri Lanka and India. Veranda is a porch like area just outside the main entrance with the ceiling extended and considered as an extension to the living room of a home. Most of the home with ample space on the outside prefer to have such verandas running usually at the front of the house and in some homes extending all over the sides of the home too. It is usually opted by people who prefer to entertain or dine in a natural environment. Sitting on the veranda if near a picturesque lake or near the sea allows the dwellers to enjoy marvellous sunrises and sunsets. Or if the home is built amidst a green expanse of abundant trees and flora gives a impression of being in a natural habitat. Vestibule originated in ancient Roman architecture from the Latin term ‘vestibulum’ — Vestibules have also been used architecturally in churches and palaces. It is an area of the house which works as an antechamber between the main entrance and the interior parts of a home. In Ancient Greek temples vestibules were constructed to act as a barrier to the outer world. In homes it created a sense of security from unwanted or unwelcome entry into the homes.
“There’s a special feeling that you get on a veranda that you just can’t get anywhere else” – A famous quote by Haruki Murakami (Japanese writer, novelist of bestsellers internationally), expresses the sentiment of a dweller whose home has a veranda.
Since the vestibule is the first place that an outsider vouches before entry into a home, interior-designers pay much attention to this area as to give a fair impression of the inhabitants, it must showcase their way of living —— here are some of the key factors to be noted while crafting interiors of a vestibule:
Walls and Lights: Using a bold coloured or a large print geometric design wall paper or painting the walls in a bold colour could be impressive — even, a large light installation can make a small space look much larger than it is.
Bring in green: Placing a plant either on the floor or on a wall in the vestibule could bring in that much needed freshness to the space.
Wall hooks and shelves: Since vestibules today are smaller spaces, they need to be smartly made up. To use minimum square footage – mounting hooks on walls to hang the outer wear or raincoats of the guests would be ideal. Putting up a floating shelf to hang the keys or stack knick knacks could work.
Small Storage, a bench or chair: Adding a small table with a storage cabinet could help store bags or act as a shoe cabinet — and, a chair or a small bench against a wall could help as a place for the guest to wait or to take the shoes off.
Verandas or vestibules- both areas of the same home though having distinct purposes still have the same warm welcoming gesture for the guest or dweller into the home.