Room design with a balcony: special solutions

Balconies - they are so different: tiny and stretching along all the windows of the apartment, open and glazed. Their attitude is ambiguous. Some dream of a large loggia to arrange a terrace on it. Others are upset by the “uselessly disappearing” living space, and then cardinal decisions are made on redevelopment, they try to insulate the balcony or combine it with the room.

Different initial data, projects and purely individual needs lead to a huge number of options for using a balcony. Some of them are especially popular, others are in little demand, but there are those that have not yet been appreciated.

In mid-latitude conditions, the design of a room with a balcony is determined primarily by whether it will be used year-round, or mainly in summer. Therefore, we can talk about three types of balconies, the purpose and design of which differ fundamentally:

1. open;
2. glazed;
3. combined with the room.

open balcony

Consider the project of a room with a balcony - the way it is intended, without redevelopment, but with some useful or spectacular nuances in the design.

Without pretending to be encyclopedic, we offer interesting design options for a room and a balcony that bear the stamp of style, are distinguished by practicality or especially witty solutions.

Ideally, if the balcony is decorated in the same style as the room, then it will become its natural continuation. What is better - to decorate a balcony in the spirit of a room or a room - in the style of a balcony? The question sounds unexpected, but there is a rational grain in it. Still, the design of the balcony is largely determined by its design, and the design of the room depends only on our imagination and means.

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Types of open balconies

Historically, traditional styles of balconies have developed, characteristic of different countries:

• French;
• Spanish;
• Italian
• Swedish;
• American.

Not all of them have analogues in our architecture, but they can give design ideas.

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Window and door decoration

In the design of a room with doors to a balcony, how they are decorated is of great importance.

The problem is that the design of frames and balcony doors is determined by the overall architecture of the facade and this has to be taken into account.

When it comes to a historic building, its architectural features are, by definition, valuable enough to be used “as is”. If the windows do not face the facade that forms the architectural appearance of the city, it is usually possible to coordinate changes in the window binding and frame material quite easily.

Room with a miniature French balcony

The French balcony is very small, sometimes it is impossible to stand on it, because it is a slightly protruding lattice behind the balcony door. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity to sit by the open door in a light comfortable armchair with a book and a cup of coffee in the afternoon or on a warm evening.

Oddly enough, such balconies also exist in our country - in very old houses, and sometimes, due to some misunderstanding, in new ones. Their owners usually have no idea how to dispose of this architectural refinement and simply board up the door, away from trouble.

Meanwhile, if there are no small children in the house, such a balcony can define your interior. It is enough to order for him a small curved forged lattice (or imitating forging), fix a couple of flower pots outside, which should be carefully watered all summer (by the way, you can put indoor flowers on it for the summer).

It is better to replace standard doors to the balcony with doors with full glazing, with binding, similarly arrange window frames, and - voila - French charm fills your room.

It remains to decorate the interior in the Provence style or in the urban French style, hang light curtains - with flowers (Provence) or cream ones, put an armchair and a small table near the balcony - and instead of a room with a ridiculously boarded up balcony door, you get a stylish, typically French room with a mini-balcony.

Provence is a very popular style that is booming, especially among young people. Its characteristic features are: white or light, "stonework" walls, light natural textiles with a characteristic floral painting and very expensive, captivating "rustic" simplicity furniture. The entire interior is maintained in clear pastel colors, “powdered” with artificial aging.

Urban French style originates from the 17th century. Having lost its already irrelevant pomposity, it has retained a refined aesthetics in the finish that preserves the signs of antiquity, a delicate taste in choosing colors - tonal, often in beige and cream shades, and the elegance of furniture. For a room with a miniature balcony, this is the most refined and organic design option.

spanish balcony

The Spanish balcony has direct analogues in modern housing construction. It is usually quite proportional - that is, not long and rather wide. The traditional Spanish balcony has a crate only in the central part, and the sides are covered with stone (concrete, brick) masonry, but not to the full height, but to half the height. Small shaded square balconies have a similar design.

In summer, hiding from the hot sun, it is pleasant to relax on it, sitting in an armchair at the table, among flowering plants in ceramic pots. Imitation of old stonework on the walls, dark wooden floorboards, and aged furniture - a corner of Valencia, exclusively for those whose windows face south and who are tired of the midday heat. The door and the window facing the balcony should have massive wooden frames.

However, the style of Valencia can hardly be called popular, which is quite understandable in the middle and northern latitudes - here they tend to let more sun into their homes, and the traditional Spanish interior is filled with shade and coolness.

Juliet's room with Italian balcony

Is it possible to make something special out of an ordinary balcony open on three sides? Classic or Mediterranean design of the room and an open Italian balcony with openwork lattices - and you will feel the holiday every day, barely waking up and saying goodbye to the sun at sunset.

The Italian balcony is a classic, sung in Shakespeare's poem, if its design is supported in the interior of the room, the effect will be amazing.

Decoration of the Italian balcony

A distinctive feature is the bent, "pot-bellied", heavy balcony grilles, ideally - artistic forging or its imitation. The wall is not particularly finished in any way, remaining the same as on the entire facade of the house.

The second mandatory element is lush landscaping.The balcony should be entwined with flowers - roses and petunias, everything that blooms brightly and magnificently, ampelous flowers hanging down, ivy climbing the wall - this fragrant splendor will look into the windows of the room and fill it with aroma. It is not customary to take out a table on such a balcony - only an armchair or a bench.

Italian balcony room design

It is great that the design of a room with such a balcony can be very different. It can be designed in a pompous "palace" Venetian style, furnished with classic Italian furniture, richly decorated with works of art.

Or furnish it in the country style of the Italian Mediterranean - with rough white plaster and imitation stonework on the walls, with simple "home-made" furniture, covered with bright, but as if faded paint. If you choose a Mediterranean style for the room, then the design of the lattices on the balcony can be simpler.

Scandinavian room design with swedish balcony

If your balcony is wide enough, open on one, two or three sides, and also if it is angular, running along two walls, then this is quite a typical Swedish balcony and nothing prevents you from decorating it in a Scandinavian style, like the design of the room.

In this case, a wooden lath is laid on the floor. The dark one looks more spectacular - it contrasts brighter with white plaster or light stone, which is used to decorate the walls and the blind railing of the balcony. The fence can also be wooden, made of horizontal wooden slats.

Comfortable solid furniture is placed on the balcony - an armchair or a sofa, a bench, a table - provided that there is a canopy above the balcony. A special cosiness will be created by small bright knitted rugs or rugs on the floor and a warm blanket on an armchair or sofa.

By the way, you can extend the season of using the balcony by installing wall or floor infrared heaters. This is a complete recreation area. Ideally, the balcony should overlook a forest, a park area or a quiet courtyard, but if a busy highway passes under the windows, it is better to abandon this project.

The room is decorated in a Scandinavian style, and, having a single design with a balcony, it seems to be continued beyond the walls.

 

The design of a room with a balcony, as the embodiment of the American dream

An American balcony is essentially an open terrace, spacious enough to have a sun deck or barbecue on it. The traditions of its design stem from the terraces on the flat roofs of city buildings, which in America are willingly equipped by residents of the upper floors, from the small courtyards of “one-story America”, and if you look further into history, from the features of the arrangement of large rural houses.

Such a balcony is distinguished by rather high, half-height and higher, deaf or densely fenced fences, creating the effect of a patio. The patio feel is enhanced by large plants in wooden tubs and large ceramic pots.

The floor is covered with ceramic or stone tiles, wooden slats. Sun loungers, chairs and tables are almost mandatory here. For children, you can even put a small inflatable pool.

In our high-rise buildings there are also such balcony layouts - why not use this, emphasizing American style and room design.

However, in the design of the premises, the American style, as such, does not exist, in any case, it is not limited to American country. You can decorate the interior of the room in the spirit of pop art, minimalism, functionalism, transferring style elements to the design of the balcony.

If you adhere to the country style in the design of the room, then the features of rustic architecture should also be transferred to the balcony - use more large wooden elements, simple furniture, checkered textiles.

Features of the design of rooms with an open balcony

Unfortunately, there is an opinion that an open balcony is a rather useless space, too cold to be used as part of a living room, unaesthetic and in practice, alas, often cluttered with rubbish - there is no need to talk about any design in this case.

Meanwhile, whether it be ridiculously tiny or unreasonably large, if you consider the balcony as an architectural feature of the room, you can get an interesting clue to its design. But often it is the abundance of opportunities that makes it difficult to decide on the choice of interior style.

Decorating a room and a balcony in the same style, we get its visual continuation, and a miniature courtyard under the window has not bothered anyone yet, especially if you paid attention to its design.

A few words about an open balcony, like a miniature courtyard: how to use it.

1. If there is a small child in the house, in the warm season you can teach him to sleep in the fresh air.
2. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of taking a nap on the balcony in a comfortable chair, reading a book or magazine at your leisure, doing needlework. A shelf next to the chair - for your favorite books, light reading or knitting baskets - will be very handy.
3. If plant lovers live in the apartment, they will gladly turn the balcony into a flower garden (see "Decoration of the Italian balcony") and will take great pleasure in caring for a small greenhouse.
4. When receiving guests, arrange a corner on the balcony with a tea table, sweets and fruits - it will be nice here to discuss the news with a small company.

Even this incomplete list shows how much the usable area of ​​the room expands, from which there is access to the balcony.

Do not rush to be upset because of a too large, long or small balcony, and even more so - do not turn it into a spontaneous pantry. We dare to say that any balcony is a blessing, any opens up special opportunities for the design of the room and can bring a pleasant novelty to the lifestyle.

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