25 Apartment Balcony Design Ideas

Like many apartment residents, your apartment balcony is likely your everyday outdoor retreat, so it’s essential that you make it a space you absolutely love. That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite small balcony design ideas, from clever furniture choices to ways to pretty up a drab balcony to space-saving balcony gardening hacks. Even if your balcony is super short on square footage, we’ve got several small apartment balcony design ideas that will help you make the most of your pint-sized porch. Ready to overhaul your apartment balcony? Here are our favorite apartment balcony design ideas.

Two things we love in a balcony design: Privacy and plants. And, if you can combine the two, you’re golden. By hanging planters filled with flowy plants, you create much-needed privacy without sacrificing one single bit of floor space, all while maintaining your outdoor space's open, airy feel.

Large, clunky furniture takes up physical space on an apartment balcony, but we think the resulting reduction in visibility is an underrated negative aspect. That’s why we choose tall, leggy furniture whenever possible. Say ‘yes’ to comfort without sacrificing your top-floor views.

Whether you’re stuck with nosy neighbors or you need a break from the unrelenting sunshine, you can easily build a stylish privacy screen with basic hardware store lumber. Just be sure to follow building ordinances and local codes before you tackle this DIY.

Small apartment balconies leave little room for all of life’s comforts, so you really must pick and choose your furniture priorities. If your small balcony doesn't have room for both a dining set and a lounge set, you can still prioritize coziness. Simply drape a few pillows and fuzzy blankets on the dining chairs to cozy them right up.

String lights and balcony railings go together like PB and J. Seriously, there's no quicker, budget-friendlier way to add instant ambiance to your balcony, leaving room in your decor budget for furniture, wall art and plenty of plants.

Take your balcony’s comfy-coziness to a whole new level by swapping static chairs for swinging chairs. While you can easily utilize a base as pictured above, securely mounting swing chairs on the ceiling is the key to freeing up your floor space.

You may think apartment life is the end of your gardening dreams, but we’re here to say it’s just the beginning. If you have a sun-soaked balcony, fill it with full-sun plants that thrive in containers. Create your own personal jungle with petunias, begonias, pansies and other sun-loving plants.

What if we told you that you can even harvest your own crops on your apartment balcony? By choosing thin, vertical crops and supporting them with space-savvy trellises, you can grow your own vegetables right on your balcony, bringing farm-to-table produce home without even leaving your apartment. Oh, and did we mention edible plants are just as beautiful as ornamental varieties?

For non-climbing crops, stacked containers are the next-best thing. These green wall gardens allow you to grow herbs, greens and other smaller plants more efficiently than ever.

In a world of neutrals, who says you can’t go bold with your balcony decor? Curb appeal is clearly of no concern here. We’re talking electric-fuchsia turf, blue clamshell loveseats and bright red geometric tables. It’s your balcony after all, use it as an opportunity to style it however you want. Pro Tip: Install irrigation tiles beneath your turf so the balcony sheds water easily.

This industrial balcony was overwhelmed with concrete, cinderblock and thick metal railings, leaving it feeling cold and drab. Warmer design elements like a cedar planter and interlocking floor tiles warm the balcony up, while a handful of potted plants breathe new life into the space.

If you’re lucky enough to have an expansive set of doors that open your balcony up fully to your apartment, treat it like one big space. Choose seating and furniture elements that mesh with your interior style, so the space feels cohesive when you pull back the curtains.

If your heart is set on more plants but you’ve already squeezed out every inch of space on your balcony, it’s time to look to the ceiling. Use a stud finder to locate the ceiling joists, then screw a few hooks into the joists. Voila! You’ve effectively doubled your potential plant space.

Bring on the greenery! If you have the space on your balcony, you’ll never regret filling it with greenery. The more you have, the more your private outdoor space begins to feel like an actual backyard garden.

By far the quickest and easiest way to cozy up a cold balcony is to cover the floor with a rug. Choose an outdoor rug with a pattern and texture you adore, then bring in complementary furniture pieces to finalize the look. Bonus points for installing a railing-top bar like the one above.

If you’ve chosen to prioritize dining over lounging on your small apartment balcony, do yourself a favor and invest in the comfiest dining chairs you can find.

We get it — some people prefer to lounge in a chair while others prefer more active relaxation. If you fall in the latter camp, then we suggest treating your balcony like your own relaxation spa retreat. Bring in a cold plunge, hot tub, sauna or whatever else helps you relax and recover.

For the ultimate privacy screen, line your railing with wide planters filled with thick bushes. This privacy solution is ideal for higher floor balconies, as it creates privacy directed at lower levels that doesn’t block the million-dollar views.

The key to taking your balcony from lousy to luxurious? Covering that basic balcony floor with luxe interlocking tiles, bringing in a gorgeous textural element that’s on par with your other stylish additions.

If your railing supports it and your building allows it, there are few better spots for planters on an apartment balcony than directly on the railing. This method uses absolutely zero percent of your floor space while giving you something beautiful to look at, no matter your apartment views.

Privacy hedges are nice, but they’d never work on a balcony, right?. This just in — they absolutely do. All you need is a narrow planter or two filled with small hedging bush varieties like boxwoods and hollies to up your balcony’s elegance with a proper privacy hedge.

Unsure what to do with that bare wall on your balcony? Mounting a wall-mounted trellis on your apartment balcony walls gives your climbing plants somewhere to grow while creating a stunning, natural decor display.

Tired of your boring balcony furniture but not quite ready to give it up? Consider giving it a much-needed makeover instead. Choose a bold paint color and transform your lifeless lounge furniture into something statement-making.

Using wire mesh to cover open apartment balcony railings makes them safer for pets and children while also preventing accidents by containing smaller items. Plus, it lends a chic, modern look to ordinary railings while creating subtle privacy.