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How to equip an office on the balcony: designer tips
In the warm season, this is an ideal workplace for a “remote worker”: a lot of natural light, air, plus the isolation of the makeshift office from the rest of the apartment.
The balcony is one of the most versatile places in the apartment. For some, this is a warehouse of unnecessary things, someone uses it for temporary storage of winter clothes, others turn it into a home greenhouse or mini-patio. And the balcony can also be turned into a study – since many of us are sitting at a distance and, perhaps, will be sitting for a long time.
Thinking about how best to remake a balcony into a working area, you should first of all focus on what kind of balcony you have. For example, an open unglazed balcony is not very suitable for creating a workplace – you can only be there in warm weather, and precipitation or wind will instantly create chaos in your office. Closed balconies are not very suitable if they are not insulated: you can store anything there, but in winter it will be impossible to work in such conditions. However, nothing prevents you from enjoying all the delights of working in the fresh air during the warm season.
Graphic Design
Of course, the greatest scope for design imagination opens up for the owners of closed insulated balconies and loggias. When designing an area for work, keep in mind that style and accents should be combined with the interior of the rest of the apartment: then, moving between the balcony and rooms, you will feel harmony without irritants and visual dissonance.
When choosing colors, try to give preference to soft and calm shades: for example, a deep blue color will harmonize perfectly with a light finish on the balcony. Light wood shades of decor are preferred in combination with natural, natural textures. Such combinations will create a calm, harmonious style with a slight hint of retro that brings back nostalgic memories.
Feel free to be bold with your accessories, colors and textures, experiment with what you like. If it is difficult for you to choose combinations and shades on your own, use ready-made design solutions and assemble the so-called capsule collection – in it, various parts and accessories are already assembled into a single harmonious style. Just imagine: an antique-style light clock hangs on the wall of the balcony, next to it there is a soft pouf that matches the shade, from which you can remove the lid and put books or work documents inside, a soft blanket in deep muted colors is casually thrown over the chair … draw attention to yourself and distract – you will feel calm and comfortable and will be able to focus on work.
Windows
It is best to hang blinds on the balcony windows: firstly, this way you can protect yourself from the sun if necessary, and secondly, you hide your work area from prying eyes, and what is happening on the street or in neighboring houses will not bother you. Another alternative is also popular – today roller blinds or “day-night” are increasingly used in apartments. The alternation of dense and transparent strips of fabric allows you to adjust the brightness of the incoming light.
Lighting
Lamps in the balcony ceiling, if any, often give a rather dim light, so it is worth considering table lighting. When choosing its location, keep in mind that the light should not interfere with your view of the computer screen. For the same reason, it is necessary to position the desktop so that during the day the sun does not blind you or the monitor.
If you have a balcony sill, consider it as a desk: if it can hold a laptop and a couple of office papers, you can save space and money on a desk. If there is no window sill, and there is a lot of paperwork, look for a small narrow table with a large number of shelves on which you can put documents.
Functionality and space
There must be sockets on the balcony for desktop lighting and computer operation. If they are not on the balcony itself, but they are nearby, in the room, then make sure that the wires reach the working area.
Choose accessories that you like, but do not overdo it – an excess of decorative ornaments will eat up space on an already small balcony area.
For more efficient use of the area, you can use modular systems: they consist of boxes of different sizes, modules can be interchanged and additional ones can be purchased if necessary. One drawer can store papers and documents, another – accessories for a computer, the third – other things you need for work.