A balcony is a unique room that allows you not only to organize useful additional space, but also to realize the most daring design ideas. And this applies to both new buildings with their panoramic loggias and old houses - the only difference is that different amounts of effort will have to be put into repairs. In any case, the result will be worth it!
Placing the bed on a spacious loggia
One of the original and bold ideas is a bedroom on the balcony. This solution will help not only create a beautiful and functional room in this space, but also free up space for other areas in the living rooms. You will learn how to bring this idea to life from our article!
Premises requirements
- The balcony must be glazed. This will protect the sleeper from wind, precipitation and dust.
- It is also advisable to insulate the balcony. If this is not done, then it will be possible to sleep on it only for a few months a year. You can insulate the loggia with mineral wool or polystyrene foam. Foil insulation is also often used. A radiator wouldn't hurt either; it is cut into the heating circuit in front of the battery installed on the balcony block in front of the window.
- Ideally, the balcony can also be expanded: then you will get a full-fledged bedroom.
Balcony insulation with mineral wool
It is definitely worth making a warm floor and ceiling on the balcony. You can, for example, install an infrared film floor under the laminate.
Important: if the decision to expand the balcony and convert it into a bedroom is made, you will need to write down all the procedures that will be done and take the project to the local BTI (Bureau of Technical Inventory). The Bureau must approve the project.
Large loggia bedroom
Bedroom design on a balcony or loggia
Designers advise making a balcony-bedroom in the same style as the adjacent room. Since the loggia is an obviously small space, it is worth visually enlarging it. For example, paint the walls, floor and ceiling in light shades, and also place white furniture in the room. The floor can be a couple of shades darker than the ceiling and walls, so the space will visually increase in height.
Bedroom on the balcony in white
A small room needs proper lighting. These can be small ceiling chandeliers, a floor lamp and lamps that fit comfortably on the bedside table. The beige Maytoni floor lamp will both decorate and illuminate the room, and the Feron ceiling lamp will add overhead light without taking up extra space.
Interior styles that have fewer details take root best on the balcony: Scandinavian, minimalism, eco-style, loft.
Bed on the balcony in eco-style
Bed placement
| Bed type | Description |
| Folding | A good option in a narrow room would be a folding sofa bed. During the day, the room with the sofa can be used as a living room, and at night the sofa can be folded out and turned into a bed for one or two people. Such beds usually have built-in drawers for storing linen and clothes, which is convenient if the balcony serves as a full-fledged room for the resident. |
| Folding | A folding bed of a vertical or horizontal type is suitable for a balcony. The design often also includes shelves and a chest of drawers, which can be used as a linen closet . During the day, the bed is removed into a special drawer, and the freed space can be used as a living room. |
| Transformer | A transforming bed will provide a comfortable night's rest, so this option is worth choosing if the balcony is being converted into a full-fledged room . You can put an orthopedic mattress on this bed for daily sleep. During the day, the sleeping place can be folded to free up space, or you can leave it disassembled: it will be comfortable to sit on it with a book or laptop during the day. |
| Full single or double bed | The option of installing the usual single or double bed (depending on the width of the balcony) is not excluded, but in this case it is unlikely that bedside tables will still fit into the room, and it will be possible to approach the bed only at the foot of it. It is important to keep in mind that not every full-size bed fits into a narrow balcony passage: before purchasing, you need to check whether the sleeping place can be disassembled or not. |
Important: you can make a sleeping place on the balcony only if the length of the balcony is at least 2 meters.
Folding bed on a narrow balcony
Combining the space of the room and balcony
The design of the bedroom can be different; one of the most successful solutions is to combine the room and additional space. In this case, it is possible to arrange a cozy and large room, the area of which will increase by at least two meters. This is enough to make a room larger, create a separate area for sleeping, leisure, or arrange a small space for hobbies.
When choosing an interior for such a combined space, you should take into account the features of the existing environment. But it’s best to immediately plan a concise and simple solution. The color scheme can be different, for the northern room it should be light, for the western and southern rooms dark colors are allowed. If the balcony or loggia faces the east, it is recommended to choose warm and bright colors.
The sleeping area can be visually separated from the rest of the room; for this you can use various options:
- a podium bed, which will help to visually highlight the sleeping area without using furniture and other elements for this;
- decorative stands for indoor plants, which are best placed near the head of the bed;
- bookcases or racks will help to differentiate two zones, while providing normal lighting of the room space and creating additional space for storing personal items or books;
- translucent sliding partitions that can replace a dismantled window unit.
Furniture selection
In a small balcony room, you should use hanging shelves and corner cabinets. Check out these white QWERTY shelves. You can hang hooks on the wall, which are convenient for storing clothes. For example, these Spanish ones - with a whale on the waves as decoration.
Drawers or wicker baskets are usually placed under the bed: you can also put clothes and bed linen in them.
If a person lives on a balcony on a permanent basis, then hollow pipes suspended from the ceiling will serve ergonomically for storing his wardrobe. The only thing is that you shouldn’t make them too heavy so that the balcony ceiling can definitely support both them and your clothes.
Folding bed for balcony
If space allows, then a small wardrobe will fit nicely into the space unoccupied by the bed. The tenant will put clothes and personal items in it. A chest of drawers would also be a good option. It can also be used as a table: work on your laptop or have breakfast with a view of the city. This white chest of drawers from Garda Decor is suitable for a loggia in a modern style.
A wide loggia can accommodate a full-sized table and chair, albeit small in size. To save space, the table can be folded and opened only for work, study or eating. There are also folding tables: when folded, they look like a bedside table. You can decorate the bedside table with a bouquet of flowers or put personal items on it: newspapers, magazines, a laptop.
To ensure that the abundance of daylight and night lights do not interfere, it is worth hanging blinds on the windows. Thick curtains on the eaves will also cope with this task, but they usually take up more space than blinds, so it is better not to hang them on the balcony. If blinds are not suitable, designers advise taking a closer look at roller blinds: their principle is the same as blinds, but the material is different. Roller blinds save space and protect from the bright light of the sun and street lights.
Advice : it is worth putting double or triple glazing on the windows, otherwise the Russian winter will completely freeze the resident of the balcony bedroom.
Zoning Features
When combining a balcony with a bedroom, complete or partial demolition of the partition is possible. In some cases, dismantling the threshold located in the doorway of the loggia is impossible. For example, in a monolithic and brick house it can be dismantled, but in a panel building, this can lead to collapse.
A window sill can be used in the zoning of the bedroom and balcony. A similar solution is found in apartments with a medium or large bedroom. In this case, the balcony door is dismantled, and the window sill remains in place. The cabinet is complemented with a tabletop as a work area or the window sill is turned into a flower shelf. It is better to move the heating radiator so that it does not spoil the overall appearance.
The photo shows zoning with different finishing materials in the interior of a bedroom with a balcony.
To divide the space, partitions that are installed at the site of demolition of the wall are suitable. It is also appropriate to design the exit to the balcony from the bedroom in the form of an arch.
Additional light on the loggia, different from the main lighting, will help to zone the space. On the balcony area, LED strips or spotlights are installed, built into a suspended or plasterboard ceiling structure. A current option is to raise the floor level in the loggia area. This creates a catwalk effect.
You can separate the zone using a multi-level ceiling or a combined structure of suspended and tensioned fabric. This way the bedroom decor will acquire a more elegant, fresh look and additional volume.
In order for the combined room, on the contrary, to acquire a harmonious appearance, when decorating two segments, it is recommended to use identical wall and ceiling finishes, as well as a solid floor covering without thresholds, transitions and other dividing elements.
The photo shows a multi-level ceiling structure as a zoning element in the design of a bedroom with a balcony.
Decor
A small space should not be overloaded with details, so decorating a balcony should be done responsibly.
It is good to put pillows on the bed and windowsill: they will retain heat and add softness to the interior. You can also decorate the sleeping area with a warm blanket, preferably a light shade, to make the room seem larger .
You can hang garlands on the shelves and along the perimeter of the ceiling, which will illuminate the space and make it even more comfortable.
For comfort, a carpet is also laid on the floor; it can also become the color accent of the room. Of course, a soft covering on the floor will make the room even warmer.
In the corner on the floor you can place a pot with live plants, and on the windowsills - several smaller pots with flowers.
A bedroom on the balcony (4 sq. m) will give you a romantic night
What to consider when choosing a bed
To successfully choose a bed for a loggia or balcony, answer a few questions.
- Do you need a sleeping place for regular or occasional use? A bulky double bed for a good half of the family is one thing, a folding bed for a rare guest is quite another.
- What is the area and configuration of the room. The size of the bed and its design directly depend on them.
- Do you need free space to move around the room after sleep? If yes, then take a closer look at transforming, folding, reclining furniture.
- Will you dismantle the window and door unit? The design of the bedroom and bed depends on this. They should be in harmony with the interior of the adjacent room.
Even for a non-standard room configuration there is suitable furniture
Advantages and disadvantages
| Advantages | Flaws |
| Saving space: if friends are staying overnight or a relative has come to stay from another city, then an extra room will always come in handy. | You will have to install the heating and electricity yourself. |
| There is a lot of natural light, which improves your mood and helps save electricity. | You will have to run around to the officials and get permission from the BTI. |
| The beautiful view from the windows will delight you when you wake up, and while falling asleep you can look at the stars and the Moon. | Sounds will be heard from the street, since even a high floor will not save you from poor sound insulation. |
| Now you can clean a small room, which, of course, is good news. | If a person does not like closed and small spaces, he will feel uncomfortable sleeping on the balcony. |
Bottom line
With proper insulation and insulation, a balcony can be converted into almost any room. And, using various materials for finishing and decorating, this room can be made not only functional, but also beautiful. This way, you will have a separate room that you can use as you wish. What to equip on the balcony - an office, a kitchen, a bedroom, a nursery - is up to you, and decorating the room is a great opportunity to show your imagination and design skills.
