It has been more than two years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and we know that the world will never be the same again. Online education and remote work are here to stay. But are our homes ready for this new age? It is obvious that many families live in just adequate spaces. And when the digital turn happened, most of us started to look for suitable places to work or study around the house. If you are one of those who don’t have an extra room, we have an idea for you: you can create a balcony home office!
Creating a Balcony Home Office
Possible questions are what you will do and how you will do it. That is to say, we think that creativity is one of the most important things that you need in this project. Because the process of converting a space to serve another specific purpose requires a lot of imagination and practicality! Turn on your ‘do it yourself’ instincts to make use of old furniture and wares.
Apart from these soft skills, you need to evaluate the feasibility of building a home office on your balcony. The most important thing is that either you must have a screened balcony, or you must be able to screen your balcony. Otherwise, it is impossible to create a balcony home office protected from climate events, temperature changes, and daylight. If you are a person who likes to feel the air breeze during summer, you can prefer convertible screening. But before starting the screening process, check if you need to get permission from authorities to make changes outside of the building.
If the primary issues are settled, it is time to decide on furnishing. You can buy your needs such as a bookcase, chair and work table for the principal working area, a drawer for organizing your room, computer for work, coffee table and vase for decorating. You must not forget a reading lamp to provide adequate lighting for your eyes. Above all else, below you have a precisely good example of a small balcony that transformed into a calm and comfortable home office. This space will be your getaway that helps you avoid disturbance when reading or working.
For Small Balcony
First of all, the dimension of your small balcony is vital to select your furniture when you are beautifying your new home office. Since the space is small, you should apply some vertical design ideas. You may opt for a wall-mounted office desk and an armless chair to increase the manageability of the available space.
In a workspace, storage options like shelves and drawers are necessary. In a small balcony, use walls for mounting them instead of buying them separately. You may want to prefer upper cabinets reaching to the ceiling to upgrade your storage space. These cabinets may store books, work-related file folders, or extra storage boxes.
For Long Narrow Balcony
Long and narrow balconies are perfect for designing a home office. The narrow side of the balcony can be the separate quiet corner where you need to concentrate on your work. Some balconies may have angled corners, and they usually go unused. It is possible to turn them into functional areas by mounting a custom-made desk.
At the same time, long narrow balconies are very suitable to decorate with a coffee table and cool stools. This way, your relaxation area would be a few steps away when tired.
Another brilliant idea is to mount a wall long table around the balcony. This is the best option for those who only need a laptop to work. So, outside of work time, the table can be used for other purposes such as having dinner, drinks, or maybe just gazing at the view.
Balcony Home Office Decoration
You designed and placed every piece of furniture necessary for your office space. Now, it is time to decorate! Do not ever skip decoration because working in an attractive atmosphere increases your motivation.
Shades
We know that this may not be the first thing to come to mind when decorating your new balcony home office. But apart from being a decorative element, curtains are necessary to keep the work area from bright sunlight.
Plants
Since the balcony has a lot of light, what about sharing it with plants? Plants are the prerequisite for any kind of balcony decoration; it is the best place in a home for them. Especially if you have a small balcony, you may install a wall planter for hanging multiple plants at the same spot.
Colorful Walls
Another idea to create a charming work ambiance is to use colorful wallpaper. Colors affect our emotions so easily, so decide on what kind of mood you want to have in your balcony home office. Bright colors bring joy, happiness, and creativity; whereas pastel colors help you focus more easily.
A Rug
You decorated your new home office, but there is still a feeling of incompleteness. We know the solution. For making a space more “homelike,” rugs are the best fit. They sweep away all the traces of bareness.
