Shelving on the balcony: varieties, tips for selection and location

The balcony space should be used as profitably as possible with furniture. Since the shape and size of large rooms often do not allow you to store various things, the best option is to install a rack in this room. In furniture stores, such designs are presented in a large number of options, so it can be difficult to stop the choice on a specific product.

Also, many buyers are not aware of what materials this furniture is made of, what its design may be, and also where it is better to place such attributes on the balcony. All these and other nuances will be discussed in detail in this article.

As with any piece of furniture, the shelving on the balcony has a number of positive and negative characteristics. It is worth considering the advantages of this design.

• She is able to save space in the balcony room. Racks, unlike cabinets, do not overload space. Even the place they occupy visually still seems to be an actively used part of the loggia with proper rack design.
• Many prefer to store some things on the loggia, and it is the rack that can become the place of their compact and convenient location. Taken as a storage location, such an attribute will save you from the mess on the balcony.
• With the help of such whatnots you can very successfully complement the interior of the balcony room. If the design of the design corresponds to the chosen direction of the interior, this element will create real harmony in the territory of the balcony space.
• A shelving unit is such a piece of furniture that it is not difficult to build it yourself. Some varieties of such furniture can be created on their balcony even by not very experienced users in this matter. Assembling directly on the balcony eliminates the need for dragging heavy structural elements or its entire body.

However, one should keep in mind the negative aspects of installing such a piece of furniture on a balcony.

• The capacity of the whatnot is completely dependent on the dimensions of the loggia. Designs that can accommodate all the items needed for storage will not always be able to fit into the area of ​​your balcony. On small loggias, only small shelves are often acceptable.
• Such furniture in most cases requires insulation on the balcony. Otherwise, both the shelves themselves and the items on them will be exposed to extremes of temperature and humidity, due to which they can become unusable faster.
• The color scheme of such products is usually limited. light colors, as well as the design depends on the lighting of the balcony room and its orientation.

The design of the balcony shelving can be embodied in various forms. Depending on how much the shelves are on view, whatnots are closed and open. Closed structures are equipped with doors and side walls, due to which it is not visible what exactly is located on the shelves.

Open products suggest finding all the contents of the shelves in the overview. Such models are good in that due to the proper arrangement of things on them, you can create a successful composition that will complement the interior and give the room comfort. The need for dust cleaning among owners of such whatnots arises more often, however due to the lack of side and rear walls access to all necessary things will be easy.

There is a corner type of balcony shelving. Part of their compartments is perpendicular to each other, which allows them to be placed on a wide balcony. Also, such placements can be represented in the form of triangular shelves, which are located one above the other, connecting two adjacent balcony walls. This case is suitable for small loggias.

There are also options such as integrated shelving. They look like shelves, which are arranged in rows in the arched space of the loggia. However, sometimes racks of this type are masked, providing the design with roller shutters. By omitting them, you can fence off part of the space in which the rack is located, thereby creating protection for it from negative influences. This option is also advisable if the whatnot is not very in harmony with the overall design of the balcony and it is necessary to mask it.

Shelving for loggias is also classified by height. There are models that occupy almost the entire wall in height, and there are low structures whose height is equal to the balcony partition.

For the manufacture of rack structures, various types of raw materials are used, each of which gives the furniture a unique set of features. There are materials that are considered the most popular.

• Metal, which is characterized by durability, combined with simplicity and grace. Shelves of this type will look great in industrial concepts. Most often, open structures are made from this type of raw material. However, the iron structure may suffer from rust in the event of increased humidity in the room. However, there are varieties of aluminum products, characterized by their light weight, and stainless steel, less susceptible to moisture.

• No less popular raw material for shelving is wood. Very solid in appearance, durable constructions suitable for many interior styles are made of solid wood. But solid wood is a rather expensive material that requires a lack of moisture and temperature extremes. Particularly low-cost analogues of raw materials with wooden components in the composition are particleboard and MDF. They also do not tolerate moisture very well, but are quite strong and durable.

• Plastic shelves are very light and resistant to moisture.. They can be decorated in various colors, very easy to care for. However, such a material is not particularly resistant to mechanical stress.

• In some cases, options are made from combined materials. For example, a metal frame may have wooden shelves. Such models are especially appropriate if they are selected for a certain interior style, for example, a loft.

How presentably and harmoniously the whatnot will look like on your balcony room is determined not only by the functional side, but also by the design of the products. You can make the design interesting due to the form. The angular version can be made smoother, the shelves of the open structure can be arranged in the form of a zigzag, and metal products can be equipped with ornate elements.

Pay attention to the decor of the doors of closed racks. By adding mirrors, patina or other decorative elements to them, you can emphasize the style of design, as well as create a unique piece of furniture.

You can adjust the compartments of the rack to a pre-compiled composition of the arrangement of objects. In such an ensemble, each element occupies a certain shelf, which makes the overall appearance harmonious. And so that things on open models do not look boring, supplement these shelves with live plants in pots.

When choosing a finished rack design, it’s worth remembering certain criteria, to help you find the perfect model for your loggia.

• Correlate the dimensions of the product with the area of ​​the place that should be reserved for the bookcase in advance. If the balcony is narrow, pay attention that its width does not hide even more from an additional piece of furniture.
• Plan ahead what exactly you will store on the shelf. Namely, based on this, the type of its design is selected. For storage of wheels or tools, for example, closed options are suitable, and for placing plants it is optimal to choose open shelves. Interesting options are the use of such a rack for storing books on the loggia, as well as creating a dressing room along the entire wall of a long balcony.
• Pay attention to the color of the product. It should be combined with the decoration of the balcony, as well as the rest of the furniture, if any.
• It is better if the material is equipped with special layers of impregnation or protective coating.

In order for the rack to bring maximum benefits and minimum discomfort when using, you should think about its proper location on the balcony. The basic rules for placing a bookcase is so that it does not impede movement on the balcony, and also provides convenient access to all its compartments.

As location options, you can consider these.

• The most popular type of accommodation is along the end of the balcony wall. It is optimal for narrow and long balconies, the area of ​​which will not practically change due to the presence of whatnot. However, remember that choosing a rack with hinged doors, you will block part of the light when they open, due to which the space of the rack will be shaded.

• If the width of the balcony allows, then you can place the shelf structure along a long wall. In this case, she usually stands near the site where there is no window connecting the loggia with the room.

• If there is a niche in the balcony room, this greatly facilitates the choice of location. Shelves can be made directly in it, if its depth allows.

• On larger loggias can be located shelving in the corner.

If it’s still difficult for you to find the right shelving for your loggia, pay attention to the ideas presented for the design of such an item of furniture on the balcony.

• A dark contrasting shelving on a white loggia can be diluted with a plentiful amount of plants, combined with light accessories and books.

• On bookshelves with rounded edges, book compositions will look great. By dividing the space of the shelves into two sections, you can arrange literature and accessories in a checkerboard pattern.

• The rack, located along the large balcony wall, can smoothly transition into the workspace, creating a kind of cabinet on the balcony.

• In shelves, open compartments can also be combined with closed, making it easier to organize space.

On how to make a rack with your own hands, see further.