As apartments and houses get smaller so do the gardens and terraces connected to them. Most people consider a small terrace or garden not worth landscaping and either turn it into extra storage space or enclose it. An outdoor space no matter how small has tones of potential when designed the right way. So before you enclose your balcony, here are a few space saving outdoor design ideas.
Levels
Many landscape designers in India stress on breaking an outdoor space into designated zones as the first step of designing outdoor spaces. To break small terraces, balconies or gardens into separate areas, consider different levels. This breaks the view and tricks the eye into seeing a larger space. Raised steps can have dual functions and serve as both seating and flower pot stands.
Container Gardens
A green lawn and flowering plants are pleasing to the eye and spending an hour outdoors have been claimed by many to help de-stress. With small outdoor spaces, extensive lawns and flower beds may seem out of the question so instead group plants together in large pots to create container landscapes.
Minimal Furniture
While furnishing a small terrace or garden pick sleek furniture that is minimal in terms of the space it occupies. Avoid ornate pieces and pick furniture with simple forms. Metal furniture is better bet than wooden furniture both in terms of the space it occupies and the maintenance it requires. Transparent materials like glass are ideal for table tops as they take up less visual space.
Focal Point
At first, creating a focal point may seem counter intuitive when designing small outdoor spaces. However, having a focal point will draw the eye towards it and take attention away from the size of the space. Installing a small fountain or a single large planter is a good way to create a focal point in small outdoor spaces.
Vertical Spaces
When you look at an outdoor space do not consider only the carpet area but also include the vertical spaces. When privacy is a concern, use a trellis or hang vines to create a green wall. Use flower pots that can hang onto a balcony railing to grow seasonal flowers while leaving the floor free. Herb gardens can also be effectively grown in glass bottles or pots mounted on walls. Wooden storage palettes can also be used to create wall gardens.
Lighting
Lighting can play a pivotal role in designing small outdoor spaces. Avoid awnings and pergolas for small balconies, terraces or gardens and let in as much sunlight as possible. Both ambient and focal lights are essential for small outdoor areas.
Materials
A small space should ideally have only one flooring material however when a space is broken into different levels each level can have its own flooring material. If creating levels isn’t a possibility, consider throw rugs and carpets to create flooring distinctions.
Colours
Colour is essential on outdoor spaces but having too many colours in a small space may make it look unorganized. To create a balanced view place brightly colour garden elements towards the front of the garden and larger scaled green planters etc towards the rear. Also, when choosing flowering plants, limit the colour palette to two or three colours.
Scale
Scale is important not only in relation to furniture but also the type of plants grown. Avoid broad shrubs and plants with broad leaves and instead choose tall plants that make the eye travel upwards. Place large plants towards the extreme ends of your garden or terrace and place the smaller plants closer to seating areas and the front of the garden.
Still thinking of turning your balcony into a storage room, we hope not!
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