8 Small Balcony Decorating Ideas
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Decorating a small balcony is all about finding the best ways to make the most of what you’ve got. Extra outdoor space can make a big difference to your home and a little balcony is often the most cost-effective type of balcony to add.
We’ve got a bunch of clever small balcony decorating ideas to help you enjoy your space and embrace its design potential.
Things to consider when decorating your small balcony
What will you use your small balcony for?
You should carefully consider how you’ll be using your small balcony. Is it mainly for socialising, dining or gardening? Is it just for you, relaxing with a flatmate or partner, or do you want to invite guests to sit out? This will influence your layout and how much you can place on the balcony.
Also think about whether you just want to spend an hour or so sitting out with breakfast or a drink, or several hours – perhaps a whole evening. This will impact what sort of furniture and lighting you choose.
If you’ll spend longer periods on your balcony, you’ll want to make it more comfortable. If you plan evenings there, you’ll need better lighting options.
When you’re starting from scratch and planning a new balcony installation, you can factor all these into the type of balcony you install.
Will you use your balcony in all seasons?
Some people are happy to only use their balcony during warmer weather, while others make use of it at every opportunity.
If you live in a flat or apartment, your small balcony could be your only private outdoor space and you’ll likely use it far more. If you have your own garden, you may not use your balcony as much. It can still be somewhere you value having to relax and unwind, but probably only in summer.
Whether you use your balcony for a few months or all year round will influence what sort of decorating ideas will work best. There are plenty of ways to still enjoy a balcony during winter and autumn, but you’ll need to think about plants, furniture and lighting that works for all seasons.
Making the most of your small balcony space
Create a Winter Garden
Decorating your balcony with winter plants can add a refreshing touch of greenery and pleasant seasonal aromas, brightening up the space during the colder months. There is a huge range of options when it comes to winter balcony plants.
Hang items on walls, trellis or planters
Work with what you’ve got. Do you really need a standing lamp when you could attach lights to a wall? How much valuable space will multiple plant pots take up – and will they be too heavy?
Adding shelving or hanging baskets for plants will free up your floor space. Ladder shelves are a really economic use of limited space, and painting them will add a pop of colour.
You can opt for plants like creepers to take advantage of vertical space. Trail them across trellis, which you can also use for fairy lights, tealight holders for citronella candles and any personal, crafty decorative touches.
Some balcony planters are designed to hang on the balcony railings or balustrades – a simple way of maximising your growing space. You could also hang trailing lights along the railings.
Choose the right small balcony plants
Numerous plants can flourish on a small balcony – mostly small plants that grow well in pots, and vegetables like tomatoes and carrots are also ideal. But the best plants for your balcony will partly depend on how much sun you get.
If your balcony doesn’t get a lot of sun, you can pick plants that prefer shade, like begonias, geraniums and ferns. Herbs and vegetables like lettuces, rocket and parsley will also do better in partial shade. You’ve got lots of choice for useful herbs that love shade.
Sunny balconies need drought-tolerant plants and can bring a Mediterranean feel. Think rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano for herbs. Jasmine does best in a sheltered sunny spot and will bring a glorious scent to your balcony. You can also incorporate it as part of a moveable wall or screen to provide screening
Bring in life and privacy with a moveable plant wall
Another great option for greenery, a living plant wall is an ideal space-saving measure when decorating small balconies. They enable you to grow a variety of plants that wouldn’t necessarily be suitable for hanging baskets or a trellis.
These types of living walls are low maintenance and you can even incorporate an irrigation system to provide automatic watering. Moveable plant walls offer flexibility as you can move them to act as a privacy screen. They shield you from neighbours, reduce noise and can deter opportunistic thieves, making them a good asset for balcony security.
Use a mirror to create the illusion of space
A mirror can completely transform an outdoor space. Just like in a small indoor area, a mirror will increase the sense of space on a small balcony.
Position it carefully to decide what you want to reflect. Placing it behind plants creates an illusion of depth. Vertical mirrors on narrow balconies can draw the eye upwards, making a small area feel taller. These often work well alongside tiered planters or trellis.
With the right angle, you can bring light into dark corners that get little or no sunlight. You can also use it to reflect the best parts of your surroundings.
You can choose from a wide variety of design styles for a garden mirror. If they don’t take your fancy though, you can also create a weatherproof outdoor mirror yourself.
Small balcony furniture: choose dual use
Furniture tends to take up the most room on a balcony, especially smaller ones. Depending on the size of your balcony, you may struggle to fit much furniture on it at all – but there are options.
A foldable table and chairs are ideal for small balcony furniture. They give you back more space, while still enabling you to add more seating as and when you need it. Depending on your balcony’s size and design, you could have a full table that folds up completely or one attached to a wall that pulls down when needed.
You could also choose furniture with multiple uses. Small side tables can double as stools when you have extra guests. Storage benches are a great option that allow you to pack away larger items while also doubling as seating or an additional table. Regular benches are also excellent space savers that can actually fit more people than individual chairs.
Use wall hooks to hang unused items, like extra chairs and cushions, out of the way. You’ll be amazed how much space you can free up.
Pick practical storage
If you have enough room and do want some more storage, pick the right cupboards and shelving.
Tiered plant stands and shelving take up little floor space but can offer 2, 3 or 4 levels of shelving. They’re great for a herb garden or outdoor bar supplies.
When choosing cupboards, depending how small your balcony is you might be better with sliding doors. This means you don’t need to worry about leaving as much space in front of them to open doors outwards.
Decorate your floor
It can be hard to make a small balcony feel more vibrant, but floor decorations are one way to make it stand out. You could make it an extension of your indoor style or find something completely different and unique.
Patterned tiles can provide a traditional, Mediterranean look, while decking is practical and still waterproof. If you’re on a tight budget, you can even opt for modern plastic decking that clicks together. This is also a good option if you’re renting and don’t want to install any permanent flooring.
As we head into winter, consider adding carpet off-cuts or rugs to make your small balcony more inviting in the cooler weather. These give a cosy feel, make the space feel warmer and you can easily pack them away.
Get cosy in cooler months
There are various options for relaxing on your balcony without always having to take up lots of space. Hammocks and hanging chairs are the perfect choice if you want a cosier way to chill out, but are happy to pack them away from time to time.
When the cooler weather arrives, combine these with throws, blankets and cushions. You’ll need to make your small balcony feel extra inviting so plenty of snug additions will help. If you don’t have room to store extra items anywhere waterproof on your balcony, you can always just take them back inside afterwards.
With creative thinking, you can decorate a small balcony to bring the most benefit to your home. Choose flexible design and practical options that maximise your space, so you can design your perfect balcony escape from the world.
