Furnishing a small balcony
A balcony is often the smallest area in the home and is nevertheless furnished like a terrace. A complete seating group on three square metres (32 sq ft) usually means that the area is no longer used at all: there is no room left to walk past, to water the plants or simply to stand.
One seat instead of a seating group
In small spaces, the rule is: better one place that is comfortable than four that are not.
It makes sense to base the furnishing on how the space is actually used. Sitting, reading and putting down a cup happen almost daily in the warm season – one or two armchairs with a small side table between them are enough for that. Eating outside, on the other hand, only happens on a few days a year, and a fixed dining set is in the way the rest of the time. If you want to eat outside regularly, a folding table that hooks onto the wall or the balustrade and needs hardly any depth when folded solves this.
A few dimensions help with the choice: chairs suitable for dining usually have a seat height of around 45 cm (17.7 in), lounge furniture considerably less at about 35–40 cm (13.8–15.7 in). The lower seat height makes a narrow balcony look airier, but needs more depth for legs and backrest. About 60 cm (23.6 in) of free space should remain in front of each seat, so that you can stand up without moving furniture.
Along the balustrade, not in the middle
Anything that stands in the middle halves the usable space. Furniture and plants belong at the edges, so that a continuous free area remains.
Hanging and upright solutions use the area better: planters on the balustrade, a narrow shelf on the wall of the house, hooks for lanterns. What stands on the floor should be small and few in number.
With planters on the balustrade, the hanging direction is decisive: hung on the inside, they are easier to water and do not drip onto the balcony below; hung on the outside, they free up floor space. Whether hanging them on the outside is an option can be checked in the house rules; in any case the bracket must suit the shape and thickness of the balustrade. Planters hanging on the outside catch the wind unchecked and form a weight above open space – if the bracket comes loose, it hits the area below. The watering rhythm is also important: small containers in an exposed position dry out quickly – the shallower the container and the windier the location, the more often it has to be watered.
Privacy screening that does not shut you in
Opaque screening all round turns a small balcony into a box. Better is screening exactly where you can be seen – usually one side.
Semi-transparent solutions such as plants, a light fabric or a trellis provide shelter without taking away light and openness. More important than screening the sides completely is that the balcony stays open at the top.
Bear in mind too that every closed surface catches the wind. A large, opaque mat acts like a sail and puts considerable strain on the balustrade and fixings, while semi-permeable fabric lets gusts through and therefore lasts longer.
Materials that last outdoors
Balconies are tougher locations than terraces at ground level: on upper floors there is more wind, and the shade of trees or neighbouring buildings is usually missing, so that furniture and plants stand in the sun all day.
Teak is one of the most robust woods for outdoors. Its high proportion of natural oils makes the wood resistant to moisture, fungi and insects, so that it can last outdoors even unprotected. Untreated, however, teak turns grey: the UV light of the sun breaks down the lignin in the uppermost wood cells, and a silver-grey patina remains. This greying is purely visual and does not shorten its lifespan. To keep the warm brown tone, oil the wood once a year, twice in strong sunlight – each time on cleaned and completely dry wood, because oil does not penetrate damp wood.
Containers made of cement or concrete withstand sun and rain well, but should stand dry or at least covered in winter. Porous material absorbs water, and this water expands in volume when it freezes and bursts the container from the inside. A spacer under the base and an open drainage hole prevent moisture from building up.
Light objects need weight or fixing. On a windy balcony, candle holders, cushions and light plant pots get blown about – heavy containers solve this by themselves. Textiles for outdoors should dry quickly and be removable, so that they do not stay damp permanently after rain and start to go mouldy.
Light makes the difference
A balcony is often used mainly in the evening. Without light, its use ends at dusk.
What works are several small light sources at a low height instead of one bright lamp: lanterns, a string of lights along the balustrade, a candle on the table. Light below eye level does not dazzle and makes the area look larger, while a single bright light from above casts hard shadows and emphasises the boundaries of the balcony.
Candles outdoors need a container that shields the flame from the wind; borosilicate glass tolerates rapid temperature changes better than ordinary soda-lime glass. Electric lights and strings of lights need a protection rating against moisture that is suitable for outdoor use, and open flames should never burn unattended – least of all near textiles or privacy screening mats.
Frequently asked questions
Which furniture suits a small balcony?
One or two armchairs with a small side table, supplemented by a folding table for the few days on which people eat outside. A fixed dining set permanently blocks small areas.
How does a balcony look larger?
When furniture and plants stand at the edges and a continuous free area remains. Hanging and upright solutions use the space better than anything that stands on the floor.
Which privacy screening makes sense?
Screening only on the side that can be seen into, semi-transparent rather than opaque. Closed all round feels cramped, and large dense surfaces also catch the wind.
Which materials last on the balcony?
Oily hardwoods such as teak, as well as containers made of cement or concrete. Teak turns silvery grey in the sun without losing stability; to keep the warm colour, oil it once a year, twice in strong sunlight. Porous containers should stand dry in winter, because freezing water bursts them.
How do you light a balcony?
With several small light sources at a low height instead of one bright light from above. Lanterns made of heat-resistant glass are more practical outdoors than open candles.
