Many of us spend quite a lot of time on the balcony or in the yard, especially on sunny, pleasant days – whether it’s the morning hours with a cup of coffee just before leaving for work, hosting friends in the evening or a relaxing weekend with the family. A balcony or yard, especially when it is stylish, well designed and properly planned, can serve us well and provide an excellent space for entertaining or for a break from routine. So how do you design a balcony or yard correctly? Here are some tips to help you.
Tips for designing a yard or garden
• Choosing the right plants – plants play a very important role in a yard or garden: they add color, style and atmosphere. When designing a yard or garden, it is important to choose plants that suit the size of the yard, the character of the house and the climate where you live. A recommendation that always works is to choose seasonal flowers and replace them according to the seasons. You can also add a few fruit trees, such as a kumquat or a lemon tree, and use the fruit to make jams and season salads. If your yard is large, you can also add other trees such as avocado, pomelo and more. If you choose to plant trees that shed their leaves, place them as far as possible from the seating area and take into account the maintenance this requires.
• Suitable flooring – in recent years, many people have chosen stylish decking for their yard or garden. Decking has become one of the most popular flooring solutions, and not by chance – it adds a homey, elegant feel to any space and is an excellent surface for the seating area. Today you can find synthetic decking, especially suited to yards, as well as wooden decking such as pine or ipe. Another option for garden flooring is decorative concrete, which can be used around the pool, if you have one, or in the seating area. It comes in a variety of colors, including a natural shade. Another popular type of flooring is basalt or slate stones, which give the yard a natural, wild look and are suitable for the path leading to the house.
• Adding garden furniture – for your seating area in the garden or yard, look for quality garden furniture that is resistant to the weather, especially if you use this space often. If you want a natural “rustic” look, look for garden furniture made of wood or bamboo. If the modern, “high-tech” look appeals to you more, aluminum furniture combined with glass may be a suitable choice. Another option is to combine several different styles and add some color. For example, if you choose a white or beige seating set, add a few colorful cushions.
Tips for designing a balcony
• Suitable shading solutions – in a hot, sunny country like Israel, it is important to have a suitable shading solution on the balcony to protect those sitting there from the strong sun. There are different types of shading solutions and various designs to choose from. Pergolas, for example, are an excellent solution, mainly thanks to the range of styles in which they can be designed to suit almost any balcony. You can choose an electric pergola or, if you want a more natural look, a pergola made of wood or a wood-like material. If you want a shading solution that is not permanent, you can build a kind of sukkah-like canopy on the balcony and cover it with a special colorful fabric.
• Furniture that suits the balcony – it is important to match the furniture to the balcony so that it blends in harmoniously. On a small balcony, it is best not to overload it with furniture but to choose a few quality, attractive pieces – for example, a seating set with a two-seater and an armchair. Another option is to combine stylish chairs with a small round table. If your balcony is large, you can also add a rocking chair for you, the children or your guests, and in the summer months you can add a lounge corner with large cushions and colorful poufs. If the furniture you chose is exposed to the sun for most of the day, make sure it is made of durable materials or at least covered with a white cloth that protects it when not in use.
• Accessories – very often it is the small details that make the difference. Don’t hesitate to add various accessories to turn your balcony into a true paradise. You can hang a string of colorful lights and/or add stylish light fixtures to illuminate the seating area. Clay pots, decorative sculptures or a colorful rug can also add a lot.
• Plants – if you dreamed of a garden but have to settle for a balcony, here is an excellent solution to turn your balcony into a real yard: you can install special artificial grass suited to balconies and add pots of different sizes. If it is a very large balcony, such as on a rooftop apartment, you can add a rock garden with colorful, special plants that will give it a natural look and create the feeling of a yard.
A small tip to finish: if you don’t have a yard or balcony, here is a creative and relatively simple idea that will bring the outdoors in – or, more precisely, let you enjoy the wonderful view outside even when you are at home: create a stylish seating corner next to a large window overlooking the view, or hang a shelf with plants near the window.