How to Improve the Balcony of Your Tiny Apartment
Space will always be at a premium; as Mark Twain once said, “buy land, they don’t make it anymore.” However, this feeling manifests itself differently when you live in a small city apartment, and your only personal “open space” is a balcony that could theoretically accommodate two people if they both held their breath. While it’s not difficult to make a spacious outdoor space more comfortable or even party-worthy , tiny rental balconies pose their own challenges, both in terms of space and because any improvements you make must be removable.
The good news is that all it takes to make that little piece of fresh air usable without dropping your deposit is a little creativity. Here’s how to upgrade this tiny balcony and turn it into a luxurious outdoor space that you can be proud of.
Flooring
One of the easiest ways to make a small outdoor space feel more luxurious is to upgrade your flooring. A rough concrete floor doesn’t look very attractive, so upgrading is a great investment. You have a lot of choice here, from artificial grass carpets ( Petgrow makes some great ones that feel great on your feet) to outdoor rugs and wood deck tiles (or a combination of deck tiles with a rug on top). Terrace tiles can make a tiny balcony look more like a small piece of expensive terrace, and it is completely portable and temporary. And because you have such a small area to cover, you can upgrade to really expensive hardware without breaking the bank.
vertical gardens
Small-scale gardening can provide many benefits: privacy, beauty, and a touch of nature, all in easily portable packages. While potted plants or raised beds may not work on a very small balcony, that doesn’t mean you can’t liven up the space with some greenery. A vertical garden can be as simple as shallow shelves with small potted plants, or extremely ambitious in design . Literally anything that hangs or stands upright and fits on your balcony can be used as a structure, from wooden pallets left over from shipping or hauled off the street, to ladders, drawers, wire mesh, or even shoe organizers . Adding some creeping ivy can end up surrounding your balcony with a natural privacy screen – all of which are easy to remove and move to a new location if you move.
Lighting
Never underestimate the impact lighting can have on any space, and your tiny balcony is no exception. The right outdoor lighting can make your small space look endless at night. String solar lights are the perfect solution because they are so flexible – you can group them to create brighter spots and space them apart to soften the impact. You can run them along railings, around windows and sliding doors, all without having to run an extension from the outside and usually without having to use any fasteners your homeowner might not like. Adding a few lights to the floor, especially in the corners, also adds depth and texture to the lighting mix.
Confidentiality
A privacy screen is a nice addition to a tiny balcony, especially if you’re very close to your neighbors. Just about anything can be used as a privacy screen, from a bamboo rug to any outdoor fabric. Choose something to complement your furniture and flooring and attach it to the railing with zip ties or string so it can be easily removed.
wall decoration
Want to give your balcony a real design boost? Consider using removable outdoor wallpaper . It’s exactly what it sounds like: a way to add texture, color and design to your balcony’s empty walls without worrying about removing them when moving day arrives. Removable wallpaper can not only add color or visual interest to a space, it can also hide any weathering, cracks, or other surface issues that your landlord doesn’t want to bother fixing.
rail shelf
If your balcony is very narrow, you have probably struggled with the choice of furniture for it and have probably experimented with a classic bistro setting with a tiny table and almost child-sized chairs that make any activity on the balcony seem vaguely silly and uncomfortable. The trick is to get some of that furniture off the floor, and a shelf on rails is the perfect solution. You can use it as a cocktail or coffee service table, as a desk for working outside on good days, as a planter or even as a storage space. You can even find one that folds up , giving you extra space when you’re not using it. Best of all, when you move, you just pick it up and take it with you.
One huge pillow
If your balcony is really too narrow for any person to use it functionally, you can simply cover it all with cushions and outdoor cushions and make it a comfortable place to sit or sleep. It’s cheap, 100% temporary, and turns your tiny outdoor space into a sanctuary, as well as making it a great place for pets to hang out.
Hammock
If you see a hammock, you imagine yourself sleeping in it – that’s human nature. If your balcony has three railings, you can easily set up a gorgeous hammock in a few minutes and take a nap there in less than ten. Add a drink shelf and phone space and you have a sleeping and reading station that could disappear in minutes if you ever move to a new location.