How to quickly transform your city balcony into a cosy nest for summer rest?

If you luckily own a city balcony, but it has not yet become a recreation place for your family, it's just the time to practice your designer skills and tastes! Even without a professional designer, you will successfully turn your balcony into a cosy place to have breakfasts and romantic candlelight dinners, read your favourite book or communicate with friends over a cup of coffee. 

Of course, the climate in countries is not so Spanish and it is impossible to comfortably spend time on an open balcony all the year-round. However, it does not mean that the balcony's primary function is to store half-forgotten things. Our life is apriori a celebration, so let's go ahead:

#1 Declutter!

First, try to free up as much as possible space. Do you really need all the things that you have ever stored on the balcony? Maybe someone else needs these things more urgently?

#2 Cover the floor

The requirements for flooring on open balconies are significantly different from the interior ones, since such a floor is constantly subjected to temperature drops, which narrows the choice of materials to the following ones: ceramic tiles with a rough anti-slip surface and granite tiles, rubber tiles, terraced boards (decking), special rubber paints, PVC panels and special cold-resistant linoleum. The most interesting, but a more expensive option is decking - light and durable material in the form of a terrace board or modules of garden parquet, made of hard, non-rotting wood or wood-polymer composites. The weight advantage of decking in front of the tile is in its lightness.

#3 Choose a minimal furniture set

A folding table with folding chairs is a perfect solution for small balconies. Folding portable furniture is convenient because it might also be used indoors in winter or will occupy minimal storage space when folded. For open balconies, it is most practical to purchase plastic or metal furniture that is rain, fade and UV resistant. Wooden furniture looks cosier, but it's better not to leave it permanently on an open balcony and to regularly stain it. Otherwise, the furniture should be protected from rain and moisture with a special shelter. Ideal furniture pieces for relaxation on a balcony are a rocking chair, a hammock chair or a hammock - if a balcony is more spacious, and the attachments are reliable.

#4 Fence off naturally

Create a more private space hiding your balcony from curious neighbours or passersby behind a light natural reed or bamboo fence. The thinner reed or thicker bamboo fence is incredibly cosy, they let in sunlight.

#5 Choose the right accessories

Ideal balcony accessories include decorative cushions, padded stools, blankets and a carpet. If they are of vivid colours, summer mood will be guaranteed even in a rainy summer. In the case of open balconies, it is better to use fade, water and UV resistant cushions that withstand multiple washing. Otherwise, the cushions will serve only one season.

#6 Create romantic lighting

Of course, there is nothing to do on the balcony on summer nights without candles, LED-lights and/or hanging lantern. If the balcony faces the sunny side, then a great idea is to install a solar-powered lantern, which would accumulate energy from the sun during the day.

#7 Grow your mini garden

If you live in a big city jungle, you can try to turn your balcony into an islet of nature. Boxes and pots to grow flowers can be built on your own or purchased in specialized stores. If the balcony has a free wall, arrange a curling green carpet by planting fast-growing climbing plants in the floor (eg ivy) and creating supports of strong threads or wooden slats, to which their stems will cling.

Please enjoy your summers!