Since Soviet times, balconies were mainly used as a storage room for storing unnecessary things, which are a pity to throw away, and nowhere to go. But this room in an apartment, studio or loft with the right arrangement can become a separate room, a flowered garden, a sports area or a mini lounge where you can read a book and have a cup of tea in the evening for a leisurely conversation. A real miracle for owners of small apartments. With your own hands you can beautifully decorate a balcony or loggia, using ready-made design solutions or connecting your own imagination.
Layout and forms
There are several types of balcony layouts:
- Conventional windproof;
- Corner;
- Balconies group with protection;
- Offset along the facade;
- With storerooms;
- Loggia.
By design, balconies are classified into several other subgroups:
- On the cantilever reinforced concrete slab;
- On console beams;
- With external supports;
- Hinged;
- Attachments;
- Attached.
Loggias, in turn, can be divided into several types:
- Loggia-balconies;
- Portable;
- Inline.
The French balconies, which perform a decorative function, stand apart from these classifications. They are fully glazed, very narrow and completely unsuitable for arranging a separate room.
Important! Before proceeding with the repair, it is necessary to study the design features of the balcony. In case of need installation of additional protections, strengthening of the basis, creation of a framework 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 this room is always less than a meter. Dimensions of balconies in Khrushchev will not allow much "turn around." To arrange such a narrow room will have to try. The ideal style for the design will be minimalism. Furniture should be light and multi-functional. In addition, the balconies in Khrushchev is not recommended to heavily weight. Their design can not withstand a lot of weight, so ceramics, facing stone and parquet will have to be abandoned. Otherwise, the design will have to be strengthened.
In the panel house
Panel balconies have a number of features. From the end of the balcony slab, a thin reinforced concrete "sheet" is welded, which is located vertically. Between the plates formed a special slot, 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 rooms a priori very cold. The thermal insulation layer is usually installed on all surfaces. Particular attention is paid to the floor on which it is best to install artificial heating. In prefabricated houses floors are uneven. Their alignment can lead to the use of a large amount of material that makes the structure heavier. The output will be the technology of adjustable floors.
Series P44 and P44t - "Boat" and "Boot"
"Boats" differ in their characteristic shape: a broad middle, which narrows towards the sides. Such loggias cause difficulties in glazing. Arranging non-standard 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 to place full-fledged furniture on it, so the easiest way is to restrict yourself to a flower gallery or a pair of chairs near the window-sill.
The “boot” of the p44t series differs from the “boat” by the presence of three planes, which further complicates the task of glazing and finishing. The disadvantages of such a room can be easily turned into pluses, if you use its “creases” as additional delimiters for zoning space.
Open balcony
The design of the open-air balcony will make it possible to make a separate summer terrace from a small "cold" room, which the inhabitants of small apartments can only dream of. It is worth considering that this room is used only in the warm season. This is one of the downsides of this design. Furniture is used light, multifunctional. When choosing it, emphasis is placed on quick assembly, convenient storage in winter. No need to clutter the space with cabinets and furniture for storage. A small table and a bench or a pair of garden chairs is enough. Open balcony will require a minimum cost of its decoration. It is enough to put a beautiful grille and make a light flooring. This option would be ideal for growing a summer garden. If the apartment is located on the first floors, such attic rooms are sometimes twined with grapevines, which in the summer give additional shade and at the same time decorate the facade of the house, delighting the passers-by.
Closed balcony
Balcony glazing can be of two types:
- Cold;
- Warm
In the first case, an aluminum profile is used. For warm glazing, use a profile made of aluminum with a thermal insert, natural wood or PVC. The 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. 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. It should be borne in mind that warm frames will add to the load on the balcony, so they cannot be used in fragile structures.
Also, glazing can be partial or panoramic. With partial or classical, the lower part of the parapet remains closed. This type of glazing is more common. Panoramic glazing only comes into fashion, with the entire parapet glazed, and forged grilles are located at the bottom for safety. They simultaneously perform a protective function and play the role of decor. By the type of opening sash windows can be swivel, sliding or swing-out. Now common practice of installing plastic windows. They are durable, sealed, easy to use, have good sound insulation and are easy to install. However, the tree is not a thing of the past, due to its main advantage: the presence of natural micropores, which allow the room to "breathe", eliminating the stagnation of air.
Color design
For a visual increase in space, pastel colors are usually used, among which white leads. If a recreation area is formed, it is shaded with light yellow, pale green and shades of brown, so that the eyes in this room can rest. For the cabinet use all shades of brown, gray or black. For the dining area, warm tones are used to help relax and increase appetite. A zone for entertainment or sports is designed by combining bright, aggressive hues with soft colors for balance. You can create separate "blocks" of dark or screaming shades that will focus on the attention of guests.
Important! It is necessary to take into account which side overlook the windows of the loggia. If the side is sunny, then cold and warm colors are allowed. If the side is northern, then warm shades should prevail in the design.
Selection of materials
To expand the functional space of the apartment, it is first necessary to warm the balcony. For these purposes, use different types of thermal insulation materials. As an additional measure equip the "warm" floor. Particular attention is paid to the finishing room. For interior walls use:
- Wooden wall paneling;
- Plasterboard sheets;
- Plastic lining;
- Cork;
- Siding;
- PVC panels;
- Block house.
Covering the room clapboard will be the final stage of surface treatment. In this case, you can connect the fantasy only when choosing a color. Facing plasterboard will subsequently glue the walls with wallpaper to your liking. Cork trim is the most expensive and environmentally friendly. On brick balconies, sometimes the walls are left in their original form. Modern room design often offers this idea as an original solution. The brick is processed in a special way: it is leveled, primed and painted. Such a brick wall itself will become an element of decor. At the same time, the texture of the brick can be made perfectly smooth, rough or harmoniously combine various types of textures and colors. Great on a rough surface will look a photo gallery in a metal framework or a series of abstract paintings.
For finishing the floor using the following materials:
- Laminate;
- Linoleum;
- Carpet;
- Parquet;
- Ceramics.
Carpet and linoleum is used for balcony constructions that do not allow for heavy weighting. Laminate looks richer, but at a cost it is one step higher than other materials. For the ceiling it is best to choose light materials with a decorative function. Widespread practice of stretch ceilings.
Important! Do not forget about the exterior. It will not only make your balcony beautiful from the street side, but will additionally warm it. The best option for these purposes are profiled sheets.
Style
Provence - light style of the French hinterland. It is characterized by the use of natural materials, floral patterns and light colors. The presence of an abundance of potted flowers and lovely trinkets of glass and porcelain is mandatory.
Modern is characterized by soft shades and bending forms. He does not recognize strict geometric lines. Although the rooms are made in pastel colors, emphasis is artificially placed on individual elements of bright colors. Pictures and photos on the walls, a small number of vases, lamps and souvenirs enlivens the atmosphere. Stained glass windows emphasize the sophistication of the interior balcony in an apartment in a modern style.
Minimalism recognizes only the presence of functional details of the interior. It is characterized by simplicity and conciseness. At the heart of the style is used only two basic colors that play with shades in great 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 shapes. Of the colors used shades of black, white, gray. You can add red, blue or purple in the form of backlight. Hi-tech prefers an abundance of chrome-plated, metal surfaces and glass. The emphasis is on artificial light, which is scattered and visually enlarges the space.
Furniture
Furniture for open balconies looks more like garden. The main principle in choosing it becomes the ability to quickly fold and store it in a storage room. It is quite another thing when it comes to a full-fledged room in an apartment or a private house of a closed type. Here, the designers have tried their best. Depending on the functional purpose of the room, it is possible to choose furniture items from metal, glass, plastic or wood. If the room will be used as a gym, it will be equipped with compact exercise equipment that will allow one person to freely train.
Loggia combined with the bedroom is used as a corner for evening preparations before bedtime. In this case, a pier glass, a pair of ottomans and a comfortable sofa are used as furniture. For the rest area limited to a small table with a seating area: a folding sofa or a solid ottoman with a large number of soft pillows, where guests can climb with their feet. If the space is settled under the working area, then the emphasis is on cabinets and storage racks. Will help save space furniture-type transformer ZM2. A wide selection of such furniture items at affordable prices in Dutch Ikea stores.
Lighting
Properly set lighting can be a saving straw for a small balcony room. With the help of light you can visually expand the space. Restrictions on the choice of lighting there. These can be light bulbs, chandeliers, lamps, sconces, LEDs, floor lamps and whole lighting systems. They can be placed on the walls, ceiling and even on the floor. In order not to spoil the aesthetic appearance of the room by electric wires, it is worth taking care of their implementation at the finishing stage. Then the wiring will be hidden type, which will avoid looking out the wires. Open wiring is masked with decorative elements and special panels. The main advantage of open wiring is its availability during repair work, which cannot be said about hidden.
When installing lighting fixtures, pay attention to the direction of light. Direct light from top to bottom makes it heavier and reduces space. Light from the bottom up, which is artificially diffused in the reflecting surface of the stretch ceiling, photos and mirrors on the walls, expands the space. For dark rooms it is better to use the diffused light of powerful lamps with a large number of additional small light bulbs. The play of shadows and light directly affects the perception of the width, length and "depth" of space with the human eye.
Balcony combined with kitchen
The balcony is sometimes made a continuation of the kitchen, if the room is very small and does not allow to combine the dining area with the area for cooking. On the balcony can be placed part of the kitchen, it can act as a dining room, if the former sill arrange in the form of a dining table. The same part of the retraining in the bar, which will be a stylish addition in case of parties at home. In addition, the kitchen combined with a balcony will be much lighter. Redevelopment is of two types:
- Complete;
- Partial.
When the walls are full, the two rooms are separated completely. Partial redevelopment involves dismantling windows and doors only. The former window sill can serve as a table top, shelves for storage or a decorative element.
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 is placed a small desk, office chair and even a sofa. All the necessary documents, books and other tools for work can be conveniently distributed on racks up to the ceiling. This option is also convenient in terms of lighting. During the day you do not have to turn on the lights. In the summer, work will take place almost in the fresh air. Proper, compact design of the working space will allow even from a narrow balcony of the Khrushchev to make a separate functional office in a one-room apartment.
Garden on the balcony
The arrangement of the mini-garden can be done both on the open balcony for the summer period, and on the closed for permanent use. To save space, plants are sorted by species. Spinners are grown in pots placed along the wall. And on the wall itself, tapestries are attached: wooden grids on which the green “wall” will be placed. For other types of plants use special stacked supports and hanging pots. It is possible to place tapestries not only against the wall, but also under the window itself. Subsequently, overgrown greens will create a natural shade in the room. This option is relevant for those apartments whose windows overlook the sunny side. Mini-garden will be a good option for those who do not have a dacha, but loves to mess around in the ground. On the balcony it is easy to grow tomatoes, radishes, decorative sunflowers, cucumbers, greens, onions and indoor plants.
Afterword
Balcony has long ceased to serve as a pantry. Modern design solutions will help to create a full-fledged separate room from a room without a specific purpose. This is convenient not only for small apartments, in which every square meter for "gold weight", but also for spacious rooms, where you can equip a corner for privacy.
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