Creating a beautiful loggia or balcony in an apartment will help turn a previously dull place for storing unnecessary trash into a functional and useful space. Here you can arrange a room for any purpose (kitchen, dining room, winter garden, wardrobe, etc.), as well as implement your own ideas for decorating the interior.
Loggia design history
In the Soviet years, small balconies and loggias were used mainly for storing food during the winter months or old and unnecessary things, like the attic. However, after many residents made glazing, it became possible to create additional living space, especially in small apartments, where every square meter counts.
The first step was to transform the balcony into a kind of relaxation area: a room with a table and a chair, a small cabinet and flowers in pots. Gradually, ideas for decorating a balcony from the inside began to develop, enriched by borrowing photographs from design magazines. Each owner tried to come up with something of their own, complementingfinished plan with your own original details and decor items.
Feature Ideas
With the accumulation of experience, several directions for the targeted use of the space of loggias and balconies have been formed, which allow each owner to choose what they need to their taste or think on their own how to beautifully repair the loggia:
- combining the space of the room and the loggia into one zone (dining room, guest room, etc.);
- workshop in a small area, consisting of a table, a chair and a computer, or the arrangement of a creative workshop, a beauty salon for women;
- relax zone - will allow family members to retire and take a break from TV and computer in silence among pleasant plants;
- winter garden - for amateur flower growers who can not only relax, but also combine it with the process of caring for plants;
- wardrobe for storing things;
- children's play area (will require child safety work);
- kitchen area will allow you to install a refrigerator, washing machine, oven for cooking, especially with a large and wide loggia area.
Non-standard solutions for using the loggia are also possible:
- gym, for which you will need to strengthen the floor, walls and ceiling and install exercise equipment;
- private sauna (1 sq. m is enough for it) with a stove-heater and a wooden bench;
- room for a pet, especially a large dog.
Preparatory work
The purpose of the design of the loggia depends not only on the desire of the owner, but also on the shape, area of the room, orientation to the cardinal points. Before you start working on the design of a beautiful loggia in your apartment, you should learn a few rules:
- selection of materials for finishing the floor is not only for practical reasons, but also for visual appeal and combination with others;
- the main rule of the interior is simplicity and aesthetics without piling up unnecessary details and objects;
- furniture for the loggia is selected light, compact, easy to use and maintain;
- real flowers will be the best interior decoration;
- furniture and decorative details (textiles, lamps, vases, etc.) are selected taking into account the style direction of the room;
- before starting repairs, you should consider not only the issue of insulating the balcony, but also equipping it with electricity (wiring, sockets, switches).
Beautiful balconies and loggias do it yourself
In apartment buildings, narrow and long loggias are most often made, passing along the perimeter of the house along the room and kitchen. The main task of finishing balconies with a small width is to visually expand the space. For this, light colors of materials are suitable for wall and ceiling decoration, wallpaper with a horizontal pattern, a wooden floor with a transverse arrangement of boards, etc.
Interior styles will suit any: romance, country, hi-tech, minimalism. Loggia length can be divided into several zones,arrange furniture (table and chairs, mini-sofa), place racks or cabinets on the side walls. Decorative flowers in pots will look great on the windowsill.
One of the original ideas is to set up a bar counter on the windowsill along a 30-40 cm wide window, and built-in side cabinets are suitable for placing necessary items and small things.
It is better to make a table in a small space folding, which is fixed on the wall and folds if necessary.
Recreation area and winter garden
To arrange a recreation area with a winter garden, it is recommended to pre-insulate the walls and install special fitolamps. The side walls are ideal for installing shelving for pots. Hooks are made on the ceiling to hang flower pots with climbing plants; floor or wall flowerpots will also look good.
Brickwork, wallpaper with imitation of stone texture, decorative tiles with a pattern can become an ideally beautiful decoration of a loggia with a winter garden.
To protect from bright sunlight, curtains are hung on glazed windows. For a narrow balcony, it is preferable to use Roman or roller blinds, which take up little space, bamboo or plastic blinds. To save space, you can tint the windows with a special film. For a more spacious loggia, fabric curtains are also suitable.
Lighting can be supplied in several ways: ceiling, wall or built-in. Loggia furniture must meet several requirements: narrow, light,preferably corner or built-in.
Most of the space will be occupied by plants in pots, tubs or boxes. For amateur gardeners, you may need a table with a chair, which will provide convenience when transplanting plants or preparing seedlings.
Cabinet in the loggia
Using the balcony area as a work area is one of the most common ideas. This is especially true for residents who most of the time work at a computer at home. The interior of a beautiful loggia, which serves as an office, should be bright and spacious.
Depending on the area, you can make a division into a work area and a recreation area. The owner of the cabinet should choose the style on his own, according to his taste. Mandatory elements are a table for a computer and a chair, hanging shelves for books and small items.
A work area for a woman, for example, for a needlewoman, involves the installation of a sewing machine and shelves for accessories. Beautiful cabinets on the loggia will not only become a design solution that allows you to visually reduce the length of the room, but also allow you to use them for storing things.
If possible, you can also arrange a sports corner on the loggia by placing exercise equipment, wall bars and other accessories.
Kids room and other ideas
Creating a beautiful children's room or play area in the loggia has its own nuances. First of all, it is necessary to think in advance about measures to ensurebaby safety. The decoration uses only natural materials, comfortable furniture without corners.
Place a carpet or soft rug on the floor so that the child can sit. Be sure to have lockers and shelves with toys. The walls are decorated in a bright flower-toy manner to keep the baby interested.
As a non-standard use of a balcony or loggia, options for equipping your own sauna, wardrobe or personal space for your pet - a large dog can be used.
Design when combined with the room
Combining a loggia with living rooms in recent years has become a popular design option not only for small, but also large apartments. This repair solution has several advantages:
- increasing the usable area, which will allow you to decorate a large living room or reception room;
- combination with a balcony will make the space brighter and more sunlit;
- the design of a beautiful loggia in the apartment will look extraordinary and modern;
- combined rooms are decorated in the same style using the same materials and decorative elements.
The disadvantages of this solution are: the dismantling of the wall and the need to obtain a special permit for this, additional insulation of the room, which will entail considerable financial costs.
Very often the territory of a balcony or loggia is used to accommodate a dining room orkitchen area, then both rooms perform a common functional role. On the balcony you can put a refrigerator, arrange a bar or place a table for guests.
Combined room rules
A few basic rules when planning and repairing combined rooms to create a beautiful loggia:
- the use of finishing materials depends on the choice of zoning: to emphasize another zone, you can use others, but similar to those in the room;
- best materials: wood, tile, wallpaper and plaster; plastic or siding not recommended;
- to separate zones, you can use a window sill or a functional partition in the form of a decorative curtain, a bookcase, the use of sliding doors is also popular, which will allow you to separate and combine rooms at will;
- furniture in this case should be combined with each other: near the bedroom there is a dressing table, near the dining room - a table and chairs, armchairs, bookcases, etc.
Style in the design of the loggia
When deciding how to make a beautiful loggia with your own hands, you need to choose a style solution for the space that will allow you to experiment and make an original design decision.
Most common styles:
- classic - implies the creation of a family idyll: a table for tea drinking with an elegant tablecloth, flower pots arranged symmetrically, porcelain dishes, forged elements in the interior;
- modern - consists ofcoffee table, cozy daybed, ceiling spotlights, video corner;
- oriental - allows you to decorate the loggia beautifully, as described in oriental tales: the floor is laid out with stone (tile), heavy curtains with patterns are hung on the windows, a low sofa or trestle bed is placed, multi-colored pillows, a hookah and other trifles are used;
- Provence - implies the use of wood and stone finishes (tiles), flowers and decor in a rustic style, upholstery with fabric with flowers or ornaments;
- vintage - always distinguished by a wooden unpainted floor and ceiling, the walls are whitewashed, only a simple table and chairs from the furniture, from the decor - ficus and other plants planted in a barrel;
- pop art is an accessible style that uses window paintings for decoration.
Finishing materials
To create a beautiful loggia with your own hands will help the optimal choice of finishing materials. Modern finishes will bring any original idea to life.
Floor materials:
- linoleum - according to professionals, is the best option because of the durability, reliability, it is easy to install and easy to use, has good thermal insulation properties. A wide variety of textures, colors and patterns are on sale, which will help you choose it in accordance with your intended style;
- tiles and stone - look expensive and elegant, but have a significant drawback: cold and uncomfortable; such a finish will require additional insulation or heating;
- wood is the most environmentally friendly and comfortable material, goes well with many style solutions.
Wall decoration plays the most important role in the design of a beautiful loggia in an apartment and sets its style:
- decorative plaster - is an original decoration, especially options with unusual reliefs and volumes, it also additionally insulates the wall;
- plastic panels - popular due to budget cost and practicality, modern manufacturers produce many options for colors and textures;
- wallpaper - have a shorter service life, so it is recommended to use not paper, but moisture-resistant types.
It must be taken into account that for south-facing loggias, cold tones are chosen in the decoration (gray, blue, light pink), for northern ones - warm shades (beige, peach, turquoise, vanilla).
Design of custom-shaped loggias
In a spacious and large loggia, you can apply many styles when choosing decoration and furniture. However, there are also non-standard-shaped rooms: triangular, too narrow, etc. Even in such a space, with proper thoughtful planning, it is possible to create a full-fledged living area or a cozy corner for relaxation. You just need to figure out how to make the loggia beautiful and at the same time use its original shape.
Before starting repairs, you should consider how you can visually correct the shape of the room. The use of light colors in the decoration, the use of horizontal ornaments or stripes onwalls, tiles laid out on the floor with a checkerboard pattern - will expand the space. Installing a mirror or decorating with photo wallpapers will also affect the optical perception.
For a triangular loggia, the function of an office or a place to relax is best suited. A corner tabletop, sofa, or built-in wardrobe will help make the space more "square". The walls are decorated with clapboard, decorative plaster or material imitating brickwork.
When designing a beautiful loggia in your apartment, you must adhere to the main goal - to create an original space that will help solve not only the problems of convenience and the performance of any functions, but also create aesthetics and harmony in the combination of decoration, furniture and all decorative details.
