Not having a large garden or a beautiful patio does not mean you can not decorate your home exterior. Many people living in the city don't have the luxury of a garden but have to settle for a small balcony. Balconies can have nice views on the surrounding area and are a great place to spend an evening if the setting is right. Most people don't make full use of their balcony and instead use it as a place for garbage disposal. With a little effort you can create so much more and it doesn't have to cost you a lot of money to achieve it. With the right accessories and some balcony lights you can turn a dull looking concrete mess into a cool place to sit on at night.
In order to create what we want we first have to clean our balcony so we feel safe again when we want to sit on the ground or hang against the railing. Next we have to decide how to properly decorate it because our space is often limited. Most balconies are only a few square feet and although this can be enough to create a nice hangout, we are limited to the amount of lights and accessories we can use. If you have a very small balcony than don't think about chairs or a table to install but keep it simple and use some pillows to sit on instead. Bigger balconies have more decorating options but on the other hand, smaller balconies are cheaper to decorate.
Limitations
Space is not the only limitation when it comes to balcony decoration, you also want to keep in mind what your weather conditions are and if your environment is healthy enough to enjoy sitting outside. If you have a balcony above a very busy traffic area than maybe it is not a good idea to sit outside and enjoy all the smog and fuel gas. Another limitation might be the weather. The only reason why you would like to sit outside is because of the weather. If you don't experience a lot of hot summer days than investing in your balcony might also not be such a good idea.
Balcony Lighting Fixtures
So now you have cleaned your balcony and maybe installed some nice plants and flowers in order to increase it's appearance and now it is time to install some lighting fixtures. Choosing the right balcony lights is important because it will have a huge impact on the ambiance you are trying to create. Off course you can settle for a large wall sconce or lantern that will emit enough light you and all your neighbors can enjoy it, but you can also decide to choose a more subtle way of lighting. Torches and string lights for example, are a great way to install subtle lighting fixtures and will create a much better ambiance than one very bright light.
Torches
Using torches on your balcony is a great idea because this is a great way to illuminate a small area, emit some heat and setting an ambiance when it's dark. When choosing torches you have to give some attention on the spots you want to place them. Make sure they can not fall down on the street or fall down on your own balcony. You don't want to create an unsafe situation so make sure you tie them properly to the railing of your balcony. The best way to do this is with some iron wire, attach the wires on 3 different places (top, middle, bottom) of your railing to make sure it is not going to fall down anywhere. You also want to think about the wind because the most optimal way to place them would be them not facing the wind. Two or three torches are good enough to use on a small balcony and they will surely have a nice impact on the design of your balcony.
String Lights
String lights are also a very popular lighting fixture to use on your balcony because they are so easy to use. The best thing to do is choosing between solar string lights and string lights that run on batteries because than you don't have to connect them to an electricity network and that saves a lot of effort. In summertime the most effective thing to do is hanging some string lights and face the solar collector to the sun. The lights will start to glow automatically when it gets dark so you don't have to turn them on and off every time. When the days will get shorter again and there is less sun to charge your solar lights, you can hang some string lights on batteries instead. Fairy lights and rope lights are 2 examples that are suitable for hanging on your balcony and they form a great Christmas decoration to.
Candles and Lanterns
Never use stand alone candles on your balcony because accidents are prone to happen on small areas and you don't want to lit your balcony. Use small lanterns instead to accommodate your candles, this is not only safer but the light that comes from lanterns is also a much prettier sight. You can hang small lanterns on the railing of your balcony or just place them on the ground. Another great idea would be to add a few small lanterns together and make a string light out of them and attach them to your balcony railing.
A little bit of attention can really make a big difference for your balcony and it really does not have to cost much. Consider all the nice days you can spend on your balcony and it will be worth every dollar. A few balcony lights in combination with some flowers and plants is enough to create a small special place.
Related Websites
Outdoor Lighting For Balcony Gardeners
Apr 2, 2009 ... With all the increased interest in green living, there are tons of great looking lighting options that will look great on a balcony or patio ..
Deck & Balcony Lighting | eHow.com
Deck & Balcony Lighting. Many people build decks and balconies onto their homes to enjoy the outdoor atmosphere. Decks and balconies are used for ...
Outdoor Lighting For Balcony Gardeners
Apr 2, 2009 ... With all the increased interest in green living, there are tons of great looking lighting options that will look great on a balcony or patio ...
Related posts:
- 5 Ideas for Using Flame Lights | Flicker Flame Light Bulbs A flame light is a very nice accessory to use in your home interior or exterior. People have always been possessed with some kind of admiration for fire, we like to watch at it because it is beautiful to look at and we like to sit next to it because it provides us with heat [...]...
- Red Rope Lights Decoration Ideas Rope light has become a very popular way to use as decoration lighting because it is really easy to install. You can purchase a rope light in many different colors but red is probably one of the best selling colors. Red is used on most holidays but you can use it in many more ways. [...]...
- Umbrella String Lights Patio lighting let's us enjoy reading our book, playing a game and have a nice conversation with each other while nipping our wine. Lighting is as important outside your house as it is inside. Not only does it increase our visionary but it also adds a nice atmosphere which makes it more cozy and enjoyable [...]...
- Battery Operated Fairy Lights Fairy lights are actually small Christmas lights which you can install both indoors or outdoors. They are no longer reserved for the holidays and it is quite fun to use them as a part of your outdoor lighting decoration but you can also use them for a party or even to decorate your home interior. [...]...
- Landscape Tree Lighting: What are your Options? We all like to decorate out home and our home exterior because those are the places we spend most of our time. Decorating our home starts with nice furniture, floor, wall decoration and lighting. If you want to decorate your home exterior than the best way to do this is accentuating certain areas. Especially if [...]...
- Great Garden Lights Make a Difference! Great garden lighting can make the difference between a boring outdoor space, and an amazing one. Without lighting, once the sun drops below the horizon, your garden will be plunged into darkness and all of your expensive shrubs and garden features will be lost in shadow, which is not ideal when you have probably spent [...]...
- Stair Lighting Ideas Walking up and down the stairs is a safety issue, especially during the night. Stair lighting is an important consideration to ensure the right illumination and comfort for you and your family. Not only are stair lights essential for safety, but they can also be an enhancing feature to your home. With so many designs [...]...
- External Lighting, External Lights, External Lighting Fixtures If you have an outdoor patio or deck you might be considering using some exterior lighting for your back yard area. The lights available today that can be used outdoors come in a wide variety of styles. You can choose from string lights, solar lights and lights available on posts. The type of external lights [...]...