Design options for a small balcony

If we analyze how the appearance of modern apartments, designed for a person with an average income, changes, it is impossible not to notice that pantries and small utility rooms appear in the dwelling. Everything goes to the fact that the balcony ceases to be perceived as, first of all, a place to store seasonal things and all that is a pity to throw away. And without even mentioning modern housing, it can be noted: the concept of the balcony area has seriously changed. They began to pay more attention to it, and the balcony itself, even a very small one, began to transform into a place for family conversations, for a morning cup of coffee, for reading and so on.

Modern citizens (at least many of them) are in dire need of privacy - a place of solitude and silence. And what, if not a small balcony, can cope with this task. Perhaps this is the only territory in the apartment, where it is really almost always possible to be alone without hindrance. But the interior of a small balcony should be appropriate. It is worth adhering to a few simple rules.

• Take care of cleaning. To begin with, “tear open” the balcony, revise the things that are stored on it. Send old books of no artistic value to the waste paper, think about the need to store clothes and shoes that cannot be remembered when you used them for the last time. Feel free to get rid of what is unlikely to be useful. To live in abundance means to have enough, and not engage in hoarding and maintain your own money.Sweep the cobwebs, vacuum, wet clean.

• Assessment of the situation. When the balcony is empty and clean, you can evaluate it with an open mind. Well, even if it’s very small, it can be useful with a small footage. Check the condition of the fence, balcony slab, walls. Are there holes or cracks, are there any serious defects. Assess the condition of the ceiling. It may be worth changing glazing or repainting the railing. Once again, it is worth emphasizing that such an assessment can only be given to an empty and cleaned balcony.

• Then proceed with the repair. The current ceiling needs to be repaired, cracks in the slab should be caulked, wooden windows from which it blows all the time, it is high time to replace it.

• Decide on the style. Without even a hint of style, making an organic and pretty space is difficult. If you are inclined to the Scandinavian style, this will already direct your thoughts towards decoration and colors, you will not be distracted by options that are alien to the style. But even before the repair, look at examples of styles - sometimes “blurring” prevents you from considering really interesting ideas.

• Start the transformation. If the balcony is small, its size can be brightened up with light finishes, compact furniture, transparent and glass decorative elements. The main thing is not to clutter up the space.

Bright colors, high contrast, heavy and bulky furniture, very colorful prints and patterns - all this is difficult to combine with the small footage of the equipped area.

The size of the balcony can be visually increased due to the light finish and glossy surfaces. And here it is very important to understand what exactly you are redoing. An open balcony relies on its design philosophy, a closed one has other possibilities. On the open balcony everything is in sight. And you should decide what you want to demonstrate. If you have your own floristic skills, then turn a small balcony into a cozy garden in miniature with a pleasant multicolor.

If you have not yet “found a common language” with flowers and vegetation, you can make a mini-cafe with a table for two on a small balcony. Decor is still needed, but in open space it is rarely stationary. And a table with chairs, most likely, will have to be carried away in the rain.

If you have a brick wall at the base, then maybe you should not look for how to sheathe it. A brick wall can simply be freshened with paint, and that’s enough.

A covered balcony provides more opportunities. But the option with a brick wall is good here. Two colors are leading in the design - white and red (terracotta) brick. But you can offer a more daring idea and paint the brick wall in the now fashionable turquoise, faded pink, saturated cherry, wet asphalt and so on.

For a small balcony, several colors are suitable.

• White, Milky, Ivory - an option that can be considered a win-win. And if just a white wall seems boring to you, use ready-made interior stencils and show your artistic abilities. Thanks to the stencil, any atmospheric image can appear on the wall.
• Blue. It will be well combined with a white frame and bright furniture. If the color seems cold to you, you can try combining it with beige.
• Yellow. The yellow color inside the balcony is very interesting.And if you combine yellow with white and black (in a small percentage inclusion), you get a very relevant, fashionable color range.

To equip a small balcony - this means in choosing furniture do not forget about the rules of minimalism. Everything you can do without is carried away from the balcony. But do not forget about functionality: if you turn a small balcony into a study (the idea is very common), then besides a table, a chair and a pair of shelves, there should not be anything there.

If the opposite wall becomes a small rack, great. But if the same rack looks bulky, we refuse it. It is better to put a decorative figurine or a favorite flower in a flowerpot in a free corner, rather than a massive furniture element as part of the arrangement.

If you can’t get along on the balcony without storage, reconsider the layout of the space. Closed vertical storage places will make the image of the room heavier. However, probably everyone knows that many small things in sight (on the shelves in this case) create motleyness that does not contribute to the small room and its perception.

If you definitely want to arrange a balcony for organizing breakfast / dinner for 1-2 people, it is not necessary to take out a table on its legs. It’s quite an option - a folding table, which in an inactive state is pressed against the wall by the tabletop. And when you need it, you just lift the countertop, put it on the stop, and enjoy a fragrant invigorating drink.

Better than transparent fashionable chairs for a small balcony not to come up with. Almost airy, they will not interfere with the free perception of space. There are transparent, colorless chairs, and there are also colored ones. The pair does not have to match in color.

Any room, any interior acquires its real face precisely due to the decor. And I also want to decorate the small balcony so that it looks cozy and pretty. Consider which decor might be interesting.

• Floral. The simplest and win-win is to decorate the balcony with fresh flowers or greenery. Whether it will be flowers in pots on special shelves or cute boxes of pleasant flowers with bunches of spices is not so important. Even beginner gardeners can ennoble the balcony with flowers. Well, on the table, at which you will drink coffee every morning, let seasonal flowers stand in a vase. Such trifles are no less than hormones responsible for our mood.

• Textile unity. It is hard to imagine real comfort without textiles. And it is good if the textile roll call is subtly and gracefully present in the interior. For example, in color or texture, the rug on the floor echoes the track on the table. Or maybe on a bench (small sofa) is a blanket that matches something with the pillows on a chair or a napkin on a table. You can make textiles in tune with other objects - for example, a pattern on flower pots.

• Pictures and posters. A classic solution that never ceases to be interesting. These compositions can say a lot about the hosts, set the mood, add a nostalgic touch, add atmospheric atmosphere to the site.

And here the choice is wide, and not much limited. Of course, a chalet-style balcony in a small area will not look convincing, but this style has “cousins”, so you can always find your own version. The following styles are successfully implemented on a small balcony:

• scandi - simplicity and modern elegance in the unshakable democratic style;
• shabby chic - touching, refined, sweet;
• provence - if you want to tear yourself away from the energy of the metropolis, it may well arrange a Provence balcony;
• boho - insanely fashionable today, relaxed, vibrant, cheerful, natural and indulging hand-made;
• minimalism - it is possible, but sometimes without decor, a small balcony, paradoxically, looks even smaller.

If you equip a balcony in such a way as to feel more modern, to abandon typical ideas and the correct, but boring interior, design tips can lead you to the right idea. On a small balcony, the following may be used:

• lounge area with minibar - it can be arranged even on a narrow balcony in a panel house, this area will look cooler on balconies and loggias with panoramic glazing;
• bar stools - the best option is if on a small balcony you decide to abandon the table, replacing it with a bar (table top) under the window part;
• reading room - for this you need any comfortable sleeping place (you can replace a rocking chair), cozy textiles, good lighting and a couple of shelves or a bookcase;
• garlands and flags - they set the mood, are affordable and inexpensive, but the image of the balcony changes dramatically;
• library - on the insulated balcony you can make a wonderful library, on the floor you can lay a fluffy carpet, throw pillows to make reading even more enjoyable.

Sometimes ideas come as insight. Although psychologists believe that in this way the so-called observation and the constant work of the brain work on a specific task. Well, train your watchfulness with good examples.

We bring to your attention 10 beautiful small balconies, the design of which forces you to save these photos in the “inspiration” folder.

• Places are few - many benefits. This case, which can be called "cozy crowding." Finishing, colors, decor - everything is perfectly matched.

• Brick wall, wooden table, retro decorator. And this, in its way, is that balcony minimalism, which becomes a favorite place of relaxation, thoughts alone, enjoying tranquility and solitude. This design of the balcony does not translate into terrifying estimates, it is available to almost everyone.

• Finishing with artificial stone will last a long time and is unlikely to quickly get bored. Instead of a table - a countertop under glass, which serves as a bar counter. Chairs are chosen correctly, their design does not burden the space of the balcony. The question of lighting and restrained decor is correctly solved.

• The design of a balcony with panoramic windows is always interesting. And here the author went along the beaten track, and was not mistaken. A cozy place for one is likely to be in demand.

• There can be two such corners on the balcony. But you can imagine what will stand at the opposite wall - a bookcase, a narrow chest of drawers or a swing. There are options, and they all fit into the concept of a cozy balcony in brown tones.

• There is something from shabby chic, from retrostyle. It looks very nice and warm, and most importantly, a small balcony has become a full-fledged functional area. Woody natural shades plus white is a cozy combination that does not irritate, does not bother.

• Bright, fresh balcony with pleasant coolness, in which the owners decided to arrange a podium. Nothing more, everything is appropriate and restrained, and the furniture also turns out to be transformable. Sometimes, instead of such a design, a chair-bed is put on the balcony, which at the right time turns into a full-fledged berth.

• Little space, a lot of comfort. The principle of scandy style with a dark floor and light walls rarely shoots: in this case, the hosts stopped on a mattress with pleasant numerous textiles, good lighting and a small coffee table. And on the wall there are shelves that can be reasonably furnished with the necessary things.

• Another scandi-balcony in two of its projections. Seats in combination are storage places, which is very convenient. The rack looks nice and does not create a feeling of overload.

• On a narrow balcony there is a place for someone who wants to lie down, soak up the dawn / sunset rays, and escape from the hustle and bustle. Light finish creates a feeling of triumph of cleanliness, order, organization. Sometimes in such an environment, thoughts in my head fall into place.

Few places are an excuse, few ideas and desires - that’s the catch. Be inspired by successful examples so that your renovated balcony can stand on a par with them.

See how to equip a small balcony.