Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Make A Small Apartment Balcony Look Beautiful

Flowers, trees and bushes can all add beauty to your apartment balcony.


When moving into an apartment, getting all of the furniture and belongings in the proper location is important so that the space is both functional and attractive. One area that is often overlooked is the balcony. Often, the space is so small that it ends up going to waste or is used as storage for bicycles and beach chairs. However, with some careful planning, that small apartment balcony can be made to look beautiful and inviting, the kind of spot that you want to relax in after a hard day of work. Does this Spark an idea?


Instructions


1. Add some color to your balcony by adding planters filled with colorful flowers. Select a variety of colors and styles, such as daisies, carnations and azaleas. For dual purpose use, add planters filled with marigolds, which have been known to repel insects.


2. Make your patio functional and well as decorative by growing vegetables, fruits and herbs. Tomato plants can be grown in ground-based planters or suspended in a hanging planter. Grow garden plants that can thrive in pots and planters, such as hot and bell peppers, strawberries, rosemary, basil, oregano and garlic. Add a planter filled with catnip (which also repels insects) or cat grass if you have a cat in the house. Small fruit trees and bushes, such as blueberries, raspberries and Meyer lemon varieties, can add a splash of color to your balcony as well.


3. Line the outer edges of your balcony with bamboo fencing material to add some decoration and some privacy to your outdoor living space. Attach the bamboo with small plastic zip ties or plastic-coated twist ties to the metal or wood railings.


4. Add furniture to make the space livable as well and decorative. Arrange a small glass or synthetic tabletop set off with a pair of painted wrought-iron chairs lined with decorative, weather resistant seat and back cushions. Add a colorful centerpiece, such a vase filled with flowers, for an added decorative touch. For spaces that are smaller, add a couple of wooden or wicker rocking chairs or a porch swing.


5. Drape a colorful area rug over the side of the balcony's railing (remembering to put it away when the weather dictates to do so).







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