The Particular Challenge of Decorating an Apartment Balcony
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Access to a private outdoor space was something I took for granted until the first time I lived somewhere with no yard or porch, so now I’m extremely grateful that my current apartment has a balcony. But I don’t knowquitehow to make the most of it, and I’m confident I’m not alone; when I walk around my neighborhood, most of the balconies I see are empty save for a couple folding chairs or a few plants. So to determine how to make the most of these valuable but challenging-to-decorate spaces, I spoke to designers and apartment dwellers who have made balconies into spaces worthy of spending time in.
Look for inspiration everywhere
Do you want to lounge, eat alfresco, grow an herb garden, or even work from home outside? You may be able to do more than one, but you’ll likely have to narrow your priorities to avoid overcrowding and make sure the space is functional enough that you’ll actually want to use it.
Sandy Saintilus, an Atlanta-based interior designer andcontent creator, recommends you start looking for inspiration in a wide variety of outdoor spaces — restaurant and bar patios, outdoor parties and weddings, neighborhood gardens and parks — to figure out the vibe you want to curate. That way you’ll end up with a more personal and interesting result than if you try to re-create whatever “balcony inspo” photos you can find on social media, she says.
Measureeverything
“There are restrictions in buildings as far as how much weight a balcony can hold structurally,” says Betsy Helmuth, interior designer and founder ofUploft Interior Design, so check in with your building manager before you buy that solid-granite side table.
On the flip side, anything that’s too light could be blown over during strong winds or, in the worst-case scenario, become an airborne safety hazard. But more likely, it will get annoying to constantly be futzing with it — something I can personally attest to, since the chairs of my current bistro set often get blown over when it storms. So Helmuth suggests looking for “medium heft” furniture that will stay in place without going over any weight maximums.
You’ll also need to carefully measure both the balcony itself and the doorway opening. When Washington, D.C.–based authorKelsey B. Toneyset out to decorate her narrow apartment balcony, knowing it was exactly 30 inches deep helped her shop for furniture more effectively; she looked at dimensions first and immediately ruled out anything that wouldn’t fit. “I knew that I was going to have to be armed with real measurements and a lot of patience,” Toney says, warning that just because something will fitonthe balcony doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll fit through the door.
Start with seating
If you want to eat or work outside, you’ll likely want some sort ofbistro set, which usually comes with a small table and two matching chairs. Or, if you’re up for it, Helmuth recommends buying the table and chairs separately for a more curated look.
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Sidney Ro, a Philadelphia-based operations manager (and sister of Strategist senior writerLauren Ro), has this Ikeadining seton her apartment balcony. It not only fits her small space, but all the pieces can fold for easy moving or storage. Helmuth prefers outdoor chairs that fold since they are easier to collapse and store during the offseason or, if needed, during inclement weather.
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If you have extreme space restrictions, a nesting set like this one can help. The chairs are able to slide under the table when they’re not in use, leaving a little extra room to get around them.
More Strategist-recommended bistro sets
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If you don’t have enough width for a bistro table large enough to eat and work at — or just don’t like the look of a bistro table — another option is a dining set with a long and narrow table. Put one side of the table up against the railing of your balcony with both chairs on the other side. Just be sure to leave enough space for you to comfortably get in and out of the chairs. You should also measure the height of your railing and consider a bar-height table so that you look out overthe the top of it rather than through it.
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For especially small footprints, you could add a fold-out table onto your balcony railing along with some bar-height chairs or stools. I recently spotted aridiculously small balconyat an apartment building near me with this exact setup, which turned an otherwise useless space into a functional spot to hang out.
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The more comfortable your furniture is, the more inclined you’ll be to use it. If lounging is a priorityand you have enough space, interior designer Shamika Lynch ofMaximizing Tinyrecommends placing a cozy bench or armless chair against one of the short edges of the balcony with a bistro table and folding chairs for additional seating if needed. This particular chair is 3.75 feet long, which should fit neatly against a short end on a balcony that’s four feet deep.
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Depending on how you want to use your balcony, two comfy chairs and an accent table might also work well. Even though she says her balconytechnicallycould have fit a settee or love seat, Saintilus opted for a set of two chairs, which allows for room to open the door, to move around outside, and to provide more versatile seating options for different groups of guests. “If I have someone else over, it’s not always comfortable to sit right next to somebody,” Saintilus says.
Use pillows to add comfortandflair
Helmuth emphasized that “if you’re not comfortable, you’re not going to stay out there for very long.” Her suggestion is to use colorful pillows and cushions wherever possible; the only real “rule” is to be sure they are designed for outdoor use. Looking for a mix of pleasant, soft textures will ensure the pillows don’t feel too foamy or plasticky against your skin in warmer weather. Lynch recommends looking for pillows made with Sunbrella fabric, which costs more up front but is resistant to fading in the sun.
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There are thousands of outdoor pillows out there, so I asked Helmuth to recommend some of her favorite places to shop for them, since she frequently sources them for clients. She recommended West Elm, Pottery Barn, Grandin Road, and Frontgate, all of which carry a wide variety of patterns and textures. Sunbrella fabric can also be found at all four.
Cover up the ugly concrete floor
Helmut likesoutdoor rugsbecause they can help you to define a space or add color. But, particularly if your balcony is small, she advises choosing one that covers the entire floor area. She specifically recommends rugs made from polypropylene with a very short pile — a quarter-inch or less. “If they have any sort of plushness, even if they’re outdoor rugs, they’re going to dry very slowly. Any time it rains, it’s going to be damp for days,” Helmuth cautions. If you don’t want to go the plastic route, Lynch says jute and sisal are outdoor-friendly materials that add warmth and are easy enough to clean (though will require more maintenance than plastic over time).
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Fab Habitat Outdoor Rug
Toney bought a plastic rug by Fab Habitat to make sure it would be easy to clean. The brand’s rugs come in a variety of colors, patterns, and sizes, all woven from recycled plastic.
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Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro has had a Safavieh Courtyard Collection rug under her patio furniture for two years and says it still looks great. Ro’sexact rugis larger than most apartment balconies, but the brand sells plenty of smaller accent rugs as well.
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Ruggable’s Re-Jute rugs offer thelookof jute but areconveniently made of washable polyester/polyurethane. They come in a variety of sizes, many of which are balcony-friendly.
If you’re more DIY-inclined, deck tiles are another good option. Saintilus pointed me toward Ikea’s outdoor decking, which clicks together for easy installation and removal. The tiles can also be cut to fit around corners or other obstacles.
For her own balcony, Saintilus added artificial-turf flooring to give the balcony a gardenlike feel, cutting it to size with a box cutter. Ikea also sells an artificial-grass version of the decking tiles above. Whether you use decking or turf, make sure it allows for drainage so rainwater doesn’t get trapped underneath.
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Add lighting to enhance the vibes — and to make the balcony usable at night
Nearly everyone I spoke to advised adding either solar- or battery-poweredlighting. Even if your balcony has hardwired lighting and/or an outlet, moodier, non–Big Lightoptions that don’t need to be plugged in will free you up to put light wherever you want without too much cable management. If you pick solar over battery powered, pay attention to how much light your balcony gets throughout the day — Saintilus warns that she once hung solar lanterns only to realize they wouldn’t charge because her balcony got too much shade.
Saintilus recommends adding lighting at a few different heights and levels, just as you would indoors, to create visual interest and up the coziness: lamps on tables, lanterns hanging from above, and sconces on the wall. Helmuth recommends string lights as a classic option that can be left out year-round.
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Toney installed these Sunlitec solar-powered café lights by wrapping them around her balcony railing. (If you want to do the same, double-check the socket and bulb sizes to make sure they will fit through any narrow openings.)
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To hang string lights, lanterns, or sconces, you can useoutdoor Command hooks.
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Strategist associate editor Jeremy Rellosa included these solar-powered string lights in his guide to thebest camping lanterns. Since the bulbs are smaller, they give off more of a fairy effect.
This simple table lampcomes recommended by bothSaintilus and Strategist contributor Tessa Kauppila in her guide toportable lamps; it’s extremely affordable and comes in several colors. For a flame-free candle, LampLust lanterns — included in our guide to thebest garden lights— are a charmingly rustic option. Or for something a bit more design-y,Hay’s PC Portable Lampis outdoor-friendly and looks like an objet d’arteven when not in use.
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While it looks like a paper lantern, this solar-powered lantern from ourgarden-lights guideis actually made from waterproof Tyvek.
Block out nosy neighbors with curtains, a lattice, and plants
“It can be fun to do the vertical garden on the side wall separating you from your neighbor,” Helmuth says. The simplest method requires a vertical planter or a lattice or trellis; you can attach one to your railing using zip ties or buy a freestanding one. Even without plants, a lattice can add a lot of privacy — but plants will definitely up the outdoor-oasis vibe.
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As long as it lets air and wind through, you can also use a fence or screen to block the viewintoyour balcony through the railing — without impeding your view out. Lynch recommends bamboo fencing, which can easily be attached with zip ties.
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Screens made of artificial ivy are a similar option I frequently see on other people’s balconies when I’m out walking around my neighborhood.
Curtains are one of the more high-effort options, but they offer the most privacy by far. You’ll need a balcony that’s inset with two walls on either short end to make them work, as the simplest way to hang the curtains is with a tension rod — though Saintilus cautions to consider what isbelowyour balcony and consider another option if you live on a higher floor: “If something happens and a rod goes flying into someone’s windshield, that’s very dangerous,” she says.
When shopping for the curtains themselves, look for fabric that won’t absorb too much moisture so they will dry quickly after it rains. And while many outdoor curtains use grommets, Saintilus advises choosing a design with a Velcro tab top so you can easily take them down to wash, without having to take down the tension rod itself.Outdoor-safe tiebackswill be handy for preventing the curtains from blowing around on windy days. Saintilus recommends doubling the width of the balcony to determine the width of the curtains you’ll need so that you get a nice drape instead of a flat shower-curtain look.
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Saintilus suggests a rust-resistant tension rod since it will be exposed to the elements and says to pay attention to the rod’s weight limit. Yes, curtains are light, but if they get soaked in the rain, they’ll become significantly heavier.
Invest in covers (and a Swiffer) to keep your stuff free from pollen, smog, and cobwebs
If you have to clean stuff before you can use it, you’re way less likely to actually use it. To make things simple, Toney bought a set of furniture covers. “I can pull that thing off and set my mug down in the morning, and it feels like I’m sitting on a clean table,” she says. Her covers also let her keep the pillows and cushions outside rather than having to bring them in when it’s going to rain. “It takes exactly six additional seconds to put it on or take it off, and I just wad it up into a giant ball and shove it behind the door and then my furniture feels ready to use. I know that it saves me cleaning time,” Toney says.
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Because her bistro set is metal, Toney sprayed it with Rust-Oleum to help protect it.
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Even if your pillows and cushions are outdoor-safe, Saintilus advises that you Scotchgard them when you first buy them. Even if you intend to bring your cushions indoors during wet weather, it will give you some peace of mind, especially if you’re caught by surprise or forget. This formula will also help protect fabrics from fading in the sun.
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“An extendable duster is the magic way to clear cobwebs, spiders, and gross things, because then I just throw the whole duster pad into a bag, tie it off, and throw it away, and I don’t have to worry about my broom having spiders and spiderwebs all over it,” Toney says.
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