Set Up Your Balcony for Year-Round Comfort
Here are 10 tips to make even the tiniest lofted outdoor space a sought-after spot for relaxing
Set the mood on your balcony for year-round enjoyment with comfortable outdoor furniture, twinkling lights, shelter from sun, if needed, and plenty of snuggly blankets on hand for warmth on chilly evenings. Take a look at these appealing balconies from Los Angeles to Stockholm, which offer ideas for taking advantage of urban outdoor spaces throughout the year.
1. Layer soft elements. Make your balcony just as inviting as a room in the house by decorating it in much the same way. Work from the ground up to add layers of comfort with rugs, outdoor furniture, soft throws and squashy pillows. Here, a cushy, pillow-topped outdoor sofa and plush throw encourage guests to get cozy on this Scandinavian balcony.
Metal outdoor furniture looks great but can feel less cozy in cold weather. For a quick fix, bring out cushions or a fluffy faux sheepskin rug as needed, to soften the seats and add instant warmth.
Note: For balcony arrangements that involve more than a table and chairs, it’s best to double-check with your landlord or homeowners association before investing in planters, lighting, portable grills or other accessories that may not be permitted for your particular building.
Note: For balcony arrangements that involve more than a table and chairs, it’s best to double-check with your landlord or homeowners association before investing in planters, lighting, portable grills or other accessories that may not be permitted for your particular building.
2. Roll out a rug. We’ve talked about the benefits of rugs in outdoor spaces, so be sure to bring them out on the balcony. Laying down a soft floor makes the space feel more like an extension of the home, an area where you can walk out without slipping on shoes to “go outside.”
For this narrow balcony outside the home of Faith Blakeney, an L.A.-based interior designer, wall-to-wall outdoor rugs create a bright, bare-feet-friendly floor. The rugs are made of recycled plastic, making it easy to hose off beach sand or potting soil.
For this narrow balcony outside the home of Faith Blakeney, an L.A.-based interior designer, wall-to-wall outdoor rugs create a bright, bare-feet-friendly floor. The rugs are made of recycled plastic, making it easy to hose off beach sand or potting soil.
3. Invest in good-quality outdoor furniture. Since outdoor furniture takes a beating from the elements, choose sets in materials like synthetic rattan, metal, and teak and other hardwoods. Synthetic rattan, used for the sofa on this Toronto balcony, is one of the most common materials for outdoor furniture and is hardy in all weather conditions. Throw pillows and foldable butterfly chairs can easily be brought out for the season.
4. Add a splash of color. Energize a balcony with warm color accents like orange, gold, terra cotta or red, or bright, cooler colors like chartreuse or turquoise. For example, this Stockholm balcony would look bright and inviting even on a gray day, thanks to the zingy orange pillows and potted citrus trees.
5. Up the privacy. Make a balcony feel more secluded by taking steps to shield views of neighbors with screens, outdoor fabric, potted shrubs or vines to grow on the balcony railings. Weaving a strip of outdoor fabric through the metal bars of an apartment-block balcony is a cheap and effective solution for bumping up the privacy. With the addition of a pair of outdoor love seats and soft pillows, the now-secluded space feels much more appealing than the balconies left bare.
6. Mind the sun. Depending on your climate and the orientation of your balcony, building-side perches can be far too hot and sunny to enjoy in the hottest months. Adding a retractable shade structure, awning, simple umbrella or lattice screen can help cut the glare and cool off the house. For this Delhi balcony, a permanent shade screen encloses the space, providing both security and a pleasant, dappled-shade seating area that works well in the hot climate. As a bonus, the filtered light creates a more welcoming environment for growing plants like ferns, pothos vines and Japanese laurels (Aucuba japonica).
7. Make a nook. Use a small, somewhat confined balcony space to your advantage. A feeling of enclosure from walls on both sides of a seating area or the covering of an awning can make a balcony space feel like a secret hideaway. Starting off with a larger, more open space? Divide it into smaller areas, keeping one portion of the balcony more open and another section — perhaps with one cushy chair tucked in a corner — that feels like a cozy nook. Or try adding an awning or a shade screen to kill two birds with one stone.
8. Bring in plants. Adding greenery changes the way we see a balcony from a man-made space to a more natural environment. Plants can also be problem solvers for balconies, acting as privacy screens or providing shade. On this Stockholm terrace, a trio of potted shrubs forms a low green wall along the side of the balcony, helping the seating area feel more private by partially screening the adjacent buildings. Once the tree in the corner grows to maturity, its canopy will provide some shade for the seating area.
9. Enclose the space. To maximize yearlong enjoyment of a balcony in more extreme climates, it may make sense to partially or fully enclose the space. With floor-to-ceiling windows, this enclosed balcony in Yekaterinburg, Russia, east of Moscow, allows the homeowners to enjoy the bright space even when temperatures drop below freezing. Conversely, in hot or very humid climates, an enclosed balcony could be climate-controlled.
10. Let there be light. Adding a string of cafe lights or a wall-mounted lantern, or just bringing out candles in the evening, instantly ups the ambiance and increases the chances you’ll enjoy your balcony past sunset. Bring out cozy sheepskins or easy-to-reach throws to stay warm.
Have a balcony? Show us how you decorate it in the Comments below.
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See How Outdoor Seating Areas Can Inspire You to Get Outside
Browse more balcony ideas on Houzz
Find outdoor furniture for your home