No garden? Small balcony? You can have a comfy outdoor area to relax in
We know how important fresh air is to our wellbeing but, when your personal outdoor space is a balcony, sitting outside might not feel like an option.
I'm here to say that you can have a tranquil outdoor haven outside on your small balcony.
An absolute essential is balcony furniture that invites you outside and insists you relax. Maybe as a spot for your morning coffee, or an evening retreat to unwind on after work.
Garden furniture for small spaces doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.
Image: at Chelsea Flower Show 2023 we furnished a small space (330cm x 250cm / 8.25 square metres) with a modular garden sofa, two outdoor bean bag chairs, and a multipurpose outdoor pouffe. It was comfortable and incredibly inviting. A small space, like a balcony, can still be transformed into somewhere you want to retreat to and relax in.
What's the best furniture for comfortable seating on a small balcony?
A metal bistro set? Sleek and chic perhaps, but comfortable?! It screams cold and hard and unforgiving to me. It's certainly not going to convince me to sit out on a chilly day!
Rattan chairs and a side table? A classic option but so often a little clunky. Arms on seating can take up valuable space, and they're tricky to get up apartment stairs. You'll also need a storage plan for the cushions...
Wooden bench seating? A bespoke bench cut into a corner maximises space fabulously, but it's so inflexible. Maybe you'd like to pull a chair to the other side of the balcony to catch the last sliver of sunshine. Then, if you move home, you can't bring it with you.
Instead, I'm going to recommend furniture that you may not have considered: outdoor bean bags and bean bag tables. Perhaps even a soft upholstered bean bag sofa.
Image: two happy customers enjoying their ultra-comfortable balcony bean bags.
At Armadillo Sun we make fabric bean bag furniture so, hands-up, I'm biased! But let me try to convince you to take a second look at outdoor bean bag furniture when you're decking out your balcony.
7 reasons outdoor bean bags are brilliant as balcony furniture...
1. Bean bags strike the perfect balance between compact size and comfort
There’s little point having a slimline table and foldaway chairs on your balcony if they’re rarely used. Beautiful compact furniture is still a waste of space if you’re left with a numb posterior after a few minutes of sitting.
Armadillo Sun outdoor bean bags are delightfully comfortable. The ergonomic shape provides full-body support. Then each bean bag is filled by hand - fully and properly - so they don’t sag or swallow you up. These are bean bags that you really can get up out of!
As a seat without armrests, a bean bag offers more space to lounge – choose a bean lounger and you can even lie down. Being soft and malleable, they fit perfectly into a corner and will ensure you make use of every square foot of space on your balcony.
If you want to up the luxury stakes, a bean bag sofa chair covered with cushions works fantastically in a tight space.
Image: the Armadillo Sun modular garden sofa can be used as individual furniture pieces too - like this corner chair perfectly placed in a small space to create a cosy, comfortable corner to unwind.
2. Sitting low on a bean bag enhances privacy and is a nifty solution to less-than-desirable views
If you'd rather avoid being peered at by curious neighbours or dilly-dalliers on the street, you’ll want to add some sort of screening around your seating.
A bean bag sits you much lower to the ground than ordinary chairs so, with some strategically placed pots, you can easily disappear behind your plants.
By sitting low and surrounding yourself with plants and flowers, you can create a personal biophilic bubble, blocking out the surrounding built-up environment.
Image: sitting low and surrounded by plants enhances privacy on your balcony and creates a green environment to sit within. Image credit: Craftifair
3. Lightweight & movable, you won’t need a team to get a bean bag onto your balcony
An Armadillo Sun bean bag chair is just 4kg and very easy to move around. With a handle on the back, sling it over your shoulder and carry it up the stairs (or into the lift!) to the apartment. With no hard edges, you don't risk chipped paint or scraped wallpaper when manoeuvring around corners and through the balcony doors. This is especially important in rented accommodation.
Bean bag furniture is also simple to shift around on the balcony itself so you can make the most of the sunshine or re-arrange your space when friends visit.
I love a bean bag for making the most of a Juliet balcony too. Pop it in a corner of your room and then, on fine days, swing open the balcony doors and pop the bean bag at the intersection of indoors and out. A perfect spot to people-watch as the world goes by below you.
4. Statement furniture for the balcony
On a small narrow balcony, your furniture will inevitably be the central feature. Rather than making it as small as possible, use fabric outdoor furniture - available in colours and patterns of your choosing - and make a statement. Don't feel constrained to 'blah' furniture that says nothing about you!
Whether you prefer minimal and contemporary, or Mediterranean chic, or something more tropical, you can create the look and atmosphere you love with bean bag furniture.
At Armadillo Sun we have a wide range of colours and patterns available, but we’re always happy to source you something specific if you’ve got a particular fabric in mind.
Image: a sturdy snack table is perfect to hold your morning coffee or your evening cocktail as you relax back into a bean bag. The Armadillo Sun bean bag coffee table has a hard top to keep your drinks steady but, flip it over, and it's a wonderful footstool or extra seat for a friend.
5. Bean bag furniture is multifunctional
On a small balcony, where space is at a premium, dual-purpose versatile furniture will extend the ways you can use your outdoor spot. I love bean bag coffee tables: low and sturdy, they’re the perfect place to place your morning coffee (even on a breezy day). They also double-up as a footstool and extra seat for a guest.
If you want to sunbathe (however infrequent sunshine might be in the UK), a bean bag sun lounger is a comfortable seat but, pushed back, it’s perfect to lie on too. I demonstrate how lovely it is to lie back on a lounger in the video post below:
Weatherproof pouffes are the ultimate in multi-purpose furniture – a table; a stool; or, decked out with cushions, a lovely corner chair. They look gorgeous too!
Image: the Armadillo Sun weatherproof pouffe is the Swiss Army knife of outdoor furniture: table, stool, chair, and, most importantly, a gorgeous addition to your balcony set-up.
6. Balcony furniture you can leave outside all year
Living in an apartment or a flat, especially in the UK, means that available storage space is limited. Don’t fill it up with furniture cushions! Instead, choose fully weatherproof bean-filled furniture, and leave it outside all year.
The fabric used by Armadillo Sun is water-resistant and any rain that penetrates the weave will run straight through the bean bag or sofa chair. The interior beans don't absorb water, so your furniture won't go soggy or become a breeding ground for nasties.
With no metal to rust or wood to rot, bean bag furniture needs minimal maintenance on your balcony. A wipe with soapy water now-and-again will suffice.
7. A windy balcony is no problem
If you live in an area where the wind can get up, you don’t have to choose heavy balcony furniture. Weighty furniture could be even more of an issue if the wind does shift it, with damage being greater. Glass-topped tables can, in particular, be a risk.
Bean bag furniture, whilst light, is flat to the ground and less likely to be lifted up by a strong gust. However, in high winds, we’d recommend securing your bean bag to something – the handle on the back of your bean bag tied around a railing can be enough to keep it from budging.
How to transform your apartment balcony into a tranquil oasis
With an outdoor bean bag you can be assured that the balcony will offer the most comfortable seat in the house!
All that’s left to do is add the extras to create a haven to relax in.
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Flooring - balcony floors are often concrete and less than cosy-looking. Add an outdoor rug, or simple snap floor tiles, to instantly create a more welcoming space
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Plants - greenery and flowers make all the difference in an urban environment. First, check building regulations to ensure you can hang planters off your railings, then there are many innovative options for surrounding yourself with nature. A word of caution though, I would think carefully about the plants you choose – it can be a chore to keep up with watering and a balcony is often a dry environment. Find plants that thrive in drier conditions, or perhaps consider drip irrigation.
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Soft furnishings - I love layering different colours and patterns, using cushions and throws, to create a cosy inviting space.
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Lighting - floor-level lighting, like lanterns, is wonderful teamed up with bean bags. It helps maintain your privacy too, creating a pool of light to sink into rather than lighting up the whole balcony.
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Scent - the power of smell should not be under-estimated. Light a beautifully scented candle to take out with you onto your personal balcony oasis.
With a hectic city life, creating a gloriously comfortable retreat on your balcony - however small the space – will give you great joy. You deserve the opportunity to relax!
If you're considering bean bag furniture for your balcony come and have a lovely sit down and try out our bean bags at our showroom in Kent, or visit us at one of the events we are attending this year.
If you have any questions or would like to chat through a bespoke order, please get in touch.