I love balconies. Your balcony can give you a little slice of nature in your home, even if you live in the middle of a big city. With a balcony, you don’t need a yard or a big front porch — you have the perfect space for a small garden, a reading nook or an extension of your living room for entertaining guests.
Of course, if you’re renting, you might not want to make any major changes to your balcony. Fortunately, over the years, I’ve come up with a few really great ways to create an incredible balcony space without doing anything that might hurt your relationship with your property manager. With these tips, you can create the balcony you’ve always dreamed of without spending a lot of money or making any permanent changes.
Create Privacy
You don’t want to feel like you’re on display when you go out to the balcony to read or work on your laptop. You want a bit of privacy to help you forget about the world while you enjoy some sunlight or night sky. You have a few options for creating a private space.
I love creating the illusion of a wall or screen with hanging planters. If you go with moss-covered planters, you can immediately add some living texture to your balcony while increasing your privacy. I like to hang them on one or both sides of the balcony to give some visual interference between you and your neighbors. Then you can add some more privacy to the front of your balcony by going with rail planters along the front of the balcony.
Of course, your planters won’t look right without some beautiful plants in them, right? Consider how much sunlight your balcony gets, as well as how much foliage you want. Planting some vines can add a lot of privacy, but you’ll have to be sure to trim them regularly. Whatever you choose, you’ll need to think of your plants’ water requirements and what you’ll need to do to maintain them. I prefer low-maintenance plants like ferns, but these work best in shady areas. Do a little bit of homework and find the best plants for your climate and the amount of sun you get.
Add the Right Seating
Whether you just want a place to sit and read or you plan on entertaining guests, you’re going to need some seating on your balcony. Be sure to choose all-weather wicker, treated wood or another outdoor-friendly material when you do this. Don’t just take your indoor furniture outside or you’ll be looking at a soggy, mildewed mess before long.
In addition to the right materials, you’ll also want to make sure your seating options are comfortable for what you want to do. If you’re going to sit out there on your own to read and work, a single chair or loveseat may do nicely, but you’ll probably want to add at least a small table or stool where you can put your coffee or your book.
If you’re entertaining guests, consider how much space you have and how many chairs or benches you can reasonably fit on the balcony. Having two comfortable chairs facing out and slightly canted toward each other is preferable to jamming in four small, uncomfortable chairs in a line. And as a final note for your seating, think about going with chairs that have rocking or swivel features for some added relaxation and comfort.
[tweetthis]Think about adding chairs with a rocking or swivel feature to your balcony for added relaxation.[/tweetthis]
Accessories to Tie It All Together
Finally, think about the little things that can really tie your balcony together. If you have hardwood or laminate floors in your living room, you probably have a nice rug that brings your furniture and décor together, right? You can do the same for your balcony with a small indoor/outdoor rug. Look for something in an attractive pattern that’s weatherproof.
Also consider your lighting. You might have a sconce light by the door, but a lot of balconies don’t have any lighting. You can give your balcony some added ambiance with some white Christmas lights hung around the railing or over the door. You could also bring out a table or floor lamp to really make the balcony feel like an outdoor living room.
Start with these tips and have fun decorating your balcony and really making it your own space.