Beautiful Balconies for Better Living

Interior spaces and their decorations have attracted the attention of a legion of designers. Balconies, however, are often overlooked. They shouldn't be! Proper decoration can make for wonderfully relaxing moments outdoors. Read on for our tips on setting up a stylish balcony.

Most balconies have great potential for improvement. The good news is, today we have more options available for decorating than ever before.

Choose your style

Let's start with the basics. What style of balcony would you like? With the right outdoor furniture, simple planters and green potted plants you can create a relaxed lounge atmosphere. Would you prefer a maritime style with blue and white accessories? Or perhaps Oriental elements? Choose decorations that match your favourite style to accessorise your balcony.

The floor is the foundation

Now that you've chosen your favourite style, you can go ahead and choose the right floor. There is a wide range of affordable outdoor carpets available these days in addition to tiles and wooden floors. The last two options are much easier to clean. Wood is pleasant even when it is hot outside as it does not absorb as much heat as tiles do. If you live in a rented apartment, you can use wooden floor tiles that click together instead of a permanently installed wooden floor.

Add colour

The simplest way to quickly beautify your balcony is to add colour. Paint the walls or freshen up old wooden furniture with a new coat of paint. Use colourful tablecloths and tableware. Colours will liven up your balcony and give it a completely different look.

What if my balcony is small?

You can be comfortable on any balcony, no matter how small. Save space by storing folding furniture on wall hooks. They can then be stowed on the wall to save space. Instead of using flower pots, attach planters to the railing or use hanging baskets. Small storage containers that double as stools are a good idea.

Lighting creates the right atmosphere

You will need to add a source of light so that you can enjoy your balcony even once it gets dark. Lanterns and oil lamps are great options that provide cosy, inviting light. For larger balconies, consider a fire bowl. Fires provide warm light and create a wonderful atmosphere. You can also choose from a wide range of battery-powered portable lights. LED lamps consume little power while solar lamps might be a good option for your balcony too.

South, West, North, East - What difference does the orientation make?

The direction your balcony faces should play a major role in your balcony design. A sunbed on a north-facing balcony makes little sense, for example. A south-facing balcony, on the other hand, is perfect for relaxing hours spent in the sun. If your balcony is large enough, adding cosy furniture for sunbathing is ideal. But bear in mind that it can get really hot at the height of summer. A sun umbrella, sun sail or other means of shade is essential. If you have plants, make sure they are sun tolerant and don't forget to water them regularly.

East and west balconies facing balconies have about half a day of sun. East-facing balconies get the golden light of the morning sun. A breakfast table is a great idea here. A west-facing balcony is ideal for people who work during the day as they can enjoy the sun after work. Such a balcony is perfect for dinner and may need a sun umbrella. Plants that thrive in half shade are ideal for these balconies.

North-facing balconies are not ideal if you enjoy being in the sun but they are a refreshing place to hang out on very hot days. It is important to mention that furniture kept on north-facing balconies will not have a chance to dry out in the sun so make sure you get mould-resistant furniture. Wooden furniture should be carefully cleaned after summer. Choose shade-loving plants.