Do you have a small outdoor area at your home? It doesn't matter how small it is - you can still turn it into a beautiful haven.
Decorating balconies can be so economical. All you really need are plants and a few lamps - so it never fails to amaze me when I see bare balconies. No matter how small your balcony, you can always to something to make it look simply spectacular.
Door
Have a glass door leading into the balcony. If possible, you could consider having two glass doors, in the center of the wall, leading out. This gives an illusion of space, without you having to actually enclose the balcony. Enclosing small balconies do make sense, but often new constructions don't allow you to enclose balconies or make any changes that affect the façade of the construction. Also, having a small balcony can be very pleasant, if you make the most of it.
Now that you have a glass door that lets you look out into the balcony at all times, it's time to decorate the balcony itself.
Do you have a good view from the balcony? If you do, don't do anything that will obstruct the view, since having a nice view is a rarity in large cities. If you don't have much of a view, for example if your balcony overlooks the backside of your neighbour's house, try this. Hang plants over the entire length of the balcony, from the parapet above, in little round pots, equidistant from each other. Hanging plants will still lend the illusion of space, while somewhat concealing the bad view. If the view is truly terrible, if you overlook a garbage dump or a car garage for example, do all you can to completely conceal the view with the help of taller plants.
Sculptures
Nothing looks as striking as a shining brass sculpture amidst green plants. If you've decided to fill up your balcony with plants to conceal the bad view, place a slightly large brass statue between the plants. If you have glass doors leading to the balcony, let the statue face indoors. On the other hand, if you have a good view, consider placing a few plants in one corner of the balcony, and place a smaller brass statue amidst the plants.
Lighting
One or two well-placed lamps or lanterns are really all that is needed to give your balcony a designer touch. Hang a large paper lantern from the parapit, or place a tall lamp on the floor. You could also consider nailing two coloured lanterns to the walls in your balcony. Mood lighting is essential, and is far preferable to functional lighting in a small balcony.
Seating
If you would like to spend time seated in your tiny rectangular balcony, here's what you can do. Consider opting for a few hanging plants, and divan-type seating, using the three corners of the balcony as backrest. Simply take an old trunk, cover it with bright phulkari embroidered cloth, throw on a couple of matching cushions, and you have a perfect seating arrangement. Hang a lamp just above the seat, so you can turn it on when you sit out in the evenings and read.
