Since the Soviet era, balconies have been used mainly as a storage for storing unnecessary things, which are a pity to throw out, and nowhere to put it. But this room in an apartment, studio or loft with proper arrangement can become a separate cabinet, a blooming garden, a corner for sports or a mini rest room where you can read a book and have a cup of tea in the evening in a leisurely conversation. A real miracle for owners of small apartments. With your hands, you can beautifully decorate a balcony or loggia, taking advantage of ready-made design solutions or connecting your own imagination.

By design, the balconies are classified into several more subgroups:

• On the cantilever reinforced concrete slab;
• On the cantilever beams;
• With external supports;
• Mounted;
• Binders;
• Fighting

Loggias can be divided into several types:

• Loggias-balconies;
• Remote;
• Built-in.

Apart from these classifications stand the French balconies, which perform a decorative function. They are fully glazed, very narrow and completely inadequate for the arrangement of a separate room.

Important! Before starting to repair, you need to study the features of the design of the balcony. If necessary, the installation of additional fences, reinforcement of the base, the creation of a frame will be required.

       

In Khrushchev

In Khrushchev, balconies can be of three types in length:

• 2.4 meters;
• 2.7 meters;
• 3.2 meters.

The width of such a room is always less than a meter. The dimensions of the balconies in Khrushchev will not allow you to "turn around" a lot. To arrange such a narrow room will have to try. The ideal style for decoration is minimalism. Furniture should be light and multifunctional. In addition, balconies in Khrushchev is not recommended to heavily weight. Their design can not withstand a lot of weight, so from ceramics, facing stone and parquet will have to be abandoned. Otherwise, the design will have to be strengthened.

       

In a panel house

Panel balconies have a number of features. From the end of the balcony plate is welded a thin ferro-concrete "sheet", which is located vertically. Between the slabs a special slit is formed, which is used as a "drain" of rainwater in non-glazed balconies. Because of this feature, there are difficulties in their glazing. In addition, the panel weakly holds heat, and the seams are usually poorly insulated, which makes such premises a priori very cold. The layer of thermal insulation is usually installed on all surfaces. Particular attention is paid to the floor, which is best to install artificial heating. In the panel houses, the floors are characterized by irregularities. Their alignment can lead to the use of a large amount of material, which heavies the design. The output will be technology controlled floors.

       

Series P44 and p44t - "Boat" and "Sapozhok"

"Boats" differ in their characteristic form: a wide middle, which narrows to the sides. Such loggias cause difficulties in glazing. To equip the nonstandard space is also much more difficult. For its visual expansion, a balcony window and a door are usually removed. A narrow room does not allow you to place on it a full-fledged furniture, so it's easiest to limit yourself to a flower gallery or a pair of chairs near the sill-counter.

"Sapozhok" series p44t differs from the "boat" the presence of three planes, which further complicates the task of glazing and decoration. The minuses of such a premise can easily be turned into pluses if you use its "creases" as additional delimiters for zoning space.

Open balcony

Дизайн балкона открытого типа позволит сделать из небольшого «холодного» помещения отдельную летнюю веранду, о которой жителям тесных квартирок остается только мечтать. Стоит учесть, что такое помещение используется только в теплое время года. Это один из минусов подобной конструкции. Furniture применяют легкую, многофункциональную. При ее выборе делают акцент на быструю сборку, удобное хранение зимой. Не нужно загромождать пространство шкафами и мебелью для хранения вещей. Достаточно небольшого столика и скамейки или пары садовых стульев. Open balcony потребует минимум затрат на свою отделку. Достаточно поставить красивые решетки и сделать легкое напольное покрытие. Идеальным этот вариант станет для выращивания летнего сада. Если квартира находится на первых этажах, такие мансарды иногда обвивают виноградными лозами, которые летом дают дополнительную тень и одновременно украшают фасад дома, радуя взгляд прохожих.

Read also: Design of a bedroom with a balcony: we combine two spaces

       

Closed balcony

The glazing of the balcony can be of two types:

• Cold;
• Warm.

In the first case an aluminum profile is used. For a warm glazing use a profile of aluminum with a thermal insert, natural wood or PVC. Cold type is ideal for those balconies and loggias, the design of which does not allow the use of additional loads. This type is most often used in Khrushchev. Warming in this case is not required. The installation of such frames is simple and economical in cost. Warm glazing will make the balcony a "continuation of the apartment": the temperature in it will be the same as in the rest of the house even in winter. Take into account that the warm frames will add to the load on the balcony, so they can not be used in fragile structures.

Also the glazing can be partial or panoramic. At partial or classical the bottom part of the parapet remains closed. This type of glazing is more common. Panoramic glazing only comes into fashion, with it glazes the entire parapet, and on the lower part are forged lattices for safety. They simultaneously perform a protective function and play the role of decor. By the type of opening, the sash of the windows can be pivoting, sliding or pivoting. The practice of installing plastic windows is now common. They are durable, sealed, easy to use, have good noise insulation and are easy to install. However, the tree does not go into the past, due to its main advantage: the presence of natural micropores, which allow the room to "breathe", excluding stagnation of air.

       

Color design

For a visual increase in space, pastel colors are commonly used, among which white is the leader. If a rest area is made out, then it is shaded with light yellow, pale green and shades of brown, so that the eyes in such a room rest. For the cabinet use all shades of brown, gray or black. For the dining area, warm tones are used, contributing to relaxation and increased appetite. The zone for entertainment or sports is made out by combining bright, aggressive colors with soft colors for balance. You can create separate "blocks" of dark or screaming colors, which will accentuate the guests' attention.

Important! It is necessary to take into account, on which side the windows of the loggia go. If the side is sunny, cold and warm colors are allowed. If the side is northern, then in the design should prevail warm shades.

       

Choice of materials

To expand the functional space of the apartment, you must firstly insulate the balcony. For these purposes, different types of insulation materials are used. As an additional measure, they arrange a "warm" floor. Particular attention is paid to the decoration of the room. For interior decoration of walls use:

• Wooden lining;
• Plasterboard sheets;
• Plastic lining;
• Cork;
• Siding;
• PVC panels;
• Block House.

The lining of the room with the lining will be the final stage of the surface treatment. In this case, you can connect the fantasy only when choosing a color. Facing with plasterboard will later allow wallpaper to wall wallpaper to your liking. Cork trim is the most expensive and environmentally friendly. On brick balconies, sometimes the walls are left in a pristine state. Modern interior design often offers such an idea as an original solution. Brick is processed in a special way: it is leveled, primed and painted. Such a brick wall itself will become an element of decor. In this case, the brick in the texture can be made perfectly smooth, rough or harmoniously combine different types of textures and colors. Magnificently on a rough surface will look a photo gallery in metal frames or a series of abstract paintings.

Read also: Design of a modern room with a loggia +50 photo of interiors

The following materials are used for finishing the floor:

• Laminate;
• Linoleum;
• Carpet covering;
• Parquet;
• Pottery.

Carpet and linoleum are used for balcony structures that do not allow heavy weighting. The laminate looks richer, but at a cost it is a step above the rest of the materials. For the ceiling, it is best to choose light materials with a decorative function. The practice of stretch ceilings is widespread.

Important! Do not forget about the exterior decoration. It will not only make your balcony beautiful from the side of the street, but also will additionally insulate it. The optimal option for these purposes are sheets of corrugated board.

       

Style

Provence is an easy style of the French outback. It is characterized by the use of natural materials, floral patterns and light tones. Required the presence of an abundance of indoor flowers and cute trinkets made of glass and porcelain.

       

Modernism is characterized by soft colors and curved shapes. He does not recognize strict geometric lines. Although the rooms are decorated in pastel colors, accent is artificially made on individual elements of bright colors. Pictures and photographs on the walls, a small number of vases, lamps and souvenirs revitalizes the atmosphere. Stained glass windows emphasize the refined interior of the balcony in the apartment in the Art Nouveau style.

       

Minimalism recognizes only the presence of functional interior details. For him, simplicity and laconicism are characteristic. At the heart of the style, only two basic colors are used, which are played out in shades in the greater details of the interior. Minimalism requires open spaces and an abundance of natural light.

       

High-tech is considered a modern style close to minimalism. He recognizes only strict geometric forms. The colors are shades of black, white, gray. It is possible to add red, blue or violet as a backlight. Hi-tech prefers an abundance of chrome, metal surfaces and glass. The emphasis is on artificial lighting, which dissipates and visually increases space.

       

Furniture

Furniture для открытых балконов больше похожа на садовую. Главным принципом при ее выборе становится возможность быстро сложить и убрать ее в помещение для хранения. Совсем другое дело, если речь идет о полноценном помещении в квартире или частном доме закрытого типа. Здесь дизайнеры постарались на славу. В зависимости от функционального назначения помещения можно выбрать детали меблировки из металла, стекла, пластика или дерева. Если помещение будет использоваться в качестве спортивного зала, то его оборудуют компактными тренажерами, которые позволят свободно тренироваться одному человеку.

Loggia combined with the bedroom is used as a corner for evening preparations before bed. In this case, as a furniture use a dressing table, a couple of ottomans and a comfortable sofa. For the rest zone, they limit themselves to a small table with a sitting area: a folding sofa or a solid ottoman with lots of soft pillows, where guests can climb with their feet. If the space is arranged under the work area, the emphasis is on cabinets and storage racks. It will save space furniture-transformer type ZM2. A wide selection of such furniture elements at affordable prices in the Dutch stores Ikea.

     

Lighting

Correctly supplied lighting can become a saving straw for a small balcony room. With the help of light, you can visually expand the space. There are no restrictions on the choice of lighting devices. It can be light bulbs, chandeliers, lamps, sconces, LEDs, floor lamps and entire lighting systems. They can be placed on walls, ceiling and even on the floor. In order not to spoil the aesthetic appearance of the premises with electric wires, it is worthwhile to take care of them at the finishing stage. Then the wiring will be a hidden type, which will avoid peeping wires. Open wiring is masked with decor elements and special panels. The main advantage of open wiring is its availability in the repair work, which can not be said about the hidden.

See also: Design of the loggia - 30 photos of ideas

When installing lighting devices, you must pay attention to the direction of light. Direct light from top to bottom heavily weight and reduce space. Light from the bottom up, which is artificially scattered in the reflective surface of the stretch ceiling, photos and mirrors on the walls, space expands. For dark rooms it is better to use diffused light of powerful lamps with a large number of additional small bulbs. The play of shadows and light directly affects the perception of the human eye by the width, length and "depth" of space.

       

Balcony with kitchen

Balcony sometimes makes a continuation of the kitchen, if the room is very small and does not allow you to combine the dining area with the cooking area. On the balcony can be placed part of the kitchen set, it can act as a dining room, if the former window sill is designed as a dining table. The same part is re-qualified in a bar counter, which will be a stylish addition to the event of home parties. In addition, the kitchen combined with the balcony will be much lighter. There are two types of redevelopment:

• Complete;
• Partial.

With a full wall, the two rooms are separated completely. Partial redevelopment involves the dismantling of only the window and door. The former window sill can serve as a countertop, shelf for storage or an element of decor.

       

Cabinet on the balcony

For those who work a lot at home, but do not have their own personal corner, the balcony will be an excellent solution to this problem. In such a room place a small desk, office chair and even a sofa. All necessary documents, books and other tools for work can conveniently be distributed on shelves to the ceiling. This option is also convenient from the point of view of illumination. In the afternoon, you do not have to turn on the lights. In summer the work will take place almost in the open air. Correct, compact design of the working space will allow even a narrow balcony of the Khrushchev make a separate functional cabinet in a one-room apartment.

       

Now on the balconies

The arrangement of the mini-garden can be done both on the outdoor balcony for the summer period, and on the closed for permanent use. To save space, plants sort by types. Weaving is grown in pots, placed along the wall. And on the wall itself are attached trellises: wooden grilles, on which will be placed a green "wall". For other types of plants use special multi-tiered stands and hanging flower pots. It is possible to place the tapestry not only against the wall, but also under the window itself. Subsequently, the overgrown green will create a natural shadow in the room. This option is actual for those apartments with windows facing the sunny side. Mini-garden will be a good option for those who do not have a summer residence, but very fond of messing around in the land. On the balcony it is easy to grow tomatoes, radishes, decorative sunflowers, cucumbers, greens, onions and indoor flowers.

       

Afterword

The balcony has long ceased to perform the role of a pantry. Modern design solutions will help to create from a premise without a specific purpose a full-fledged separate room. This is convenient not only for small apartments, where each square meter is for "weight of gold", but also for spacious rooms where you can equip a corner for privacy.