How People Are Using Their Balconies: 10 Examples From Real Apartments

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I spent my late October vacation doing a massive deep clean—scrubbing the apartment, washing the windows and curtains, going through my entire wardrobe, and packing away all my summer clothes and shoes. But most importantly, I finally tackled the balcony.

I have an enclosed balcony on the second floor that overlooks a four-lane road. Because of that, whenever the windows are open, a thick layer of dust settles over everything, and I have to spend hours scrubbing it with the stiffest brushes and baking soda.

Once it was clean, I added some cozy touches. I laid down a rug (mine is a thin one from Ikea that I can wash every few days), touched up the wooden furniture, tossed in some soft pillows, and hung a few Christmas decorations. Now, I can sit out there and soak up the holiday vibe with a cup of tea or mulled wine.

Seeing my own balcony transform inspired me to see how other people make theirs cozy. I found 10 incredibly inspiring and beautiful examples.

Just look at the beauty people have created out of standard prefab balconies and new apartment builds!

I can’t believe how narrow this one is (only 1.1 meters wide). At first, the husband was against remodeling it, but he eventually gave in. Together, they cleared out the junk and painted the brick white. The wife bought patio furniture, strung up some lights, and placed flowers everywhere in simple ceramic pots and vases.

Here are more cozy details from the same balcony. This spring, the owner planted a variety of petunias, and they are in full bloom. A wooden table from Ikea, a couple of wicker chairs, and plenty of cute little accents—a ceramic candle holder, string lights, a garden lantern, a candle... The formula for creating this atmosphere is amazingly simple.

Another modest, tiny balcony. Having a great view is one thing, but it’s amazing to see that even in just two square meters, people can still create something beautiful.

This is the massive balcony of another lucky girl. It’s 7.5 meters long—basically a whole separate room!

And a few more shots of this one (by the way, the apartment is in a new high-rise on the 16th floor, with an amazing view). So cozy, right?

This balcony is attached to a completely standard Soviet-era prefab building. They turned one half into a workspace where you can comfortably work during the warmer months (it even has shelves and power outlets). The other half features a simple sofa for lounging and drinking tea. Best of all, they built everything themselves!

A very simple, airy balcony. Just add a few small touches—a tea table, a string of paper lanterns, a colorful rug—and the space looks totally different.

Here’s another picture of it. Those little string lights are gorgeous, and you can grab them for pretty cheap at most stores!

Another renovation project pulled off by a family of four. First, they fully glazed the balcony. Then, they swapped the plastic windowsills out for wooden ones. The whole makeover is simple and elegant.

This is what it looked like before the remodel. Shocking, right? According to the owner, their relatives actually tried to talk them out of enclosing it, saying it was a waste of money. But once they saw the final result, everyone was completely sold on it.

A stunning balcony in a mountain village.

This one is a renovated balcony on a wooden house. Honestly, you don't need anything here except a good book and a hot drink. It’s absolutely breathtaking!

This is the same balcony, I just wanted to show you what it looks like in the summer.

The woman who lives here made this balcony cozy all by herself. The most expensive part of the "renovation" was the patio furniture, but she still managed to create this wonderfully warm space on a really tight budget.