How to Turn Your Small Balcony Into a Cozy Oasis

Have a small balcony and not sure how to amp it up for summer season? No worries. Check out Petra's tips to quickly supersize your small balcony.

Outdoor areas like balconies, terraces, patios, courtyards, come in focus when the sun gets warmer and days become longer. Activities like reading, coffee breaks, drinks with friends or studying – are all more pleasing when sun rays, fresh breeze, and some greenery are involved. Even more so if an outdoor space is cozy and nicely decorated.

balcony in paris

We should give the same attention to our exteriors as we give to interiors because they are extensions of our homes and maybe the most valuable leisure zones.

The greenery

green terraces

Creating a little oasis on the balcony or a terrace seems to be everyone’s aim, but often, due to lack of time or money, outdoor spaces get overlooked –and turned into unappealing storage areas. These issues can be easily avoided with proper planning and education. A good thing about a balcony garden is that it can be made on a very tight budget, and results can still be pretty amazing.

High building balconies usually have a different microclimate than the one on the ground. Also, that microclimate varies depending on the position of the balcony. Shaded, sunny, or windy- every situation represents different condition. But there are appropriate plants for every situation, and every condition can be solved in its own beautiful and unique way.

If you are lucky enough to enjoy a large terrace or a backyard, make sure to use the most of it. The optimal solution will involve areas for resting, playing, eating and a garden area.

The furniture

furniture for balcony and terraces

The amount of space is, naturally, a crucial fact when planning the outdoor space. But the good news is that any area can be transformed into a little relaxation zone with some tricks and hacks.

Even for significantly small balconies there are amazing vertical garden solutions that allow space saving. In addition to smart outdoor furniture and some whimsical lighting, the final results can be incredibly charming. No matter how small your balcony might be, the comfortable seating is essential, even if it’s just one chair. When it comes to comfort, a lounge chaise or a bench are highly desirable features. A bench can double as storage for pillows and other things, which can be very handy.

Using an outdoor furniture that will look and work great indoors too, can be a great compromise. In this fashion, you’ll make the most out of an investment and also solve a storage issue during the cold season.

For larger outdoor areas like terraces and courtyards, beanbags are practical and cozy add-ons to a basic seating, and they create a casual and friendly setting. The outdoor furniture is mostly made of wood, plastic, wrought iron, aluminum and wicker that cope well with outdoor conditions.

Landscaping

terraces landscape

You might consider a help of a professional with planning, designing, and decorating your outside area. It’s a quite a project where many things need to be considered. All factors like position and orientation, gardening, flooring, lighting, water areas, are equally important and need to be carefully and timely planned.

The flooring

balcony flooring

Construction of a balcony, terrace or patio flooring is generally done during the original construction of the home. The range of flooring solutions is broad; wooden, ceramic or concrete decking, gravel, flagstone, etc.

A bit different and highly effective flooring type is the artificial turf or faux grass. It creates pleasant and natural feel, and it can be installed on an existing surface. Besides, it hardly needs any maintaining.

It is preferable to make sure that the drainage of a balcony or a terrace is good before installing the grass, to avoid moisture problems.

An excellent alternative to wooden decking is a composite decking- a form of material made of wood and plastic, and as such is denser and stronger than a wood alone. Composite decking also offers a wider range of colors and finishes and it’s easy to maintain.

Outdoor upholstery

Outdoor upholstery

Nothing will uplift your balcony or terrace more than colorful and vivid patterns on your textiles. Keeping fabric colors bright and preventing them from losing its hue can be a problem if the material can’t handle outdoor conditions.

Making sure that the upholstery on your seating is appropriate for the outdoor exposure is essential. Outdoor fabrics have a satisfying resistance to ultra-violet degradation, or they are protected with suitable coatings.

Polyester fabrics will serve well in moderate outdoor conditions if not additionally treated while acrylic will increase the resistance of fabrics that are permanently exposed to weathering.

Outdoor illumination

outdoor illumination

Illumination of your private exterior decides the overall impression of your property at night time, and detailed planning needs to be made early in order to achieve a desired ambiance.

An eco-friendly and economical solution that is also very practical and almost effortless is solar outdoor lighting. The major advantage of using solar lighting in your outdoor space is that they function without any form of electricity. Solar lights come with a solar panel on top that absorbs the sun’s rays during the day, stores that light into a battery and uses it to glow at night.

Most of these lights will work with a smallest amount of sunlight because the small LED light inside needs very little energy to power. On the other hand, a bigger amount of sunlight that shines on the solar cell will increase the power and efficiency of the light.

Energy-efficient outdoor LED lights will highlight the beauty of your exterior and lighten your paths, pool, sidewalks, and driveway that will increase the level of safety and security.

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If you haven’t started already, now will be the perfect time to do so. A little time, some effort and devotion will make the best help in creating your dream balcony, terrace, or a patio. And once you’re done, that private little oasis will make you happy for many crisp spring mornings and warm summer nights.

Share your own small balcony decorating tips in the comment section below!

About the author

Petra

Hi! My name is Petra, I am an interior designer and a happily married
mother of two. I love my job, every aspect of it. When I'm not occupied
with my work and kids, I do pilates.

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