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What Are the Best Tips for Decorating a Small Balcony?
Even a small balcony can be made into useable outdoor living space with a little planning. Most balconies, including those that lack a lot of space, can accommodate a small seating area. Plants, flowers, and herbs can also be used to enhance the appearance of a balcony, and different kinds of lighting can be used to decorate it further.
Setting up a seating area is usually one of the first things that can be done when decorating a small balcony. Depending on the size and layout, there may be room for one or two chairs and possibly a little table. In very tight spaces, a small stool can be used in place of an actual chair to provide a place for a person to sit.
Bistro table sets are a good option for balconies without much space. This type of furniture set often features a small round table and two chairs which can fit into small spaces. If a table is not needed, even a simple lawn chair can be placed on the balcony. Patio furniture typically comes in a number of different styles and materials, and can tolerate being outdoors. Adding comfortable cushions to balcony seating area can add comfort as well as visual interest.
Plants, flowers, and herbs can add natural elements that make a balcony a more relaxing place. A wide variety of greenery can be planted in pots and grown on a balcony. An herb garden on the patio can not only look good but also provide fresh herbs for cooking. If the balcony is covered with a roof or awning, plants can be hung in hanging planters. On an open balcony, planter boxes can be filled with greens and colorful flowers. The plants and flowers used on a small balcony should be chosen carefully to ensure that they will be compatible with the amount of sun that a balcony receives.
Interesting lighting can be added to a small balcony without taking up much space. Candles placed in rugged holders may provide decoration during the day and a source of light in the evening. There are a number of interesting candle holders on the market that can hold both big and small candles. If there is a table on the balcony, a decorative lantern may be hung above it, to draw the eye up and make a small balcony look bigger.
When decorating a small balcony it is a good idea to stick to a cohesive theme. Using coordinating colors and decorations can keep the small space from looking messy and cluttered. The colors used can be bold or more neutral, depending on personal taste.
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![Although balcony gardening is not a new concept, it is a growing trend throughout the world amongst exterior designers.]()
By: il-fedeAlthough balcony gardening is not a new concept, it is a growing trend throughout the world amongst exterior designers. -
![Most balconies, including those that lack a lot of space, can accommodate a small seating area.]()
By: tomaluMost balconies, including those that lack a lot of space, can accommodate a small seating area.
Discussion Comments
@pastanaga - It's not usually an issue with modern balconies. They make those things extremely strong because they know people can be foolish about how they use them.
It's more likely that you'll annoy your neighbors if you have hundreds of plants and wind-chimes and so forth in your balcony. Be aware that they have to share that space as well.
@umbra21 - Just be careful about the weight of the plants. Remember that putting them on the railing doesn't make them weightless and the railing itself might not be that sturdy. But, more importantly, soil, especially wet soil, and heavy pots could be adding a lot of weight to a balcony, particularly if you're putting them outside of the normal area.
It's not outside of possibility that a balcony could collapse, particularly if it's an old one, so be careful and ask your landlord what they recommend.
One option if the balcony is extremely small or if you want to use the space as efficiently as possible is to get plant hangers that will sit outside the balcony so that they aren't taking up room.
Even if you can't find the right kinds of pots locally, you can probably just make your own if you're handy with tools, as there are plenty of designs for this online.
Even if you aren't handy with tools, I've seen variations where people have repurposed milk containers and other things and then basically strapped them into place with some herbs or tomatoes in them. Being able to grow plants even in a small apartment is definitely a blessing.
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