How can you decorate your home balcony
The most easily overlooked place in home decoration is the balcony. Although the balcony space is small, it is the most natural space. A beautiful balcony can bring a beautiful sum of money to the house decoration and add a lot of pleasure to life. But, on the other hand, a bad balcony can only waste space and even serve as a simple place to dry clothes. So, how to make the balcony decoration practical and beautiful? Next, let’s have a look!
Basic functions of the balcony
There are many basic functions of the balcony, mainly depending on how you set up the design. For example, you can transform it into a small leisure area, build a washing table on the balcony, and place the washing machine inside. Of course, the balcony also has the function of drying clothes.
Balcony design principles
Texture of material
I have learned that natural materials should be considered as much as possible and artificial, and you should avoid reflective materials such as porcelain tiles and strip bricks. Instead, natural stones and pebbles are perfect choices.
Sunshade
The awning can also be made of bamboo curtains, which should roll up and down or be retractable to adjust the sunshine exposure area, position, and angle as required.
Lighting
You can select special outdoor lighting such as wall lamps and lawn lamps for lamps. In addition, you can choose cool color lights if you like the cool feeling on summer nights. Those who like a warm feeling can use purple, yellow, and pink lamps.
Furniture
It is better to choose furniture with good waterproof performance, and that is not easy to deform. Wooden furniture is simple and close to nature. On the other hand, metal furniture can withstand outdoor wind and rain, and its style is modern and simple, which is also a good choice.
Plants
Balcony space is limited, suitable for planting climbing or vine. A small iron frame is installed on the outside of the balcony to place various potted plants in an orderly manner. You can plant climbing plants such as morning glory and grape on the inside of the balcony and the railing.
Heat insulation
Consider a good measure for the thermal insulation of the balcony. For example, you can consider using a polystyrene board to make an insulation layer under the balcony window or consider using mineral wool to make an insulation layer under the balcony window.
Socket
If you want to carry out more activities on the balcony, such as watching TV while enjoying the cool, then you should reserve the power sockets when decorating.
Waterproof
First, ensure that the ground has a slope and design a drainage outlet on the lower side. The second is to ensure that there is a height difference of at least two or three centimeters between the balcony and the living room.
Balcony greening layout
Greening layout principle
Consider the load on the balcony.
Do not configure heavy pots and channels. Instead, the cultivation medium should be lightweight such as humus soil, earthworm soil, vermiculite, and coal ash.
Follow the artistic layout.
Keep the harmony between the greening materials and the architectural layout, and leave a certain space for the balcony to avoid the feeling of being crowded and suppressed.
Meet the requirements of plants for environmental conditions
The balcony generally has a small area, and you should adopt corresponding cultivation and layout methods according to different balcony types and plant habits.
Unified style
The balcony greening design should pay attention to reflect the style of the room. For example, the balcony should be paved with black and white pebbles and planted with Chinese gardens’ most common lotus and green bamboo.
How to arrange the balcony to look good and save space
Pendant
The hanging type is to hang on the balcony roof, and the other is to hang small containers on the balcony railing. You can choose sedge, small leaf ivy, and dryland.
Rattan shed type
Erect vertical poles at the four corners of the balcony and place horizontal poles above to make them fixed to form a scaffolding. Or erect vertical poles at the outer corners of the balcony, and tie rods or ropes between the vertical poles to form a pattern similar to a fence.
Wall mounted
I learned that woody vines such as Virginia creeper and Campsis Grandiflora could be placed inside and outside the fence, greening the fence and nearby walls and planting foliage plants on the walls.
Flower stand
Stepped or you can use other forms of pot racks to arrange three-dimensional potted flowers on the balcony or put the potted racks outside the balcony to ask for space outdoors, thus increasing the green area and beautifying the street scene.
Flowerpot
Flowerpots can be made of cement, brick, corrosion-resistant wood, etc. it is suitable for large flowers and trees with fixed positions. Some climbing plants can also be planted, such as geranium, chrysanthemum, Dali flower, Periwinkle flower, etc.
Flower box
Hang the flower box on the outside of the balcony with a hook or place it on the upper edge of the balcony wall. You can plant plants geranium, chrysanthemum, dahlia, Periwinkle flower, etc.
Comprehensive
The comprehensive type can also play an excellent beautifying effect by combining the above forms reasonably and comprehensively. It is also widely used in real life.
Balcony enclosing
Open vs closed balcony
Open balcony
The open balcony is conducive to direct light into the room, with good lighting and air circulation. But the open balcony has no anti-theft window, which is easy becomes the first choice for thieves to climb the wall and enter the room.
Enclosed balcony
The closed balcony has good dust shielding, sound insulation, and thermal insulation performance. As a result, it can be used as a space for writing, reading, fitness, and storage after the balcony is closed. But the closed balcony affects the lighting and ventilation.
Balcony enclosing method
This method can only achieve the effect of security and anti-theft, and it cannot play other functions. However, it can be used when living conditions permit and are relaxed. Although the sealing property is poor, the use of the protective net has a small barrier to light, especially when the invisible protective net is selected.
The window sealing method has good sealing performance, which can block the outdoor sand and dust, more effectively ensure the invasion of outdoor cold and hot air, and ensure the cleanness of the room and the balance of the room temperature. It is a common way to seal the balcony with this form.
Precautions for balcony enclosing
In order to maintain the facade landscape of the buildings in the community, the property is not allowed to seal the balcony without authorization. If the residents encapsulate the balcony without the permission of the property management department of the community, they may be punished and require repair.
Pay attention to sealing. The balcony shall be well sealed. Otherwise, the ventilation and air leakage are not sealed. The lower opening of the window sash is most prone to water seepage. Generally, a 2-cm gap is reserved under the window frame and filled with special sealant or cement.
How to purchase building materials for balcony
Balcony doors
Sliding balcony door
The sliding glass door on the balcony will make the room look more light and fashionable, and the division and concealment are simple but not changing. However, the space will be limited, and you can only open the widest balcony half at most.
Single balcony door
If you like an independent space, you can use a single door and add an additional window beside it to not affect the indoor light. But half the wall and half the door will block a lot of light, making the indoor light very dark.
Folding balcony door
The folding door is flexible. It can be folded when it needs to be opened. The folding door has a partitioning effect when it needs to be shielded. However, it will absorb dust into the corners or gaps of the folding door, which is not easy to clean.
Balcony windows
Plastic steel windows
It has good sound insulation, heat insulation, fire resistance, air tightness, water tightness, corrosion resistance, and thermal insulation. But after a long time, the surface will turn yellow, and the window body will be deformed.
Wooden window
The genuine wood windows can be made into rich shapes, but the wood has poor anti-aging ability, significant changes in cold and thermal expansion, and is easy to be corroded after exposure to the sun and rain.
Frameless windows
The safety performance of frameless windows is the same as that of plastic steel windows, and nothing can be seen in the middle of the frame to block the line of sight. Only glass and transparent sealing strips, which are beautiful and elegant.
Aluminum alloy windows
Aluminum alloy windows have excellent sealing performance and low cost, and aluminum alloy materials are not easy to deform and age.
Color aluminum windows
Color aluminum windows have corrosion resistance, wear resistance, high gloss, and also have a certain fire function.
Balcony curtain
Color selection
The design color selection should pay attention to the main color of the curtains and the decoration color of the interior to match more.
Style selection
If the room area is small, it is recommended to choose a simple style. But, on the contrary, you can choose some elegant styles.
Size selection
It depends on the style of the window. Generally, it should be covered to the skirting line, about 2-3cm from the ground.
Shading effect
It is recommended to select the curtain with cotton or flocked fabric for the shading effect, which has a strong shading effect.
Anti-noise effect
The thicker the curtain with the anti-noise effect, the more sound it absorbs, reducing the external noise by about 15%.
Balcony ceiling material
Sauna board
An open balcony can choose to use a sauna board as the ceiling, which is not easy to deform after high temperature and corresponding humidity treatment.
Aluminum gusset
The aluminum gusset plate is a new type of ceiling material. It has outstanding fire and moisture-proof performance and performs well in anti-corrosion, sound insulation, beauty, anti-static, sound absorption, and durability.
PVC plastic gusset
The price of PVC plastic gusset is relatively low. In addition, it has the advantages of being waterproof, moisture-proof, lightweight, and moth-proof, and it is very suitable for use on the balcony.
Gypsum board
You can make gypsum board into a variety of shapes. Although it is not easy to deform, low in price, light in weight, convenient in construction, etc., it is also a good material for making balcony ceilings.
Balcony wall material
If it is an open balcony, you should choose a coating or ceramic tile with high waterproof performance. If it is a closed balcony, you can choose the same wall material as the interior. In addition, because the balcony quickly rains on rainy days, it is better to choose a wall coating with better waterproof performance.
Balcony floor material
The ground material of the balcony shall be mainly ceramic tiles with good waterproof performance and anti-skid performance. Especially for the balcony of small house type, after connecting with the interior, even if the floor is the same as the interior decoration, it must be mainly made of anti-skid floor tiles, such as mosaic tiles.
Ideas for balcony design
Bedroom balcony
In order to make full use of the space of the small balcony, it is usually connected with the bedroom, separated from the outside with floor-to-ceiling windows, and equipped with elegant curtains.
It is suitable for the space where the bedroom area is too small, or the lighting is seriously insufficient. You can use this scheme to expand the space and increase the lighting.
A small study on the balcony
The living room area is small, and generally, there is no separate study or work room. However, if the balcony is connected to the living room, the balcony can become a brand-new study and be used. Suitable for the house type lacking a study, it is also an excellent choice to put the study on the balcony.
Balcony washing area
Open a washing area on the small balcony, and choose a delicate water basin and make-up mirror, which can play a decorative role while being practical. It is suitable for households with small toilet areas. Putting the washing area on the balcony can save space.
Balcony leisure area
Let the Ivy plants climb on the balcony, hang the unique trinkets on the side wall, and then put the tea table of rattan art, which can enhance the charm of the balcony. Suitable for each type of house can be achieved. The key is to achieve sufficient space.
Balcony transformation laundry room
Transforming the balcony into a laundry room is a cost-effective and convenient transformation method, especially for small households. This design is also convenient for drying clothes. We can say that it is a choice with one stone. It is suitable for the balcony with drainage holes or floor drains.
