The balcony is an important element, especially in urban apartments, to which many attach great importance. And rightly so – after all, it offers the opportunity to relax a bit outside after a stressful day at work and enjoy the last rays of sunshine. So balconies are an important compromise to the lack of a garden. The only problem is that it is not uncommon for them to be relatively small, which makes furnishing and designing them a challenge. You don’t want to do without anything important, but at the same time you have to be careful not to overcrowd this tiny area. Because that would also affect the level of coziness. So, to avoid this, first of all, you should plan well. However, you can additionally apply some tricks that will make a small balcony look bigger. Below, we will give you tips on how you could design the small balcony.
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Designing a small balcony: Use the height
Seating, flowers, decorations and a cabinet or shelf or two – you want to fit quite a few things in the small balcony area. However, instead of stuffing everything, which would only make balconies look even smaller, make use of the walls instead, or the high areas at all. For example, flowers can hang on the wall (how about trellises) or in hanging baskets from the ceiling . This will even make it easier for insects to get to them than if they were on the floor in a corner, for example.
The railing is also perfectly suitable, and not only for the classic flower boxes. There are also folding tables , which can be placed there and combined, for example, with space-saving bar chairs.
Economical furnishing and decorating
The fact that a crowded balcony only looks smaller, we have already mentioned. Therefore, you should choose the furnishings and decor sparingly and thoughtfully when designing a small balcony. Preferably, they would have yes armchairs, couch, chairs, table and a few more seats for your many friends, but really realistic and especially optimal is not. So make compromises. Go for a more airy arrangement and, if possible, as bright and friendly colors as possible. Create smaller groups of furniture and/or decorations.
You can add additional seating in the form of folding chairs or stools that can be stowed away when not in use, rather than taking up valuable space.
Airy should also be any privacy screen. Avoid creating more shadows than are already there. Because the darker the environment, the narrower and more oppressive it also appears. Fabric privacy and sun shades are best chosen in light colors. On the one hand, dark colors would only heat up your balcony area unnecessarily, and on the other hand, of course, darken it.
Design small balcony with small furniture
Not only the amount of furniture and decorations plays an important role if you want to make a balcony look bigger. The size also has an influence on it. That great corner lounge in the catalog may look wonderful, but probably isn’t necessarily the optimal size for the balcony. In general, you should avoid styles that look rather massive – rustic wooden furniture or lush models made of rattan look great without question, but they are not suitable if you want to make a small area look cozy.
Instead, reach for small models that tend to be more delicate in their design as well. Chairs and stools or a bench (preferably with integrated storage), which we have already mentioned, are well suited here. So furniture with narrow legs, for example, which are lightweight to boot. So they can be moved around or away at any time if necessary. Or how about a hammock or a hanging chair?
The right flooring enlarges visually
Even the flooring should be chosen correctly if you want to design the small balcony and make it look bigger. And here we do not mean just the right color or material. Rather, you should match these features to the adjacent room. If it is dark and imitates wood, you can also use wood imitating tiles or even real wood for outside. If the adjacent room has light-colored tiles, use similar colors and materials for the balcony flooring as well. This almost seamless transition turns the outdoor space into an extension of the indoor space and makes the small balcony area look bigger.
How to design a small balcony – use light properly.
Just as you should avoid a dark atmosphere during the day by using shadows, you can also use the evening and night hours if you want to design a small balcony and visually enlarge it. Floor lamps are rather impractical here, of course, but you can again use the height to install a few wall, ceiling or plug-in lights for flower boxes here and there. Fairy lights are also very popular for illuminating this cozy outdoor area. You should not underestimate candles and lanterns as well. Handle them with care, however, because there is a risk of fire, especially if stronger winds could blow the candles around.
Open shelves look less bulky
Balance out large furniture with less decoration
Choose more discreet balcony furniture
Individually built furniture from pallets
Use railings
Boho style for cozy balcony design
Use space saving folding tables
Hammock or other hanging furniture
Modern balcony furniture for small balconies
Basket for storage space and for sitting
Exploit niches
