So, your HDB or condominium unit has a balcony approximately the size of 2 inflatable baby pools. Just enough to put out a rack to dry clothes, but not enough to chillout and stargaze.
Discouraged, some Singaporean homeowners decide to extend their living room into the balcony. This could be a good option if you’re intent on reclaiming every bit of ground surface area.But if you haven’t got the time or you really want that outdoor lounge life, read on. Take a look at how these homes with small balconies are transformed into an amazing space for enjoying the sun and fresh air. You’ll think twice about that enclosed balcony.
Here are 7 ideas for a HDB or Condo balcony!
1. Add Greenery
Plants and flowers give life to the space. Plus, you’ll feel as if you are sitting in a lush hanging garden. You can place the planters on the ground, on shelves, or hang them on the wall.
Don’t have green fingers? Not a worry. Do what we did for the modern scandinavian Flo Residence condo project. Roll out an artificial grass turf and lay out some wooden furniture. Not only is it zero maintenance, it’s the perfect way to bring the outdoors, indoors.
2. Set Up a Seating Area
Add extra seating space for alfresco dining!
If your balcony is tiny, skip chairs and tables for cushions. They’re equally comfy (well, more or less), and add a laidback feel to the space. Throw in a woolly rug, some throw pillows, and you’ve got yourself a night out perfect for relaxing.
3. Let There Be Good Lighting
Pay special attention to this. Whatever medium you use – candles, lanterns, lamps, string lights, these determine the mood. Warm lights are best if you’re using the space to relax at night.
4. Accessorise Cohesively
Since you’re already planning to glam up the balcony, be sure the theme from the rest of the house follows through here. For instance, interior designer Ben Lee used natural elements like rattan in the lighting for the Gangsa Road project. This creates a cohesive raw, minimalist Balinese inspired look throughout the home. You can see the same woody elements in the living room and dining accessories.
5. Use French Style Glass Doors
Create the impression of a long, continuous space with French glass doors. There are two main benefits from this.
Firstly, the clear frameless glass makes the space appear less crammed. Hence, even if your HDB or condo balcony is small, it will blend in with the rest of the home.
Second, the bold, black frame effuses a bold, modern look which elevates any space.
There are various styles of doors to choose from. Pictured on the left is a frameless sliding door from our 413 Serangoon Central project. Otherwise, bifolding doors work for odd rectangular spaces, as pictured above for the Gangsa Road project.
6. Deck Out the Outdoor Decking
Although this ground floor condo unit at Avant Residences might not have the smallest balcony out there, it does a pretty decent job of blending in with the rest of the amenities.
If you’re living in an HDB, outdoor decking can help create a totally separate space from the rest of your home. There’s no better way to delineate business and pleasure.
7. Preempt Extra Storage Space
Let’s be real, eventually everything becomes a dumping ground – your pretty alfresco coffee table included.
Instead of letting your clutter skills run a tour de force, why not preempt the disaster and build some custom made shelves? Juz Interior’s in-house carpentry services built this set of full height cabinets in a HDB balcony. Its perfect for extra storage space, and has some open shelves to display plants and trinkets. Aesthetics and function? Yes, please.
As you can see, a small balcony is prime real estate especially when you own a piece of the sky in Singapore. Don’t let this space go to waste!
And, if you need help designing your small balcony or any other interior design projects, get in touch with our team of professional interior designers today! We’re ready to help.
