Five Tips for Designing a City Apartment Balcony into a Comfortable Retreat
A balcony is an extra room for every home that can be used according to your wishes. Often we see that especially in older panel apartment buildings, balconies are used as additional storage space, since the apartments lack designated storage areas. However, in Bonava's new developments, every home comes with a separate storage room, and in addition to this, the buildings also have common storage spaces for bicycles and strollers. We've gathered some simple tips on how to design a city home balcony into a functional yet cozy retreat.
Think it through and plan
Measure twice, cut once – or before purchasing exciting interior elements, flower pots and furniture pieces, it's advisable to think through what kind of balcony you want and what purpose you'll use it for. Are you someone who wants to enjoy a beautiful sunset there in the evening, have coffee with a friend on a weekend afternoon, or would you simply like one cozy and peaceful retreat.
Finding comfortable and functional furniture
When looking for pleasing furniture, it would be good to first measure out the entire balcony area. Even a larger balcony can be furnished impractically, which means that furniture pieces may cover most of the free space, taking up almost all the movement room – the same applies to smaller balconies as well. In addition, when choosing furniture, pay attention to hidden storage areas. For example, balcony chairs that have separate designated drawers where you can store things during rainy weather. So, by choosing comfortable yet functional outdoor furniture for your balcony, you can use the free space purposefully and store necessary items more smartly.
Create privacy
City home balconies are often open, which is why people may spend less time there at times. To create a more private retreat area, you can use balcony screens. Nowadays these are made from various materials (bamboo, artificial rattan, etc.), from which you can choose a variant you like and add character to your balcony.
Add greenery
Plants always help create a nature-like atmosphere in an urban environment. Green plants or colorful flowers can be brought to the balcony as well. If you choose a larger plant or tree, it helps create more privacy, while being both a practical and aesthetic addition to a cozy balcony. Before making a choice, it's good to research what works best for your home's balcony, keeping in mind the location and how much direct sunlight reaches it. But if you don't want to take real or artificial plants, you can also create greenery with artificial grass carpeting. It's easy to maintain and moreover, it withstands different weather conditions.
Cozy lighting
Although summer evenings don't require much additional lighting, candle lanterns, mood lamps with replaceable LED bulbs or solar-powered ones create a cozy atmosphere on darker evenings. This way you can add character to your balcony with unique light fixtures, while at the same time the aforementioned options are also environmentally friendly and use less energy.
