Shelves on the balcony: varieties, advice on selection and location

The balcony space should be used as efficiently as possible with furniture. Since the shape and size of large rooms often do not allow storing various things, the best option is to install a rack in this room. In furniture stores, such designs are presented in a large number of options, so it can be difficult to choose a specific product.

Also, many buyers do not know about what materials this furniture is made from, what its design may be, and also where it is better to place such attributes on the balcony. All these and other nuances will be discussed in detail in this article.

Like any piece of furniture, the balcony rack has a number of positive and negative characteristics. It is worth considering the advantages of this design.

• She is able to save space on the balcony room. Shelves, unlike cabinets, do not overload the space. Even the place they occupy visually still seems to be an actively used part of the loggia with the correct design of the rack.
• Many people prefer to store some of the things on the loggia, and it is the rack that can become a place for their compact and convenient location. Taken as a storage location, such an attribute will save you from clutter on the balcony.
• With the help of such shelves, you can very successfully complement the interior of the balcony room. If the design of the structure corresponds to the chosen direction of the interior, this element will create real harmony in the territory of the balcony space.
• A rack is a piece of furniture that is easy to build even on your own. Even not very experienced users can create some types of such furniture on their balcony. Assembling directly on the balcony will eliminate the need to drag heavy structural elements or its one-piece body.

However, one should also remember about the negative aspects of installing such a piece of furniture on the balcony.

• The capacity of the shelf depends entirely on the dimensions of the loggia... Structures that can accommodate all the items necessary for storage will not always be able to fit into the area of ​​your balcony. On small-sized loggias, only small shelves are often acceptable.
• Such furniture in most cases requires insulation on the balcony. Otherwise, both the shelves themselves and the things on them will be exposed to changes in temperature and humidity, which can quickly become unusable.
• The color range of such products is usually limited. light colors, and the design depends on the lighting of the balcony room and its direction.

The design of the balcony rack can be implemented in various forms. Depending on how far the shelves are in the view, whatnots are closed and open. Closed structures are equipped with doors and side walls, due to which it is not visible what exactly is on the shelves.

Open products imply finding all the contents of the shelves in the overview... Such models are good in that due to the competent arrangement of things on them, you can create a successful composition that will complement the interior and give the room comfort. The need for dust cleaning among the owners of such shelves arises more often, however, due to the lack of side and rear walls access to all the necessary things will be easy.

There is a corner type of balcony shelving. Some of their compartments are located perpendicular to each other, which allows them to be placed on a wide balcony. Also, such placements can be presented in the form of triangular shelves, which are located one above the other, connecting two adjacent balcony walls. This case is suitable for small-sized loggias.

There are also options such as built-in shelving... They look like shelves, which are arranged in rows in the arched space of the loggia. However, sometimes racks of this type are masked by providing the structure with roller shutters. By lowering them, you can fence off part of the space in which the rack is located, thereby creating protection for it from negative influences. This option is also advisable if the whatnot does not really harmonize with the overall design of the balcony and it is necessary to mask it.

Shelving products for loggias are also classified by height. There are models that take up almost the entire wall in height, and there are low structures, the height of which is equal to the balcony partition.

Various types of raw materials are used for the manufacture of shelving structures, each of which endows furniture with a unique set of features. There are materials that are considered the most popular.

• Metal, which is characterized by strength, combined with simplicity and grace. This type of shelf will look great in industrial concepts. Most often, it is open structures that are made from this type of raw material. However, in case of high humidity in the room, the iron structure may suffer from rust. However, there are varieties of products made of aluminum, which are characterized by their light weight, and stainless steel, which is less susceptible to moisture.

• Wood is no less popular raw material for shelving. Very aesthetic in appearance, durable structures are made of solid wood, suitable for many interior styles. But solid wood is a rather expensive material that requires no humidity and temperature extremes. More budgetary analogs of raw materials with wooden components in the composition are chipboard and MDF. They also do not tolerate moisture very well, but they are quite strong and durable.

• Plastic racks are very lightweight and resistant to moisture.... They can be decorated in various colors and are very easy to maintain. However, such material is not particularly resistant to mechanical stress.

• In some cases, options are made from combined materials. For example, a metal frame may have wooden shelves. Such models are especially appropriate if they are matched to a certain style of interior, for example, a loft.

How presentable and harmonious the shelf will look on your balcony room is determined not only by the functional side, but also by the design of the products. You can make the design interesting due to the form. The corner version can be made smoother, the shelves of an open structure can be arranged in a zigzag form, and metal products can be supplied with flowery elements.

Pay attention to the decor of the doors of closed shelving... By adding mirrors, patina or other decorative elements to them, you can emphasize the design style, as well as create a unique piece of furniture.

It is possible to adjust the shelving compartments to a predetermined composition of the arrangement of items. In such an ensemble, each element occupies a certain shelf, which makes the overall look harmonious. And so that things on open models do not look boring, supplement such shelves with live plants in pots.

When choosing a ready-made shelving structure, it is worth remembering certain criteria, which will help you find the model that is ideally suited to your loggia.

• Correlate the dimensions of the product with the area of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe place that should be allocated in advance for the shelf. If the balcony is narrow, make sure that its width does not hide even further from the additional piece of furniture.
• Plan ahead for what exactly you will be storing on the rack. It is on this basis that the type of its construction is selected. For storage of wheels or tools, for example, closed options are suitable, and open shelves are optimal for placing plants. Interesting options are the use of such a rack for storing books on the loggia, as well as creating a dressing room along the entire wall of a long balcony.
• Pay attention to the color of the product. It should be combined with the decoration of the balcony, as well as the rest of the furniture, if any.
• It is better if the material is equipped with special layers of impregnation or protective coating.

In order for the rack to bring maximum benefits and a minimum of discomfort during use, you should think about its correct location on the balcony. The basic rules for placing a bookcase is so that it does not interfere with movement on the balcony, and also provides convenient access to all its compartments.

As options for location, you can consider the following.

• The most popular type of placement is along the end balcony wall. It is optimal for narrow and long balconies, the area of ​​which practically does not change due to the presence of a shelf. However, remember that by choosing a rack with hinged doors, you will block some of the light when they are opened, due to which the space of the rack will be shaded.

• If the width of the balcony allows, then you can place the shelf structure along the long wall. In this case, she usually stands near the area where there is no window connecting the loggia with the room.

• If there is a niche in the balcony room, this greatly facilitates the choice of location. Shelves can be made directly in it, if its depth allows.

• On larger balconies, you can arrange shelving in the corner.

If you still find it difficult to find the right rack for your loggia, pay attention to the presented ideas for decorating such an interior item on the balcony.

• A dark contrasting shelving unit on a white loggia can be diluted with an abundance of plants, combined with light accessories and books.

• Book compositions will look great on shelves with rounded edges. By dividing the shelf space into two sections, literature and accessories can be staggered.

• The rack, located along the large balcony wall, can smoothly transition into the workspace, creating a semblance of an office on the balcony.

• In shelves, open compartments can also be combined with closed ones, making it easier to organize the space.

How to make a rack with your own hands, see below.