For city apartments, the balcony represents a little escape, a private outdoor nest in an otherwise crowded city! With a balcony, you can enjoy fresh air and relax under the sun without stepping out of the comfort of your home. The question is, how to find and implements the smartest ideas to decorate your balcony?
Nobohome team would like to give you a little bit of inspiration. And a few clever balcony design ideas that are bound to add charm and atmosphere to your city apartment.
Touch of Nature: Plants
Your balcony is an ideal place to let nature “go wild”. Why? Plants have the power to transform any space into warmer and welcoming oasis that pulls you away from the city’s hustle and bustle.
Any balcony plant ideas you might have, depend very much on the space available and the amount of sunshine. Thus, before making any choices, it is crucial you do a bit of research about which plants are ideal for the conditions on your balcony. Whether you choose to place planters with flowers, herbs or even some fruit and veggie plants. You can decide to distribute them around on the floor or create a rustic and practical vertical garden.
Extend Your Home: Rugs
Modern balcony design doesn’t shy away from rugs. A strategically placed outdoor floor rug helps define your small outdoor seating in an attractive, inexpensive and convenient way. Buying an outdoor floor rug or just painting a rug-like pattern on the floor are two simple ways to enhance small balcony designs.
However, the design should also be functional and practical. So, while keeping in mind your aesthetic preferences, consider practical aspects of the outdoor rug such as weather resistance and resilience to foot-traffic (especially if you expect a lot of visits).
Heart of the Balcony: Seats
Most of the apartment balcony ideas center around seating. It’s no surprise as enjoying a cup of fresh coffee in the morning sun or stealing a quiet moment to read your favorite book while enjoying privacy, fresh air and views of the neighborhood are priceless.
If your space is limited, you can opt for a simple foldable furniture that can be hung on the wall or rails when not used. Alternatively, if your primary concern is a lush comfort, a large floor pillow will create the perfect escape. Those who have a bit more space can play around and besides chairs or table, all a small sofa or loveseat to relax in comfort.
Outdoor Coziness: Pillows
Who doesn’t love pillows? They are soft, comfortable and incredibly diverse which makes them the perfect accessory to any zone designed to recharge and relax.
Pillows represent one of the final and most playful tweaks you can add to your apartment balcony and give you an incredible freedom to play around with sizes, textures, colors, and layers. This is the time to be bold and let your personality define the space. Smart use of pillows will transform even the sternest and simple of balconies into a welcoming space.
The Final Touch: Lighting
There is nothing that induces atmosphere as much as the right lighting. Thus, if you intend to spend time on your balcony in the evening or night, make lighting part of your design.
Firstly, think about the purpose of the lighting as well as the feel and atmosphere you want to create. Some actions require a bit more light than others. Hanging fairy lights or candle lanterns are perfect for creating intimate romantic atmosphere. However, other activities such as reading need a stronger source of light.
Where To Start?
Before you roll up your sleeves and dive into decorating your balcony, it is best to think things through. Remember, the key to truly great design is not just the luxurious facade but also functionality.
Therefore, your design decisions should be underlined with a practical purpose. Before you start picking out furniture and accessories, ask yourself the following questions:
- What time of the day are you likely to spend on the balcony?
- What types of activities would you like to there (eating, reading, suntanning, social gatherings…)?
- How much space do you have available?
- How much direct sunshine or other forces of nature such as rain or the wind is your balcony exposed to?
- Do you expect to use it frequently or sporadically?
- Are live plants the best choice for you (in other words, are you the type of person who will take care of them?)
Finding answers to these questions will help you figure out practical perks such as required resilience of material, type of lighting, ease of maintenance, and so forth.
If you decide to change your balcony design, please share the result with us in the comment section below!