Are you still waiting for that holiday, is it already over or did it just not happen? You can still enjoy the summer! Create your own private oasis in just a few pleasant hours. You can get a real holiday feeling at home with the right decorations. We will show you how to turn your balcony into a true summer holiday paradise in just five steps.
 

Step 1: How to thoroughly clean your balcony

Before you starting planning the design of your balcony, you should clean it thoroughly. Gran a dustpan and small broom and give it a good sweep. If the balcony is tiled or just simple concrete, moss or algae might have settled onto the surface or into the cracks. Pick up a moss and algae remover from the hardware store. Follow the instructions and mix it with water and pour the mixture over the balcony - it will look like new after just a few days.

It’s much nicer to be on a sparkling clean balcony

You can decorate the walls with cool jungle themes or your own photos from your last tropical vacation. You will find a selection of elegant frames in warm wood tones in our shop. Combine cushions, blankets and photo pillows in various shades of green with ethnic patterns, rattan, wood and bast fibres and feel like you are living in the middle of a tropical jungle.

Combine the jungle feel with your own beautiful holiday memories

Alternatively, you can also use a tried and true home remedy: stir together 20 grams of cornflour and dissolve it in boiling water. Then add 200 grams of soda and eight litres of water - this is the secret ingredient. Cover all the surfaces with it and let it work its magic. After a few hours scrub off the dirt and rinse it off with water.

Your balcony will look like new straight away with the right cleaning supplies

If your balcony has a wooden floor, you will naturally have to clean and maintain it. If the floor is untreated it is enough if you protect it against sunlight and moisture with a special oil from the hardware store. If the floor is varnished and has lost its colour you should give it a new coat. You can find the right colour and sandpaper from a specialist shop. Roughen the paper a bit with the sandpaper and give it a completely new paint job.

A wooden floor on your balcony looks beautiful but will need a bit of care

Step 2: How to upgrade your balcony without too much effort

Once you have properly cleaned your balcony, you can think about the basic furnishings you want to put up. Do you only have a bare concrete floor and grey balcony walls? What do you think about an elegant and summery wooden floor and some great paint? You can find wooden tiles in any well-equipped hardware store. Measure your balcony in advance and don’t forget to calculate any gaps made by corners or pillars! You can then have the individual tiles cut directly in the hardware store. You can also pick up your paint from there. You shouldn’t use regular wall paint for the balcony, instead get advice from the professionals in the shop and pick out a beautiful weatherproof colour.

Upgrade your bare concrete floor with wooden tiles and summer colours

Yellow and orange are very summery, but shades of blue like turquoise or teal also look great on balconies and let you dream of the sea! Heads up: If you get bit by the DIY bug and want to paint the exterior walls too, make sure you get approval from your landlord first! An alternative to painting is wooden tiles for the floors, and instead of painting the walls you can hang bamboo or straw mats on the walls. These mats made of natural materials will radiate a pleasant, warm atmosphere and are great for decorating!

Sunny colours and walls covered in bamboo will brighten up your balcony

Step 3: The garden furniture you’ll need to make it comfortable

If you already have balcony furniture that you like and which is still in good condition, then of course you can keep on using it. Make sure you clean them thoroughly, air out the cushions, wash the covers and treat the wood surfaces. You will get rid of that stuffy winter stale air and make your furniture look fresh and new. If you feel like getting new furniture, you’ll need to consider what you need and how much space is available. Don’t despair if your balcony is very small! Just improvise! This is great fun and will turn your balcony into an individual mini-paradise!

Tiny balcony? Improvise furniture-wise and create an individual atmosphere

A folding wooden table is a great alternative for a small outdoor area. Choose a nice matching stool, and you will be relaxing with your new book and a refreshing Pimm’s before you know it. Another great idea is a chest where you can store away books, suntan lotion and other utensils, and which can be used as a shelf at the same time. If you have more space available, your imagination will know no bounds. What about a swing? This doesn’t have to be an extraordinary swing out of a Hollywood movie, but a woven hanging chair is the perfect seat to add to your holiday dreams. When buying your new furniture make sure you can store it easily in your flat or basement during the winter months so that you can enjoy it the following year too!

A relaxed hang-out - let your soul swing in a hanging chair

Step 4: Which plants are home on your balcony

To make it really comfortable, you should decorate your balcony with a selection of various plants. If your balcony is rather shady, fuchsias, tuberous begonias, bluebells or spring snowflakes love areas with less sun. You have a much larger selection to choose from if you have a south-facing balcony since most flowers love the sun. Mediterranean plants not only look great, but also bring a real holiday feeling and a wonderful scent. Plant sage, rosemary and lavender and you’ll soon feel like you’re in Italy! In addition, you can enjoy your herbs in delicious Mediterranean-inspired dishes on your balcony in the evenings!

Plants and herbs not only look nice, but they give off a delightful scent too

Strawberries, tomatoes and flowers like geraniums, petunias and hydrangeas are also well-suited to sunny locations. Oleander is a classic balcony plant, and blooms in beautiful colours. Unfortunately, it is not a winter-hardy plant which is why you need enough space to store it in cold weather. If you want to see green on your balcony, bamboo, boxwood and ferns are perfect for planting. Make sure you regularly look after your plants, remove any dead flowers and leaves and don’t forget to water them!

Learn about the different needs of your plants beforehand

Step 5: What accessories are you going to decorate your balcony with?

Finally, it’s all about decoration. You have a lot of different options available to you when it comes to style. Maritime and the ethnic look will bring the holiday mood to your balcony. Bright colours, floral designs or natural materials and tones will also create a great mood. If you don’t have any protection from the sun, you can choose from a cover made from special material, an awning (ask your landlord!) or a fancy umbrella!

Bright colours create good moods and that holiday feeling

Another great accessory is a summer rug: rugs for outdoor use are usually made of woven plastic and are easy to clean. You shouldn’t forget cushions with exciting prints and cuddly photo blankets in case it gets a bit cooler at night when you want to enjoy the last rays of sunshine. Create your own photo cushion easily: You will find fantastic cushions here.

Solar light chains with colourful paper lanterns, kerosene lamps, lanterns in different colours, shapes and sizes or even a torch can all provide mood lighting. Capture the romance of a campfire on your balcony and enjoy the summer night with your friends until the early hours.

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Your night on the balcony will become a small holiday with the right lighting

Enjoy your staycation holiday!

As you can see, it’s easy to make your balcony ready for summer and to change it into a real holiday paradise. You can enjoy that holiday feeling in your little oasis until the end of August, if not longer. Once the autumn starts to turn the leaves red and gold, give it all a thorough clean, store the furniture and accessories and find a nice place for your plants. You can then have all the fun again next summer on your balcony!