When you set out for a morning or evening walk in your neighbourhood you can’t help but have a look at the houses and the balconies around you. A pretty sight always attracts the eye. Lush green lawns and pretty little plants in balconies and terraces are a sight to admire.
Not many people get the chance to live in bungalows or ground floor houses where the garden can be properly landscaped. Sometimes terraces and balconies are all you have to satisfy your need for an outdoor space!
Budget Your Balcony
Though improving a balcony is a continuous process, not just a quick fix, you still need to plan and set aside a certain amount of money to spend on it. Keep in mind the walls, flooring, false roofs, fake outdoor plants, pots, fake grass, lights and decorations when budgeting.
Design and Planning
The size and shape of your balcony are both important factors in the planning process. Creating a Pinterest pinboard, reading design and decor magazines, and browsing blogs for inspiration are always good ways to start.
Flooring
Remember that your balcony will face different weather conditions – rain, sun, wind, and even storms. It’s a good idea to choose flooring which is designed to last. There are plenty of options available – antiskid tiles, stone or cement slabs, marble, granite, or fake grass.
It’s an excellent idea to layer the flooring with fake mondo grass. This will brighten it up and make it both easy to clean and more durable.
Walls
The interior walls of your balcony should be clean and pretty to look at. They also need to be weather friendly and be able to accommodate tiles, grainy distemper, stones, pebbles or any other material. Walls can also be livened up with fake outdoor plants either placed in front of them or hung up.
A fake creeper can also be fitted. Bird feeders are also an attractive addition. You’ll soon have birds coming on to the balcony to quench their thirst. Arrange for plug points to run a fan or light a lamp.
False Roof
If any part of your balcony is exposed to direct sunlight or is open to the sky, a false roof can be fitted. A thatched roof can be a particularly great option. Fake outdoor plants or artificial bird nests can be hung from thatched rooves for a natural effect. Wind chimes hung from ceilings in the balcony also add to its beauty and are said to bring good luck.
Lighting
A well-lit balcony will really showcase the effort you’ve put into your balcony. Soft diffused lights look very beautiful and don’t attract too many insects. There is a huge variety of different lamp shades and bulb holders on the market. Lights can look very classy during social gatherings. Place some pots with silk plants to highlight them.
Seating
Make your balcony inviting and comfortable to sit and relax in. Use wooden or cane furniture for an ethnic look, some colourful recliners or these hammocks for Tropilex for a beach experience, or low seating for a more grounded feel.
Personal Retreat
Your balcony is not only an external extension of your house but also a personal outdoor retreat. It’s a place where you can sit in privacy and enjoy the scenes of nature around you. Play some music when you want to get away from the stresses of life. It’s your space to relax privately or entertain guests socially. Have a mini bar if space allows and hang up some of your favourite photos to bring back memories.
Utility
Sometimes your balcony can also give you some extended storage space. Either buy readymade cabinets to go with the décor or get some customized. Make space a portable clothesline to dry clothes out of sight from visitors.
Plants
Your love of nature can really be expressed by having plenty of pots and plants on your balcony. It’s a good idea to place artificial topiary trees and fake trees to make up for living in what can often feel like a concrete jungle. Custom artificial trees add to the beauty of the place with their shine and designs. They also keep the place looking neat and tidy. Place pots of different sizes, shapes, and colours to add to the beautiful effect.
Fake outdoor plants have many advantages over real ones. They are long lasting, more durable, easier to clean and maintain, and don’t lose their sheen or shed over the years. You can select your favourite flowers and trees and enjoy them in all seasons.
They also solve the problem of attracting insects, flies, and mosquitoes to your home. You can select the height of these fake outdoor plants to suit the size and shape of the balcony and you don’t have to deal with watering, weeding, manuring or pruning.
These plants are cost-effective in the long run because of their low maintenance. Artificial plants are also easy to install, are fire resistant, and look as good as the real thing.
Aesthetics
Once the basic requirements of your balcony are taken care of, there are hundreds of ways of adding aesthetics to it to really make it the envy of your neighbours. Add accessories like a wall clock, bird feeders and nests, artificial bird cages, wind chimes, hanging artificial creepers, some ethnic cloth puppets, etc. Also, add an arrangement of silk flowers and silk foliage to brighten things up even more.
Let loose your imagination and put together a design that will give you pleasure each time you step outside for a breath of fresh air. Invite your friends and family and let them enjoy your balcony as much as you do.
collaborative post
