Last update: 20-07-2021 Home & Garden

Enclosed Balcony - 4 Interesting Balcony Enclosure Ideas

Designing a balcony might be real challenge, especially if it's small and you live in an apartment. Fortunately, there are certain solutions to design the limited space in a practical and interesting way. An enclosed balcony should attract your attention - it will provide you some privacy among the city noises. There are many ideas on how to do it. Unfortunately, not every one of them can be realized because of certain limitations resulting from the building's construction or the law regulations. Balcony glass enclosure is not always possible, but you can use other, equally interesting options. Check them out - perhaps you can use them at your place.

Summer balcony enclosure with fabrics

If you spend time on the balcony only in the season - in summer or early autumn, when the temperatures are high enough, a temporary balcony enclosure might be a good solution. It’s typically done using various types of materials. It is recommended to pick waterproof fabrics for this purpose. This way, you can use them minimum for a few seasons.

The market offers balcony covers with special mounting hooks, so that the installation on the railing can be done in no time. You just need to pick the right size. It can be used basically anywhere - regardless whether you want to cover the balcony in a house or a rental apartment. The latter case might be complicated in the sense that the owners of the building might not allow for disrupting the building’s structure. In such a case, enclosing the balcony with glass or a wooden construction is not possible. But this form should not raise any questions.

Fabric curtains are a temporary option you can use in summer. It’s not a standard solution but it looks really interesting. Also, it doesn’t entail any major interference. Curtains can be attached to the balcony construction. If not, you can use self-adhesive hooks for this purpose - they won’t damage the building’s surface.

Temporary curtains can be changed every year, which is a big plus. Thanks to this, your balcony will always be stylish, regardless of the changing trends.

Wooden balcony enclosure - a solid construction for years

Wooden balcony enclosures are a great addition to the design, thanks to which the free time spent outside is much more pleasant. If you live in a multi-apartment building - make sure it won’t cause you any problems. Some buildings have certain limitations. If you don’t follow the rules, you might have to face consequences, and in the end - get rid of the balcony enclosure.

Manufacturers offer various solutions that help in overriding certain limitations. One just has to make sure that the wooden construction is attached only to the railing instead of the building, or that it’s a free-standing construction.

Thanks to the wooden construction, you can effectively separate your balcony from the one belonging to your neighbour. You just need a wooden accordion wall of the same width as the balcony. You can put a small bench or pots with flowers next to it, to make the design look good.

Although wooden balcony enclosure has many advantages, it also has a serious drawback. Just like wooden furniture, it has to be weatherproofed once a year. Thanks to this, the elements will be kept in a good condition, and you will be able to use them for years.

Rememeber that wooden balcony enclosures can be adjusted to the style you have planned for the season. Although natural wood fits most ideas, you can always paint it, e.g. with white paint.

Plant balcony enclosure - a perfect idea for an apartment

Plants are not only great in a garden, but also on the balcony. In this case, you can use both house plants and ornamental shrubs. Everything depends on how large your space is. If you have a small balcony, use just a few plants - but choose climbing species. Ivy and other scandent plants are perfect for this purpose. You can find the list of popular balcony plants of this type below:

• sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus),
• nasturtium (Tropaeolum Majus),
• golden clematis (Clematis tangutica),
• trumpet vine (Campsis radicans),
• passion flowers (Passiflora),
• purple bell vine (Rhodochiton atrosanguineus),
• climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris).

Large balconies are perfect for thujas. When placed around the balcony, they can give you privacy, as well as provide you with a soothing shade during summer heat waves.

Enclosed balcony with straw walls - a delicate and aesthetic solution

Walls made of bamboo or straw is a perfect and quite a universal balcony enclosure idea. It has several important advantages. First of all, it looks great. What’s more, it doesn’t take up much space and is incredibly cheap. Thanks to this, anyone can afford it.

The durability of the straws is the major drawback of this solution. When exposed to harmful weather conditions like rain or strong sunlight, it will weaken. But you can just replace the old cover with a new one when the next season arrives.