Having a balcony attached to your house or apartment is definitely a luxury, though many of them are just there to provide a little sunlight and fresh air without actually offering up a usable space.
Like many hotel balconies, there are apartment balconies that are mostly for show: you can step out onto them, but there's no space for a lounge chair, grill, or parasol.
While they're technically still useful (and I would never complain about having one!), they aren't always the most practical. Many people use balconies for hanging wet clothes to dry, hosing potted plants, and getting some daily vitamin D.
Inspired by other Reddit makeovers, one Imgur user decided to completely transform her balcony from a boring, unused space to a beautiful outdoor haven.
She posted the photos of the transformation on Imgur, hoping others would be inspired by the easy makeover. Continue reading to see the gorgeous transformation!
The "before" photos show how unremarkable the balcony is.
It looks like any other balcony out there: cement floor, metal railing, boring view of the street below.
Most people might try to brighten up the balcony with a plant or two, but this woman had a vision for how it could look with a full makeover.
For less than $200, she bought wooden decking, a wicker fence, some simple white stones, and blinds.
It might seem like these few products wouldn't make a huge difference, but they definitely do.
The first step was installing the blinds. At 35 pounds, they were no easy task to hang.
After an hour of work and the use of a temporary pulley system, the blinds were set to go.
Next came the deck flooring. Although it slots together easily, she had to cut down the length of the boards so they would fit well on her balcony.
Once they were all cut to size, she installed the slats by slipping them into place.
Because the deck was pretreated, it would not need another coating for a year.
After the deck was set in place, she used the wicker fencing as a privacy barrier, wrapping it along the length of the balcony railing.
Because there was space between the decking and the threshold of the apartment, she decided to fill it in with the little white stones, giving it a very spa-like feel.
Once the stones were in place, the balcony makeover was almost complete.
The next step? Decorating.
She added a basic end table, some simple wooden chairs that matched the deck, and a few small plants to spruce up the area.
As you can see, the blind is draped over the edge of the railing, which she explains is custom in her part of Spain, as it helps create a private space.
What do you think of this super-simple balcony makeover?
If you wish you had a balcony that looked like this one, please SHARE this article on Facebook!
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