10 Great Ideas to Dress Up Your Rental Apartment's Small Balcony
Enjoy the great outdoors from your pint-sized balcony with these appealing and practical (but non-permanent) additions
Decorating a tiny balcony can be tricky, but sprucing up the small balcony of a rental house or apartment is even harder. Not only do cramped rooms present numerous design challenges but, as a renter, you’re even more restricted when it comes to what improvements you can make to the space. Luckily, there are plenty of sneaky decorating tricks you can employ to fix up and put your own stamp on your small outdoor space, without jeopardising your security deposit.
2. Add artificial grass underfoot
Transform your tiny balcony into a peaceful grassy pocket by laying artificial lawn along the floor. Faux grass is a great alternative for apartment dwellers who don’t have a green, leafy backyard they can escape to and want to give their balcony an authentic garden feel. While artificial grass will add colour and life to any small balcony, the low maintenance floor covering is also a cinch to install and remove when you’re ready to relocate elsewhere.
Transform your tiny balcony into a peaceful grassy pocket by laying artificial lawn along the floor. Faux grass is a great alternative for apartment dwellers who don’t have a green, leafy backyard they can escape to and want to give their balcony an authentic garden feel. While artificial grass will add colour and life to any small balcony, the low maintenance floor covering is also a cinch to install and remove when you’re ready to relocate elsewhere.
3. Conceal an ugly floor with an outdoor rug
Introducing a striking rug or runner (if your space is super narrow) to your outdoor space is also a great way to add a jolt of colour, tactile interest and personality to the area. When shopping around for a rug, look for a design that looks good but will visually expand your space, too. For example, lighter tones, stripes and small-scale prints create the illusion of space and will make your balcony appear roomier than it really is.
Introducing a striking rug or runner (if your space is super narrow) to your outdoor space is also a great way to add a jolt of colour, tactile interest and personality to the area. When shopping around for a rug, look for a design that looks good but will visually expand your space, too. For example, lighter tones, stripes and small-scale prints create the illusion of space and will make your balcony appear roomier than it really is.
4. Fill it with foliage and flowers
Peppering your balcony floor with flower pots and foliage-filled planters is a simple way to inject a small balcony with loads of colour and interest without any long-term commitment. If you’re a keen home chef who prefers cooking with fresh produce, set aside a few planters for edibles so your favourite vegetables and herbs are always on hand.
Don’t have a good track record when it comes to keeping plants alive? Try hardy, low-maintenance varieties like succulents and cacti that make green thumbs out of anyone.
No-fail plants for a balcony garden
Peppering your balcony floor with flower pots and foliage-filled planters is a simple way to inject a small balcony with loads of colour and interest without any long-term commitment. If you’re a keen home chef who prefers cooking with fresh produce, set aside a few planters for edibles so your favourite vegetables and herbs are always on hand.
Don’t have a good track record when it comes to keeping plants alive? Try hardy, low-maintenance varieties like succulents and cacti that make green thumbs out of anyone.
No-fail plants for a balcony garden
If room is really at a premium on your balcony, forgo floor-hogging pot plants and opt for space-savvy solutions like hanging or balcony planters instead. A mobile vertical wall, like this repurposed wooden pallet, will also do the job nicely. The planter gets bonus points because it doubles as art, plus it doesn’t have to be hung on a wall and will happily lean against any vertical surface, which makes for a fuss- and damage-free display that you can take with you to your next place.
10 clever ways to reinvent wooden pallets
10 clever ways to reinvent wooden pallets
5. Create interest with soft furnishings …
Accessorise it with soft furnishings dressed in punchy patterns and tones. These accents are great commitment-free decorating options for renters as they add interest, character and a homey vibe to any space, and can be switched up without any drama when you’re in the mood for a change.
Accessorise it with soft furnishings dressed in punchy patterns and tones. These accents are great commitment-free decorating options for renters as they add interest, character and a homey vibe to any space, and can be switched up without any drama when you’re in the mood for a change.
Soft furnishings like large tapestries and decorative throws can also moonlight as wallpaper, and will lift the look of your balcony, while temporarily hiding unattractive walls. They’ll also add depth to the small area and create the illusion of spaciousness, as the oversized accent piece will draw the eye across and up the wall.
To hang a tapestry or throw, affix a few removable hooks to your wall at the height from which you want the fabric to drop. Then, attach clips to the material and slip them onto the hooks. You can also buy Velcro-backed hangers or 3M hooks, which offer quick and easy application and removal.
To hang a tapestry or throw, affix a few removable hooks to your wall at the height from which you want the fabric to drop. Then, attach clips to the material and slip them onto the hooks. You can also buy Velcro-backed hangers or 3M hooks, which offer quick and easy application and removal.
… and other decorative accents
Once you’ve layered your balcony with cosy, soft furnishings, complete the look by accessorising the area with statement-making accents, like candles, ornaments, art and bunting. Though small, they’ll make a big decorative impact and inject your balcony with a hearty dash of personality.
See more of this charming compact balcony
Once you’ve layered your balcony with cosy, soft furnishings, complete the look by accessorising the area with statement-making accents, like candles, ornaments, art and bunting. Though small, they’ll make a big decorative impact and inject your balcony with a hearty dash of personality.
See more of this charming compact balcony
6. String up some lights
Transform your tiny balcony into a magical hideaway by stringing up a strand of fairy lights or an illuminated garland across the space. Complete the scene with a comfy daybed, snuggle-worthy cushions, scented candles and mood-enhancing music, and you’re all set to romance your significant other out under the stars.
Small and stylish patios for lovebirds
Transform your tiny balcony into a magical hideaway by stringing up a strand of fairy lights or an illuminated garland across the space. Complete the scene with a comfy daybed, snuggle-worthy cushions, scented candles and mood-enhancing music, and you’re all set to romance your significant other out under the stars.
Small and stylish patios for lovebirds
7. Move an open shelving unit outside
Open shelves are a great addition to any balcony, as they provide practical storage and a display zone for pint-sized planters and other accents. Shelving units can also be used to camouflage unattractive walls, making them perfect for renters who aren’t allowed to give their scruffy balconies a fresh lick of paint.
If your balcony isn’t big enough to accommodate a solid bookcase like the one pictured here, opt for a slimline wire storage unit or ladder shelf instead. They’ll take up less floor space, plus their slender, airy frames won’t visually crowd the squeezy zone.
Open shelves are a great addition to any balcony, as they provide practical storage and a display zone for pint-sized planters and other accents. Shelving units can also be used to camouflage unattractive walls, making them perfect for renters who aren’t allowed to give their scruffy balconies a fresh lick of paint.
If your balcony isn’t big enough to accommodate a solid bookcase like the one pictured here, opt for a slimline wire storage unit or ladder shelf instead. They’ll take up less floor space, plus their slender, airy frames won’t visually crowd the squeezy zone.
8. Add a visually appealing privacy screen
A simple way to give your small outdoor space a fresh new look, without making any lasting changes, is to line your boring rails or glass enclosure with a patterned balcony screen or bamboo fence panels. They also provide extra privacy from nosy neighbours and protection from the wind.
A simple way to give your small outdoor space a fresh new look, without making any lasting changes, is to line your boring rails or glass enclosure with a patterned balcony screen or bamboo fence panels. They also provide extra privacy from nosy neighbours and protection from the wind.
9. Get hung up on mirrors
A well-placed mirror can bring a boring small balcony to life, make it brighter and accentuate the proportions of the space. Position your mirror in a spot that captures sunlight and reflects a beautiful view. You might also like to place an arrangement of beautiful blooms, candles or other accents in front of it, as the reflective surface will double the impact of the decorative display.
If your outside wall doesn’t have a hook that you can hang the frame from, choose a mirror that’s large in size and lean it against your wall instead.
Eagan multipanel mirror: Pottery Barn
A well-placed mirror can bring a boring small balcony to life, make it brighter and accentuate the proportions of the space. Position your mirror in a spot that captures sunlight and reflects a beautiful view. You might also like to place an arrangement of beautiful blooms, candles or other accents in front of it, as the reflective surface will double the impact of the decorative display.
If your outside wall doesn’t have a hook that you can hang the frame from, choose a mirror that’s large in size and lean it against your wall instead.
Eagan multipanel mirror: Pottery Barn
10. Try temporary wallpaper
If you’re a veteran renter, you may have used this trick before, perhaps to add punch and personality to your bedroom, kitchen or living zone. Why not give it a whirl outside on your balcony, too?
To make your compact balcony look bigger, select a wallpaper that’s light in colour or matches the tone of your floor. If you opt for a dark wallpaper like the design pictured here, limit the covering to one wall. The deep, moody hue will visually push the wall back, making the area appear larger in size. Decorate the space with light furniture and decor to offset the dark accent wall and make the scheme feel light, airy and spacious.
When choosing removable wallpaper for your balcony, make sure it’s suitable for exterior applications. Temporary wallpaper also works best on flat surfaces, so if you have walls made from exposed brick or another richly textured material, you should give this design move a miss.
WallSkin strips in ‘Ontario Rocks’: Accent Wall Customs
If you’re a veteran renter, you may have used this trick before, perhaps to add punch and personality to your bedroom, kitchen or living zone. Why not give it a whirl outside on your balcony, too?
To make your compact balcony look bigger, select a wallpaper that’s light in colour or matches the tone of your floor. If you opt for a dark wallpaper like the design pictured here, limit the covering to one wall. The deep, moody hue will visually push the wall back, making the area appear larger in size. Decorate the space with light furniture and decor to offset the dark accent wall and make the scheme feel light, airy and spacious.
When choosing removable wallpaper for your balcony, make sure it’s suitable for exterior applications. Temporary wallpaper also works best on flat surfaces, so if you have walls made from exposed brick or another richly textured material, you should give this design move a miss.
WallSkin strips in ‘Ontario Rocks’: Accent Wall Customs
TELL US
What’s your top landlord-friendly balcony decorating tip? Tell us in the Comments.
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What’s your top landlord-friendly balcony decorating tip? Tell us in the Comments.
MORE
10 Tricks to Make Your Rental Feel Like a Home You Own
8 Ways to Put Your Stamp on Your Pad Without Leaving a Mark
Plan a Garden That Can Move House With You
If you’re on a tight budget or don’t want to splash out on outdoor furniture in case your next rental is balcony-free, scour secondhand stores, sites like Gumtree or even the streets during your local council clean-up for an item you can upcycle for your space. A repurposed wooden lounge chair or small bistro table will completely transform your petite alfresco area and give it a bespoke, personalised look, especially if you dress it up in a stop-and-stare hue or pattern.
When stocking up on supplies for your DIY makeover project, be sure to buy water-resistant paint, varnish and fabric with good UV protection so the refurbished statement piece can withstand the elements. And if you’re tackling the DIY project on your balcony, remember to lay down a drop sheet or newspaper to prevent damage, otherwise you may mess up your chances of getting your deposit back!