Before and After: A Look at My IKEA Balcony Makeover

The worst part about doing makeover posts on the blog is having to show you the before shots of my space – and when it came to my balcony, things out there were pretty dire; plants fading fast, candles filled with rain water and a lot of dirt and debris.

In my defence, I hadn’t set foot on the balcony in about three months, so when I got the chance to deck the space out with some IKEA outdoor furniture, it was as though the decor gods were once again answering my prayers. Let’s look at the makeover in more detail!

Seating was a huge priority in this makeover, because I do like to have friends over for a cheeky dozen cocktails or so. I opted to grab APPLARO outdoor lounges for the space because they’re packed with versatility – available as individual, one-seat sections but can be joined together to make longer lounges. I opted to keep them separate and armless for my balcony. The reason for this is that I suspect they’ll be moved around a lot when people are over, and keeping them armless gives the illusion of more space on the balcony – which it needs.

Plants were also stripped back a bit here (I’ve relocated them to my upstairs balcony). In a smaller space like this, you don’t want too much greenery crawling in on you or it’ll become cramped real quick!

Style Tip: If your balcony is covered, use indoor cushions as well as outdoor ones. IKEA cushions – like the PS one above – are super affordable and you can wash the covers as you need.

The APPLARO coffee table in this space was also kept low, so that the balcony didn’t feel cramped. Accessories were kept to a minimum, too. I’ve learnt over time that less is more, especially in outdoor spaces. The trick is to have fewer pieces but ensure they are full of colour and pattern. If you’re going to go bananas with colour, an outdoor area is the zone to do it in!

I did pack in a fair few IKEA outdoor cushions, because texture is so important on a balcony, where hard surfaces are abundant. To soften the hard lines, I layered cushions in a few different colours. A cactus and some outdoor candles added some interest to the coffee table.

Style Tip: Always choose small, versatile pieces for little balconies. The coffee table will come into the middle of the space when guests are over, but day-to-day it tucks away!

Remember that ladder I found on the roadside a few years back? Well, I finally put it to good use and wrapped some IKEA fairy lights around around it. Doesn’t it look divine? These fairy lights alone illuminate the entire balcony, but additional candles and lanterns around the space add warmth and cosiness.

All that’s left to give this space a final KAPOW of gorgeousness is an outdoor rug and a giant floor cushion. Then, guests can slowly move toward the floor when their fifth wine kicks in and they need a place to nap! Notice how I say guests, because I would never do that. Never 😉

Are you liking the look of this makeover? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Want to get your hands on the pieces from this post? Click here to visit the IKEA website and check out their outdoor furniture and accessories.