Beautiful balconies: design options and ready-made solutions

Most often, balconies are used by our compatriots as a storage unit for unnecessary and rarely used things - they store out-of-season clothes, old furniture, work equipment, as well as bicycles, skis, scooters and much more.

However, this small additional space can be used more functionally - for example, equip a study, sleeping place, dining room or recreation area. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the most popular balcony design ideas.

From a technical point of view, a balcony in an apartment or cottage is a concrete slab protruding from the wall. Usually it gets off infrequently, nevertheless, this corner conceals a lot of opportunities and opens up interesting prospects for its arrangement.

Of course, the balcony can be used the old fashioned way as a storage room, especially if there is no utility block in the house. In this case, it is better to move a wardrobe of compact sizes to it - on the one hand, such models are quite spacious, and on the other, they do not create a feeling of clutter in the balcony space.

If you plan to have tea in this area, it makes sense to additionally put a small table and a couple of chairs there, and to make the atmosphere more comfortable, put a colorful flower.

A small balcony can serve as a full-fledged seating area; for this, a table, a small sofa, or even a hammock should be placed here.In order to have a rest at any time of the year, it is advisable to insulate the room - then even in winter you can enjoy gatherings with your family and friends in a small but cozy room.

Additional space is often used as a study for a schoolchild or student, for this they install a desktop, an organizer and hang bookshelves on it.

You can equip a sleeping place on the insulated balcony - most often the bed takes up most of the space; for maximum comfort, sconces and other decorative items that create coziness are placed here.

Many apartment owners use a balcony as a dining area, for this it is best to put a table with a bench, and if you spread sofa cushions on it, the dining room will simultaneously serve as a seating area.

And of course, here you can equip library - bookshelves, a comfortable chair and a blanket will guarantee a warm and cozy atmosphere. However, do not forget that temperature extremes and cold air are contraindicated for books, so such a balcony must be closed and insulated.

You can beautifully decorate a balcony using a variety of materials, but they must necessarily be durable, strong, moisture resistant, but at the same time not creating an overload on the supporting structures of the balcony floor. These requirements are best met by plastic and wood, their colors and configurations can be selected depending on personal preference. On closed balconies it is also allowed the use of plaster, ceramic tiles and paints.

The interior arrangement and decoration of the balcony is just as important as the exterior work - here you need to think over every little detail.

When choosing a color scheme, one should take into account how illuminated the balcony is, whether it is technically possible to conduct wiring there, hang wall or ceiling sconces.

The degree of illumination also influences the choice of facing material. - if the balcony faces the north side or is darkened for some other reason, it is better to use glossy tiles, shiny stones or mirrors to decorate the space, which reflect sunlight and create a comfortable environment in the room that does not irritate the eye.

To use the balcony all year round, it must be insulated. When finishing, heat-insulating materials are used for walls, ceilings and floors; the arrangement of warm floors using infrared films is of great importance.

As a rule, balconies cannot boast of a large footage, therefore, it is necessary to use every centimeter of the provided area as ergonomically as possible - transforming furniture, hanging or folding tables, high chairs or hanging chairs would be the best option here.

With the right approach, even the smallest and most inconspicuous balcony can be tidied up and turned into a cozy corner and even turned into a full-fledged functional room.

Regardless of how you see the use of your additional space, it is necessary to adhere to the basic design rules for such specific spaces.

• Light nude shades visually expand the space. Therefore, when choosing a palette, wall finishes are preferred.

• Not recommended for north-facing balconies cold shades or dark colors.

• Bright and rich tones should not be used as the main ones.

• Colorful design walls on the balcony must be variably balanced by at least one monochrome wall.

• The use of paintings, frescoes or decorative panels is allowed only on one of the walls - they will serve as the center of the composition, around which the entire interior is formed, the rest of the walls should be decorated in neutral colors and serve as a background.

• A safe bet would be wall decoration in white colors... This shade is able to visually expand the boundaries of the space, it goes well with different styles and any other color, which creates the widest possibilities for choosing a general interior concept, and by adding bright spots you can easily change and refresh the room almost beyond recognition.

• Another harmonious option for balconies is use of beige colors... This color scheme is often used for balcony walls, but keep in mind - in this case, furniture should be made in a different color palette, otherwise you will quickly get bored and annoyed with the abundance of creamy beige elements.

• Brown shades They look good in the interior of large rooms, kitchens and corridors, but they visually reduce cramped spaces, so you need to use chocolate tones on balconies in dosage, for example, decorate one of the walls, or even better - a fragment of it.

• More and more popular in recent years gray shades... If in the days of our mothers and grandmothers, utility rooms were decorated in this range, today warm and graphite tones are widely used to create stylish modern interiors. On balconies, light shades of gray are desirable as the main tone, they are diluted with bright spots of red, lemon or orange. Gray harmoniously matches the texture of natural brick or wood.

• Blue shades optimal for spaces facing south and east. The abundance of light combined with heavenly hues gives a sense of volume and light. Green, orange and yellow decors look very interesting against a blue background. But on low-light balconies, it is better to refuse this color - even its warmest shades will create a feeling of dampness and cold.

The most original interior design concepts can be realized on the balconies.

• Balconies look very impressive in style shabby chic... Traditionally, this style is dominated by white shades with an aging effect, creating a feeling of neglect - they can be present not only on the walls, but also in pieces of furniture and even accessories. Usually such spaces are furnished with rare furniture.

• A tandem of yellow-beige and blue colors can become the main one for decoration Mediterranean style on the balcony. Most often, one of these shades or a combination of them is used. It will be useful to additionally decorate one of the walls with mosaics and frescoes. Be sure to place some plants indoors, preferably in bloom. Balconies located on the sunny side will look especially impressive in this style.

• Laconic and discreet Japanese style suggests a contrast of beige walls with dark beams. As a rule, such interiors are complemented with low furniture, a mat and traditional national ornaments.

• Lovers of exoticism should realize ideas inside their balconies. Moroccan interior. This trend is characterized by the presence of bright carpets, tapestries and dishes. In this case, it is better to cover the walls with plaster of pinkish-beige colors.

• Romantic meetings can be arranged on chalet balconies. Such rooms are sheathed with clapboard and covered with stain. The overall color scheme is kept in terracotta and brown tones.

• Ecostyle - as the name suggests, the design involves the use of natural materials and natural shades - sand, olive, beige, which are effectively complemented by straw or bamboo inserts.