Balcony Decorating Ideas – The Best Ideas You Need Now
This is the best list of balcony decorating ideas for creating a new look and easier access to your favorite features in your outdoor space!
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Our Balcony – Video
In case you’re wondering off the bat… this is the couch set we purchased!
Small Space? Not A Problem!
Having a small balcony is very normal and no no way preventative of having a cool apartment balcony!
Whether you are on the second-floor balcony of an apartment building, or the top floor, there are tons of space-saving methods to make sure you have enough room.
Step 1: Measure Your Outdoor Area
Please, please, please do not overlook this critical step!
It may be…
- Annoying to do
- You may have to wait in order to purchase a measuring tape
- You may have to hunt for the floor plan for the apartment you’re in
- It may be difficult
… but please do yourself a favor and measure your space FIRST.
For reference, our balcony is 8″ x 10″ so 80 ft² [square feet] (or 7.43 m²) [ square meters].
Step 2: Plan Out What Makes Up Your Own Outdoor Oasis
It is super important to plan ahead before randomly purchasing items for your small balcony.
It is really easy to purchase too many items and end up not having enough room / overcrowding your space.
Make sure to take into account what options you have, meaning:
- Can you hang things on the wall of a building
- Will any items block a view of an open window
- Will any items prevent light from a French window
What Do I Want In My Personal Space?
Here’s a list of fun ideas for items that can fit on a small balcony:
- Balcony Furniture
- Small Couches
- Chairs
- Swings
- Benches
- Coffee Table
- Small Table For Drinks
- Balcony Bar
- Table & Chairs Set
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- Balcony Accessories
- Herb Garden
- Lighting
- Balcony Railing Decor
- Plant Stands
- Plant Stands
- Outdoor Electronics
- Shade Systems – Blinds, Curtains, Etc.
- Bug Nets
- Privacy Coverage
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- Balcony Decor
- Plants/Florals
- Rugs
- Decorative Lights
- Artwork
- Small Fountains
- Signage
- Deck Tiles
- Drink Fridge
- Bird Baths/Bird Feeders
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Step 3: Decide On A “Theme” For A More Cohesive Look
When planning what you want in your personal space, I recommend deciding on a particular theme.
Here are some misconceptions about themes:
- Themes are expensive: Incorrect! Unless you enjoy “gold-encrusted” or something as your theme, a theme is just a bunch of items and colors that go together
- Themes are boring & limiting: Incorrect! Themes are based on your personal interests! They aren’t boring and neither are you 🙂
- Themes are hard to stick to: They don’t have to be! Sticking to a theme doesn’t mean everything has to be super strict — a lot of times people will mix certain items together for multiple themes. You just have to get creative and plan ahead to determine if the items work together.
Here are some fun theme ideas for your balcony:
- Seaside/Shore/Beach – Consider using items with a beachy “look” — such as shells, netting, sandy, white, or blueish hues or accents.
- Countryside – Consider if you prefer the traditional country style such as “farmhouse” or if you prefer something more romantic such as “French Countryside” which is more elegant, but still rustic, and look for items that one might find in a farmhouse such as florals and worn-looking wood.
- Modern – Consider using sleeker items, electronics, and simple and less textured or patterned items.
- Garden – Consider decorating with flowers, having an herb garden, and decorating with tools.
- Party/Hosting – Consider how you would host some people over — maybe you have a balcony bar or drink fridge? Maybe you have lots of comfortable seating. Consider decor like a fire pit if your apartment complex allows it (and you follow proper fire safety).
You can also consider a combo of themes!
For reference, we choose to incorporate multiple theme elements.
- We choose lighter-colored furniture and light-colored outdoor curtains to make it look more beachy, like a resort.
- We also really enjoy gardens and having fresh ingredients, so we recently added an herb garden on our balcony railing and plant stand (scroll down in the article to learn how).
- We enjoy the “French countryside” look so we added faux flowers for some extra homey-ness for the space.
Finding The Perfect Outdoor Rug
An outdoor rug can really elevate the look of your balcony. Not only does it make the space look more “together”, but it also makes the transition from indoors to outdoors feel more seamless.
A balcony is the perfect place to have an outdoor rug because it’s still more often an enclosed space, versus a patio or deck, which typically aren’t covered.
Here are some stunning outdoor rugs (including the one we currently have and love!) to help make your balcony the perfect place to relax.
Here is the balcony rug we use… it’s a rectangular, 4″,1′ x 6″,1′ outdoor rug made of polypropylene. We have had NO issues with it at all (i.e. shedding, smell, fading color, etc.)
Balcony Coffee Table / Small Table Ideas
A small table or coffee table is a perfect item to incorporate on your balcony.
They prevent you from having to put items like drinks or phones on the ground so they are great for entertaining, and they can really elevate the space.
Here are some stunning outdoor balcony tables…
(BTW the coffee table we used actually came in a set with our couch)
Garden Basics – Create Your Own Mini Herb Garden!
A balcony garden is an awesome thing to incorporate into your balcony space.
Whether you want plants with some utility — such as an herb garden, or if you want to show off your cacti collection, a small garden is perfect for a balcony space.
If you want a garden on your balcony, I recommend considering…
- How much space do you have for plants?
- What options do you have for storing plants?
- Can you hang plants?
- Can you attach plants to your balcony railing?
- Can you attach planters to your walls?
- Will your plants get blown over if you’re on a higher floor such as the second floor through multi-story floors?
- Should you opt for a taller plant stand or a shorter plant stand or no plant stand?
- Where do you want to store your plants?
What You Will Need – Gardening Basics
Here’s a list of gardening basics to consider if you want to do some gardening on your balcony:
Plant Storage
Decide which plant storage container you want/have space for. (We use trays and pots)
- Planters/Pots
- Buckets
- Trays/Troughs
- Raised Bed
- Tiered Planter
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Planting Tools
Decide which tools you need for planting or transplanting your plants.
- Watering Can/Pitcher
- Potting Soil
- Gloves
- Repotting Mat
- Shovel/Scooper
- Nursery Pots
- Planter Liners – for drainage/repotting
- Plant Support: Plant Stakes/Supports
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Plants
I recommend starting out with a bunch of low-maintenance plants when you begin gardening
- Minimal Maintenance plants often need less care; sunlight, watering, and support, and do better regardless of fluctuating temperatures.
Here’s a photo of the plant stand we purchased on Amazon!
A note: the plant stand we purchased wasn’t available on amazon, but this variation (which just has lights as an addition was available).
Here are some easy-care herbs ideal for balcony gardens:
- Mint: Mint is robust and can grow in both sunny and shaded spots.
- Rosemary: This herb needs lots of sun and well-drained soil but requires little upkeep.
- Thyme: This is a sun-loving, drought-resistant herb, good for a low-upkeep balcony garden.
- Basil: Basil is easy to grow, needing warm conditions and plenty of sun.
- Chives: These plants are robust and can grow in many conditions.
- Parsley: Parsley grows well in containers, likes sun and shade, and is generally pest-resistant.
- Cilantro: This fast-growing herb is ideal for a balcony garden. It likes cooler weather and can grow in both sunny and partly sunny spots.
- Sage: Sage is a perennial sun-loving herb that requires well-drained soil. It can survive in both hot and cold climates.
- Dill: Dill prefers sunny spots and can be grown either in pots or in the ground.
- Oregano: Oregano is a robust perennial that can handle a range of conditions, including drought and different light levels.
Here’s our balcony herb garden!
We have had great success with Basil, Chives, Rosemary, Chamomile, Lavender, and Mojito Mint.
Amazing Balcony Furniture
When purchasing balcony furniture make sure to do things before even considering what style or options are out there:
(1) Determine how much seating you need — think about how many balcony visits and balcony visitors you will have at once.
(2) Measure, Measure, Measure – for smaller condo units consider creative ways to make up more space for seating such as DIY “pallet couches”
When purchasing balcony furniture make sure to:
- measure your balcony first!
- determine the style
- read reviews online
- make sure the outdoor fabrics and materials are waterproof — or purchase a cover – we purchased a couch cover and it is INCREDIBLE.
Here is the couch set we purchased for our balcony:
Here is the couch cover we purchased:
Here are some other great balcony furniture options to consider!
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Creating A Balcony Bar
A balcony bar is an easy way to make up for extra floor space and is great for entertaining!
Here are some stunning balcony bar ideas to check out!
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Creating A Private Balcony
Privacy is very important and can really make your balcony feel cozier and more comfortable.
Our balcony overlooks a main street that is very busy, so I installed curtains for privacy.
While they are transparent, you can’t really see through them if you’re on the balcony from the street or sidewalk.
Curtains can be held up on either side of a building with a tension rod, which is what we did to hold up our curtains.
If you opt for curtains recommend using sand bags (which is what we use) to hold curtains down.
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You can create a low wall of privacy using a number of different options.
Here are some great private balcony options:
- Faux or real planting — garden hedge, grass, vine, or ivy
- Privacy screen
- Decorative divider
- Shade cloth
- Low wall
- Umbrella
- Curtains
- Reed fencing
Here are some great options to make for a more private balcony!
Don’t forget the corners!
The corner of the balcony is a great place for storage, a small table, plant stands, florals/small trees/vines.
Plant stands and storage can also make for great ways to block things for privacy.
Make sure if you have plants or plan to use the corners for storage or a table that they aren’t blocked or boxed in too much so you have quick access.
Balcony Railing Decor
A balcony railing is actually a great place to express your personal style as well as utilize it for practical use.
Here are some great balcony railing decor/use options:
- Lighting
- Balcony Bar
- Privacy wall
- Use the balcony railing for plant support such as vine plants (our Wisteria loves growing on our railing)
- Balcony railing table
- Railing Herb Garden/Window boxes
- Railing Bird Bath
- Bird Feeder
Glass Doors And Balcony Decors
Our balcony has a glass door with blinds, which is great so we can see out. If you own your apartment/townhouse/house I recommend a glass door so you can gaze out at your beautiful own outdoor oasis.
We enjoy leaving our door open when it’s cooler to allow fresh air to come in and for our dogs to wander in and out.
To prevent bugs, we installed a bug net that I am obsessed with!
- It was easy to install: We didn’t have to do any nailing/screwing it in
- It came in a ton of colors: We chose white to match our balcony couch
- It seals with a magnet: It’s automatically closed when someone walks through it
- It stays in place: We have never had it blow open or fall down
Balcony decor is a great way to show off your style, while also being practical. Plus having the indoor/outdoor space makes your apartment/townhouse/house feel so much bigger!
Here are some great balcony decor ideas!
Here are some faux flowers I purchased from Amazon and LOVE!
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I hope this article was helpful to you in determining your new look for your balcony, making use of a small space, finding options for easier access to items, and the best furniture and decor options to create your own outdoor oasis on your balcony!
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