Love your Balcony

Yesterday I got talking to a new colleague and while we were shooting the breeze as the tea kettle was boiling ("lovely weather, yes everyone's gardening" etc) she told me that she has a large balcony which she has never used. 

It got me thinking: why do people not make more of their outdoor spaces? Do they not want a relaxing hour in the evening sun when they come back from work..? Is it because they're shy and don't like the thought of other people seeing them in a private setting? Do they think they would have to spend a lot of money perhaps?

In my view no balcony is too small for enjoyment, with a bit of creativity a small budget needn't be an impediment.

Photo: Frida Ramsted / Trendenser

See how a narrow strip of a balcony can be turned into a great little outdoor space by choosing 'fine-limbed' furniture and small flowerpots. And who says you can't use the doorway as a seat by piling it up with handsome cushions?

Photo: Lagerlings
Small is beautiful. This small balcony has just about room for a chair, a small table and a flowerpot. But the colours in that view... and the fact that furnishings and wooden decking have been chosen with care makes it a tiny haven.

Photo: IKEA
Romantic, perhaps overly so, but remove the lace curtains and this is a visually relaxing space. The white metal chair and table from IKEA have become classics, and the seagrass mat is not only comfortable underfoot, it also lessens noise which often reverberates from concrete and metal balconies.

Photo: fairyofinspiration.se
This is a lesson in how to transform and personalise a standard Scandi balcony. Arched trellises covered in climbers create a verdant screen which provides privacy and shade.

Photo: Øyvind Holmstad

A tiny balcony in Gothenburg wreathed in flowers for a gorgeous effect.

Photo: Minna Mercke-Schmidt
Fill a balcony with vintage furniture and lots of plant pots plus a judiciously placed screen and you might actually forget that it's a balcony...

Photo: Inger Ekrem
Ditto a bathtub...


The possibilities are endless!