Small balcony ideas for Australian renters who want to make the most of summer.
In Costa Rica, I was lucky enough to live in an apartment with a magical view (see images below and tell me I’m wrong!). Terrazas de Escazú perched on a hillside, my place boasting a generous terrace running the full length of the apartment and as wide as the living and dining room inside. The mountains and the sprawling neighbourhood below reminded me daily just how blessed I was for this outlook. Nobody’s washing interrupted it.
Terrazas de Escazú by day:
The view from my slice of paradise in Costa Rica.
Terrazas de Escazú by night:
I never got tired of this mountain-scape, day or night, it always delivered.
My balcony in St Kilda is another story. It looks onto the rear of other apartments: sheets and smalls on the line, dusty furniture nobody uses and, I’ll admit, a few dead plants of my own. The view goes both ways.
Most rental balconies look more like the second. A drying rack, a struggling Monstera, a chair that rarely gets sat in. But a balcony can still be a room you use. It just takes the same thought and intent you’d give any other room.
Coming back to Melbourne after Costa Rica took some adjusting. I promise, no shade intended to my St Kilda digs. A very kind landlady (you know who you are :-) ) has allowed me to make this space my own, and I’ve grown to love it too. It also helps that the mind’s eye filters a great deal, and a fabulous privacy screen filters the rest.
Start with what you’ll do out there on your balcony
Before you buy a single thing for your balcony, ask yourself what you’d actually like to do out there.
Morning coffee? Reading a few pages of your latest book club obsession? A daybed to laze around on in the afternoon sun? Dinner for two? Sitting with a glass of wine after work as the sun sets?
Each of those activities asks something different of the space.
A balcony designed for slow Sunday mornings might need one generous, comfortable chair and a small table within easy reach. A balcony for sharing dinner needs seating at a sensible height and enough room to move around without performing an elaborate sideways shuffle.
Trying to squeeze every possible activity onto a tiny balcony usually means none of them works particularly well.
Choose one purpose and give it room to breathe.
Your chair has to earn its place
Outdoor furniture has an unfortunate habit of looking wonderful in photographs and being surprisingly unpleasant to sit on.
Everyone has met the chair that’s too low, the backrest that’s too upright, or the cushion that needs rearranging every five minutes.
On a small balcony, the seating is probably your most important decision.
Think about how your body actually rests. Can you sit comfortably for half an hour? Is the seat deep enough? Can you get in and out without climbing over another piece of furniture?
And importantly, where does your drink go? Whether it’s a full-bodied latte, a zesty Margarita or a calming cup of Chamomile, you still need somewhere to put the cup in between sips and other activities like flipping pages.
A small, sturdy side table within arm’s reach can make a bigger difference to how often you use your balcony than another decorative accessory ever will.
If space is tight, one genuinely comfortable chair may be a better investment than a miniature outdoor setting bought simply because it fits.
One comfortable seat: It might make more sense to focus on one substantial chair and side table rather than squeeze a three piece balcony set into the space, which you never end up using because it feels too crowded.
Watch your balcony for a week first
Anyone who’s spent a summer in Melbourne knows that a beautiful sunny morning guarantees nothing about the afternoon.
Wind, shade and the direction your balcony faces all matter.
A west-facing balcony might be wonderful early in the day but almost unbearable by late afternoon. A balcony exposed to the bayside breeze may need heavier, stable furniture, because lightweight pieces have a habit of taking flight.
Observe your space for a week before choosing what goes into it.
Where does the sun fall at breakfast? What happens around five o’clock? Which corner gets shelter from the wind?
Shade might be essential. But before investing in an umbrella or screen, consider the available space, wind exposure and any building restrictions.
Design for the conditions you actually have.
Privacy changes everything
There’s a difference between sitting outside and feeling comfortable enough to stay there.
If your neighbours have a direct view of your balcony, you’ll probably use it differently. Perhaps you’ll avoid that corner altogether. Or find yourself retreating indoors just when you were hoping to enjoy the evening.
Privacy is worth treating as a design decision from the beginning.
Depending on the building, a thoughtfully positioned group of suitable potted plants might soften a neighbouring sightline. An approved freestanding screen could create a little separation without permanently changing the space.
But don’t sacrifice daylight, airflow or safety in pursuit of complete privacy.
Sometimes a small change in where you sit is enough to make the space feel more comfortable.
Privacy, filtered sunlight and greenery, immediately set the atmosphere: A daybed I’d honestly sink into and stay a while.
A small outdoor room still needs character
Once the practical things are solved, consider what will make the balcony feel connected to the rest of your home.
Perhaps it’s the warmth of timber, a beautifully textured outdoor cushion, terracotta planters or a small lantern that makes an ordinary Tuesday evening feel a little more special.
Look at the colours and materials already inside your apartment. Repeating one or two of those choices outdoors can help the balcony feel like a natural continuation of your living space.
A mix of foliage, tactile surfaces and a few well-chosen objects does more than a balcony full of stuff.
And please, leave enough floor space to walk.
The most appealing outdoor spaces have somewhere for your eye to rest, as well as somewhere for your feet.
View from an apartment interior through to the balcony: The perfect spot to settle in for your morning coffee, and for those that do, journaling too.
Rental balcony ideas that move with you
When you’re renting, it’s sensible to think beyond your current address.
The best rental balcony ideas are often the ones built around pieces you can take with you: a well-made outdoor chair, portable lighting, a useful side table and planters that could work somewhere else.
Before adding screens, fixings or other alterations, check your lease and any owners corporation rules. Balconies can have building-specific requirements, particularly around safety and external appearance. The privacy screen my landlady added was body corporate approved, and it’s as perfect today as it was on install day eight years ago.
Choose outdoor-rated pieces that are appropriate for the conditions, and keep drainage, access and balcony load limits in mind.
A considered space can feel personal without permanent alterations.
Give your balcony a reason to be used
The terrace in Costa Rica had the width and the mountains. Most balconies have neither, and they can still be rooms worth using.
Start with a purpose. Choose a chair that feels good. Watch the sun, the wind and the sightlines. Then add the materials and small details that make you want to go back out.
A good outdoor room makes the ordinary moments of summer better. Even if it’s just fifteen minutes with your morning coffee.
If you’re ready to make better use of your space and aren’t sure where to begin, book an Align + Define Call with me. We’ll work out what your home needs and the best way to approach it.