Bartley Residences: Designing the Perfect Balcony (Part 1)

Balconies are often left drab and under-utilized, but the right decor can turn them into a fabulous and functional outdoor living space. Way before we collect our keys, we already have interesting ideas on how to renovate our balconies. We want to have an after-work husband-and-wife chillax corner, a kid’s outdoor play area, and a small garden (a water feature would be a bonus!) at our front balcony.

Our front balcony has the size of 5m x 2m. New condominiums are shrinking in size every year. Our living hall is also quite small, thus transforming our front balcony into an exterior extension of our living hall is very crucial. As what V always says, every inch counts in making a small living space more comfortable and functional.

Our very first idea was to make a mini putting green. The idea came when I was searching for decorating ideas for small balconies. A combination of artificial green turf and wood-decking is visually pleasing, and we can also incorporate both adult chillax corner and kid’s play area in one place.

Picture Credit: Absolut Outdoors

Initially, we planned to let our ID take up our balcony renovation. He can do it concurrently with our home renovation, thus saves the hassles for us. But the most conventional way that most ID will propose is to lay wood-decking and artificial green turf at the outdoor area. The design looks rather ordinary, but I wanted something that is more visually striking.

Last week, I re-visited my own photo stash and I came across Absolut Outdoors, an exterior renovation company in Singapore. The first picture above was taken from their website. I was amazed at how they can revolutionize outdoor space with smart outdoor decorating ideas.

Thus, we decided to make a visit to their showroom. The moment I stepped in, I felt so happy because the showroom is bright and beautiful with greeneries, potted plants, colourful turf, wood-decking, green walls and a white bricks feature wall. I was like, “Everything that I want is in this place! I should’ve come earlier!”

The staffs at Absolut Outdoors are so friendly and helpful; they allowed me to take pictures of their beautiful showroom to get some ideas for my own balcony decoration.

Here are some balcony reno and decor ideas I learnt from Absolut Outdoors:

1. Artificial green turf

Picture Credit: Absolut Outdoors

Contrary to popular belief that artificial turf is difficult to maintain, I was pleasantly surprised to see how easy it is to clean. For spills, just wash with soap and water (like cleaning a floor). For dust and particles, just vacuum it (like cleaning a carpet).

The premium quality turf at Absolut Outdoors can withstand rain and weather, and retains its colour and shape for up to 10 years.

2. Coloured Turf

Seriously, this one is my favourite! It’s bright and bold, and it’s also the first time I’ve seen such a wonderfully-coloured turf. Unfortunately, it’s too bold for V’s liking, so we’ll stick to our original plan – the green turf.

3. Live Plants

We love the idea of putting live plants to enhance the beauty of our outdoor space. A beautiful wall of hanging planters instantly brings us the ‘fresh garden vibes’ without wasting our precious floor space.

4. Artificial Plants

Don’t like live plants? Fret not! There is an option for artificial plants too.

5. Green Walls

Green walls are fast gaining popularity among designers these days. Personally, I’m attracted to the aesthetic landscape design too. Absolut Outdoors provides ready-to-use framed designs in various sizes and also customized green walls.

6. Wood Decking

Wood decking (natural)

Wood decking (composite)

There are two options for wood decking – natural and composite. Both options are weather-resistant and suitable for outdoor and indoor use.

Step 1: Consultation session with Absolut Outdoors’ space-planning professionals

We spent close to an hour on our first consultation to share with them some ideas on how we want our outdoor space to look like. We browsed through their past projects to get more ideas. From there, we also saw samples on various types of artificial turf and wood-decking, as well as understanding their benefits and unique features.

I’m so looking forward to see the design proposal from Absolut Outdoors. With their expertise and passion, I’m confident that they can add style and value to our outdoor space. Will share more in Part 2, so please stay tuned. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for outdoor decorating ideas and tips, check out Absolut Outdoor’s blog HERE.

 

ABSOLUT OUTDOORS PTE LTD
81 Ubi Ave 4, #05-19 UB.One, Singapore 408830
Tel: +65 6749 8087
Website: http://www.absolutoutdoors.com/