Urban residents know: You dream of an expansive terrace - but the only thing that's affordable is a mini balcony. Keep your head up! The size of the balcony is not the only thing that matters. A small balcony can be beautifully designed with a few tricks and transformed into a cosy retreat. From a folding table to vertical gardening - we’ll show you the most beautiful ideas to conjure up a true urban oasis on your small balcony.

Setting up a small balcony: choose each piece carefully

Space is scarce on a small balcony, so every piece of furniture should be hand picked there. First, think carefully about how you want to use the balcony: Do you like to enjoy the morning sun over a balcony breakfast? Would you like to relax in a garden chair in the afternoon and read a book? Celebrate a candlelight dinner for two? Grow a lush herb collection? With limited space, you will likely have to decide what is most important to you. Here you should take into account the orientation of your balcony, among other things: An east-facing balcony is better for morning coffee, a south-facing balcony for sunbathing.

You should also choose a style: romantic-playful or pure-modern? It's best to create a uniform overall concept for the balcony beforehand. Tip: Delicate furniture, such as filigree cast iron, looks better on small balconies than solid furniture.

The foundation: correct floor design

You should design the floor of your small balcony as the first step. Because a bare concrete floor does not make for a romantic balcony. Here are our three tips for creating a comfortable floor:

A pretty floor covering works wonders

The right flooring is one of the most effective ways to prettify your little balcony. Clickable systems for wooden floors or tiles are very easy to install and can be bought in every furniture store. A wooden floor makes the balcony really cosy, while stone or ceramic floors appear tidy and elegant.

Outdoor carpets add colourful accents

If you want things even more comfortable, you can also put a small carpet on the floor. A carpet can be used to add beautifully coloured accents, but depending on the style of your balcony, black and white patterns can also create an attractive look. Many manufacturers offer special outdoor carpets that are not affected by wetness, cold and sunlight.

Do not completely fill the floor

Rule number 1 for small balconies: Don't put too many things on the floor! A fully covered floor immediately feels constricting and cluttered. In general, only very selected pieces should be given space on the balcony. It’s better to put flowers and decorations on a pretty side table or even better: Attach them to the wall, railing or ceiling. With our tips below, you can create space and do an amazing amount with your mini balcony.

Our insider tips to make room

If you only have a few square metres available, you have to get creative. We'll tell you a few tricks on how to make the most of the little space you have available.

Folding furniture as a real space miracle

Only have a little space, but don't want to do without comfort? Small balconies can be comfortably and efficiently furnished with folding furniture. A folding table, tablethat you attach to the railing or wall is particularly practical: When unfolded, it offers storage space for food and drinks; when you no longer need it, it simply folds away. Folding chairs also score points with their great flexibility, as they can be easily assembled and disassembled as required.

A favourite piece: the hanging chair

This piece of furniture gets its own paragraph because it is our absolute favourite in terms of comfort: the hanging chair. Swinging gently, you can dream wonderfully as the worries of everyday life drift away. This little brother of the hammock even fits on narrow balconies. Most of the time, a hanging chair can be attached to the upper balcony ceiling, so you don't need a separate stand. However, you should definitely ask the landlord and neighbours beforehand whether you can attach the hanging device.

Would you like to eat at the table in the evening and the hanging chair is in the way? No problem! When the hanging chair isn’t being used, it can easily be removed from the hook.

Use the walls: Wall racks and hanging decorations

Here is the golden rule for furnishing with little floor space: Place as much of the furnishings vertically as possible. Good thing that this style of “vertical gardening” is currently the latest outdoor trend. Whether it's a decorative ladder, hanging baskets, trellises with climbing plants or, or, or: The Internet is full of vertical gardening ideas.

So why not move your plant world upwards? Fill a wall shelf with herb pots and you have your own space-saving spice garden. A lot of small cactus pots look particularly cute attached to a wooden grid wall. Or you can let the flowers dangle from the ceiling in old jam jars. You can use the balcony railing intelligently, for example by hanging a small table on it. That way you create additional storage space without putting anything up.

Designing a small balcony in white: creates space

Light colours makes the room appear bigger because the light is reflected. That's why we recommend white or pastel shades for small balconies. White chairs, pillows and blankets create an optical expanse and also fit the popular Skandi style. With additional lighting elements, the balcony can look even brighter. For example, fairy lights are a great addition: They hardly take up any space and conjure up a cosy atmosphere.

A cosy balcony hideaway: set up a small balcony comfortably

If you value privacy, we also recommend a privacy screen. The privacy screen keeps unwanted looks away so you can enjoy your very own realm. Decorative effects can also be achieved at the same time.

Natural materials such as reeds or bamboo exude a warm atmosphere, while white plastic has a very clean look. Colourful awning fabric looks particularly cheerful - or how about maritime stripes in blue and white?

Trendy pallet material: set up a small balcony cheaply

A pallet couch with a cool used look is an inexpensive and comfortable seat. To do this, simply screw two old Euro pallets together and then equip them with seat cushions as you wish. If you want, you can give the pallets a coloured finish beforehand. Pallet furniture can also be used wonderfully on small balconies if you cut the pallets to the desired size with a jigsaw.

You can also use pallets in other ways: You can put them upright and use them as planters. When creating such a planting wall, some planting fleece is attached to the pallet compartments (for example with a stapler) and the fleece is filled with soil. Voilà - your recycled plant wall is ready and you can start your vertical gardening!

Make your small balcony cosy - it's no problem with a little creativity!

You can get a lot out of a narrow balcony: With the right equipment, it can become a small but nice place to recover. Be sure to keep the floor clear and, above all, use the height of the space. You certainly can't go wrong with a warm wooden floor, a trendy plant wall and a practical folding table. Or you can be inspired by our tips and develop your very own ideas - there are no limits to your creativity!

Images:

© Alexander Reitter – stock.adobe.com
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© Alexander – stock.adobe.com