For many living in crowded areas, on the upper floors of apartment or condominium buildings, small balconies provide the only access to fresh air’/the outdoors.
They also make great decorating spaces. Below you will find a list of small balcony decoration ideas and styles for various balconies, regardless of location and climate.
Natural Decorating Ideas
From a visual standpoint, some nice verdant plants will provide a splash of color year-round.
Simultaneously, other colorful floral arrangements, like hanging flowers in all their multifarious forms, add a depth of varied color, creating a gorgeous kaleidoscope on a balcony of any size, that’s not mentioning the wonderful smells that many of these hanging flowers emit after blooming; the only downside to many of these floral arrangements is there limited life-span, often only lasting a few months, even with attentive care.
One natural decorating idea that has several benefits is planting fruit and or vegetables on a balcony.
Not only can you enjoy nature’s bounty through eating, but the sight of certain fruits and vegetables (oranges, grapes, strawberries, cucumbers, etc.) are very appealing as design features and can be incorporated into transforming a small apartment or condo into a self-sufficient, gardeners paradise opening up the small-space to the outdoors.
Almost real: Artificial Plants & Shrubbery
Another potentially exciting design idea for small balconies involves the “planting,” i.e., purchasing of photogenic backdrops in the form of artificial foliage, ivy, grass, among others.
Vivid and very realistic, artificial foliage is an easy alternative to the real thing that doesn’t require real shrubbery’s attentiveness and weather conditions.
A quick internet search reveals a bevy of artificial options, including- plants, trees, succulents, topiaries, branches, hedges, and grass, with many more sub-options available within each main category.
Easy to acquire and set up, these artificial sets make great backdrops and can be easily placed on any balcony wall or, in the case of grass, trees. etc., on the ground.
Artificial Plants
Small “House” Plants
Lighting
One of the best small balcony decoration ideas is to add some lighting beyond whatever the facilities themselves provide.
There are many interesting and innovative ways to light a balcony, from string-lights to hanging lanterns and ceiling installed lights.
For those who are renting or leasing an apartment/condo and want to add their own personal touch without affecting their safety deposit and or relationship with their landlord, string up lights is a great compromise.
Utilizing what your balcony already has string up lights can be attached and hung across the protective railing of your balcony;
be cautious and aware while doing this, or from pre-existing building materials like the exterior facade if it is made from stucco or wood. Using easy to find and extremely inexpensive hooks or wall anchors, you can attach a set or multiple sets of string up lights quickly and affordably.
Large home project retailers like Home Depot or Lowes are great places to shop either in person or online, as their employees and online blogs/project ideas & tips are handy and easy to follow. All in all, you should be able to add attractive, luminous string up bulbs to a small balcony space for less than $50.
For those who own their balcony space and want to put in a more permanent lighting style, pendant lights should be considered. Excellent for those who might wish to entertain or have friends over on their balconies, pendant lights are suspended from the ceiling and direct concentrated light on seating areas- tables, chairs, etc.
Pendant lights are highly customizable and come in many different finishes and styles. On Amazon, you can purchase an individual pendant light for anywhere from $40 to $90 depending on the light’s various features, style, and the material it was made out of.
Wall Lanterns are another unique design piece that combines ample wattage and style. Oftentimes finished in beautiful ceramic patterns, the later covers themselves are pieces of artwork that add a lot of charm to any outdoor space. Easy to hang and relatively cheap to buy, outdoor lanterns are relatively rare and are guaranteed to produce positive reactions from guests who luxuriate on your outdoor balcony space.
A modern lighting innovation, remote LED lighting is a cool, stylish way to light your balcony with the push of a button.
There are many interesting varieties of LED lights, including- outdoor LED wall lights that appear to be made of stone, from which a flame appears to be emitted, which is actually just a trick of LED technology; feel free to gaze upon your shocked guest’s eyes as you brusquely place your hand into the flame…
One product, the UMA Sound LED Table Lamp, combines a portable stereo with a ball of light and is perfect for those who wish to throw parties and have a synchronous lighting and music experience.
With many of the LED products currently available, including the UMA, Table Lamp users can control the brightness, color, and effects via their phone’s Bluetooth; in other cases, the light will come with a factory-produced remote. Below you will find a link to several of the more unique LED pieces along with the more traditional lighting decor mentioned above.
Furniture
Coming up with space for and or the right furniture piece for a small balcony can be quite difficult. However, below, you will find some small balcony decoration ideas related to furniture and decor, pieces that help you enjoy the company and entertain or rest and relax either way maximizing your balcony to the fullest.
A built-in bench seat is a great way to add seating while maintaining your balcony’s square footage.
Though a customized bench seat built from the hand would be lovely for many, it is simply not an option; for the rest of us, companies like Linon Home Decor (via Home Depot) have created a pre-fabricated “breakfast nook,” an L- shaped seating and storage area. Utilizing the foundational walls and throwing some pillows against the wall along with the pre-fab breakfast nook creates a superbly space efficient and comfortable seating arrangement for any balcony.
The Linon Two Tone Breakfast Nook is currently (February 2021) priced at $440 on HomeDepot.com.
Tables are great small balcony decoration ideas adding practicality and style, giving the balcony a European cafe feel. Small tables, commonly referred to as “cafe/bistro tables,” are perfect for even the tiniest of balconies as many of them come with the ability to be folded and instantaneously packed up and moved for storage, inclement weather, or any other reason.
Cafe or bistro tables come in many different styles and are made out of several different building materials, including- wood, wicker, and steel. With a cafe table, owners can expect to host two people comfortably and possibly even three at times, making it a perfect companion to night-time tea, milk, and cookies, wine, and cheese, endless other food-and-drink cliches. You can purchase a stainless steel bistro table set on Amazon, which comes with two chairs for $110.
Many of the other table and chair sets I saw while browsing on Amazon hovered around $100.
Perhaps one of the most useful decor items for protection from the elements and in terms of privacy for your neighbors, an awning is a cheap but essential piece of furniture for any small balcony not already covered.
Many have no need for an awning, but should your balcony be unprotected from the elements, a wall-mounted, retractable balcony is a must-have. You can purchase an awning today from about $100 -$400 on websites like Wayfair and at places like Home Depot.
If you are renting and don’t plan to stay at your place long, avoid spending money on more permanent furniture fixtures and consider buying some colorful and comfortable floor pillows. In addition to being extremely comfortable, floor pillows are cheap, easy to transport, and extremely versatile.
To spruce things up in the summer or really any other time of the year, a set of Water Hyacinth furniture adds a rustic-beachy feel that both looks great and is comfortable.
These natural fibers are hand braided together, creating the end products which have been pleasing people internationally for many years.
For cheap flooring, hack consider using a woven rug that will add a layer of comfort, cleanliness, and warmth to your little balcony space.
You’ve made it this far; obviously, there are a lot of different options when it comes to decorating and furnishing a small balcony. We hope that the information and ideas above are helpful and serve as a beginner’s guide to decorating a small balcony. Some of the small balcony decoration ideas above will serve you well. Remember, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and that the key lesson to be had is that it doesn’t matter how much money or even space you have. When it comes to creating a warm and homely atmosphere, the important thing is getting creative and having fun.