The cold weather is a special time of the year that allows for interesting ways to do up our balcony and terrace spaces. The elements one ends up choosing to refurbish the balcony and terrace can be such that they complement the space just as wonderfully in warmer seasons.
Understanding how to keep your open spaces warm for the winter while also enhancing their look is an important lesson for home decor enthusiasts and even those who may not have an inclination but have a balcony or terrace. We can also go over the best winter plants to bring into your balcony/terrace garden for the winter season.
Winter Preservation for your Balcony
Winters are the perfect time for renovations and maintenance work needed at home like removing rust and treating wood that has gone bad. Naturally, it is likely that one will spend less and less time on their balcony or terrace in the winter months – so it is the right time to preserve what is existing. This can include furniture – chairs and tables, balcony plants and any decor elements. They may be preserved either by bringing the plants indoors and finding the right
Decking your Balcony for Winter
People with balconies in warmer and colder climates can play around with their spaces in various ways. How you choose to winter your balcony depends entirely on your personal choice and entirely on whether you want to keep it in use or close it up for the winter season.
- A Temporary Enclosure for your Winter Balcony
Investing in an enclosure for your winter balcony is an ideal way of keeping the harshest of weathers out from your space. Based on the kind of enclosure you choose, it might also be a worthy option to consider insulating the balcony along with the rest of your homespace.
One can build an enclosure with glass panes to transform the balcony space into a sunroom of sorts – allowing the winter sun in through what essentially becomes a giant window. Not only will an enclosure keep the cold and rain out but it also acts as another room, keeps the insects at bay and acts as a safety measure in a house with little children or excitable pets.
- Covers for Balcony Furniture
An important feature of winterizing one’s balcony space is preserving outdoor furniture by covering it up. For this, one can use patio furniture covers if they are accessible in the correct dimensions for your outdoor furniture.
The most effective way to protect one’s furniture is to adopt the practice of shrink wrapping it for the duration of winter. If your outdoor furniture for the balcony is wooden, plastic or metallic, these practices of covering and shrink wrapping are absolutely necessary. Furniture covers offer protection from harsh weathers of rains and strong winds – both of which have the power to cut down on the lifespan of your furniture pieces. Further, since one is less likely to make use of outdoor furniture in the cold and wet weathers, it’s only wise to protect them rather than leaving them exposed to the winds and rains.
- Stow Away Soft Furnishings
Putting away cushions, pillows, and throws from your outdoor balcony or terrace is another step for water and weather proofing the spaces. Even if it doesn’t snow where you live, winter is generally a more humid time in comparison to the warmer seasons, which can lead to the accumulation of mould on the softer furnishings in your balcony spaces. If you live in a relatively warmer space, purchasing warm blankets and throws for outdoor use is the wiser choice. They are incredibly warm and tend to look wonderful as part of the balcony decor. If one considers using waterproof cushion covers, then the softer furnishings can survive the winter months in your balcony, on your outdoor furniture.
- Deep Cleaning Ritual
The months of balcony hibernation are a good time to conduct a thorough deep cleaning of your balcony space. Since one is either stowing away or covering things up for safety and protection – it is worth using that opportunity to properly clean the space for when one is ready to make use of it again.
- Use Time Off to Upgrade Balcony Decor
If you are part of the brave collective of people who choose to continue using their balcony through the bitter cold of winter, you may consider an update in its look and aesthetic to convey the change of season. If autumn is the season for oranges and browns, winter most definitely is the time for warmer colours of reds and greens.
There are a multitude of options to explore when it comes to outdoor winter decor or balcony decor for the winter season. Winterizing your balcony is a great reason to invest in new and warmer blankets and throws. One can also bring in softer lighting to match the slow winter vibe and further accentuate the space with mini fir trees for the duration of the winter months. If the deeper colours of green and red don’t match your personal taste, it is wise to go with the elegant choice of white instead. Opting for whites alongside neutral tones of beiges and nudes, mixed with accents of copper and exposed wood can all bring about a very wintery vibe without overdoing the christmas theme.
- Decor the Adds to the Aesthetic
Adding elements and accents that have a certain degree of utility and offer something extra to the space is a wise choice. It makes sense to consider a cluster of lanterns for a corner of your balcony as it adds a glow of warmth that goes on to create a feeling of warmth in the bitter cold outdoors. You can find a selection of lanterns in various materials on aravalii.com for your balcony.
- Bring In/Out the Heater
Spending cold mornings and slow afternoons in the winter sun can be rather lovely if one’s space is equipped to accommodate the cold by combatting it with weather a heater or an outdoor fire pit – or either way, some element of heat and warmth. If the look of the heater is not a bother to you, any old portable space heater should be able to do a fine job in bringing warmth into your outdoor space. One can also light up a small Angithi or a Chimnea fireplace – both of which offer a wonderful aesthetic element alongside the fiery warmth. These are perfect options for winterizing the balcony.
- Buy Winter Plants for your Balcony
There are numerous options for outdoor winter plants for the balcony, these are able to offer not just a great look but also a splash of colour to your outdoor space at the peak of bleak winter grey months. You can find some ideal winter plant options for your balcony at aravalii.com – where you will also find an array of planters to choose from in different materials and textures.
It is wise to bring the more sensitive plants from your balcony garden indoors whereas outdoor plants are generally more robust and able to sustain through the harsh winter cold. If you have plants that aren’t quite typical to the region you dwell in, it is wise to being those indoors along with the more sensitive ones because they are not likely to survive the cold winters on your balcony/terrace.
Any and all houseplants must be brought indoors – as should all succulents, cacti and tropical plants. Dwarf trees and most ivy however are able to sustain the cold.
Hopefully one is able to gather enough intel on how to prepare the balcony for the winter months – whether to preserve or for use. If one plans to make use of it, it is important to invest in winter balcony décor and the right outdoor balcony winter plants.
If you’re choosing to close your balcony off for the season, one must ensure the furniture is properly protected and preserved so it is safe and ready for use again next year.
Balconies are the perfect spot to enjoy the sun, drink coffee and spend peaceful time during winters – so choose wisely on how to do the same.