How to Convert the Balcony of a High-Rise Building to a Garden

Residents of high-rise apartments must miss gardens. We all love plants. They play important roles in our lives, aside from being beautiful.

If you live in a high-rise apartment complex, not having a proper garden doesn’t mean you can’t create one on your balcony.


Image created by author using RoomSketcher software.

How Do You Build a Garden on Your 10th-Floor Balcony?


If you are passionate about gardening but live so high up there, this is what to do. Start with the basics: floor, wall, and ceiling, and then determine your requirements for each.

1. Balcony Floor


Faux grass.
The best way to make the space look like a garden is to use good-quality faux grass flooring. It looks and feels like real grass, it will even fool the cows!

A cluster of plants.
Add a cluster of different-sized potted plants to a side, ensuring they are not in the way. If you prefer, a standalone tall plant in a clay pot will suffice. Not much floor space? Go vertical by placing small planters on mounted shelves.

A bed of smooth pebbles.
Create a bed of smooth pebbles with a custom-built metal trough 10cm (4 inches) deep. This feature, combined with the faux grass flooring, will transform your balcony into a garden.


Image created by author using RoomSketcher software.

2. Balcony Walls (if any)


Wood trellis.

What great way to create a garden feel, than by mounting a trellis on the balcony walls? If you love vines and creeping plants that flower, this is it. From light wood to bamboo and thin metal pipes, a simple trellis is a great garden material.

Faux (or real) stone.

Thinking rustic or country style? Faux-stone ceramic tiles are amazing. They look and feel like stone, and are affordable. Add that feature to part of, or a full wall. And if you'd like something lighter and easier to apply, good quality waterproof wallpaper or stick-on decals look great too.

Plant racks and shelves.

Display a collection of cute ornamental plants on hanging wall shelves (minimum of 4 inches/10cm) deep. The shelf sizes and numbers will depend on the available wall space. Display potted cacti, aloe, silver nerve, asparagus ferns, water bamboo, etc. on the shelves. You can also cultivate your herbs and vegetables here.

 
Image created by author using RoomSketcher software.


3. Balcony Ceiling


Slab ceiling.

With the balcony ceiling likely being the floor slab of an upper level, you can still create a dramatic ceiling for your only outdoor space.

For a slab ceiling, install hooks that you need to hang a collection of potted plants. Hanging potted plants is visually impactful. Hang them low and keep them away from the walk-path

Open balcony (no ceiling).

For the topmost balcony, you need a shade. Great ideas for this feature are pergolas, natural wood awnings, and painted latticework. Train vines to grow over them, or use them to hang various potted plants.


Image created by author using RoomSketcher software.


Make the Balcony Garden an Extension of the Interior


Balconies should have a meaningful impact as an extension of the indoors. They are not meant for storing bicycles, running shoes, gym equipment, and stuff. Your goal? Bring the outdoors indoors.

If you have space, add a cute garden chair, or two and a small table.

And if there is ample space, after setting up the garden, you may have room to seat a couple of people.

A styled garden beyond the living room is an impactful connection between the indoors and the outdoors. It enhances the living room and makes it appear larger.

So, even if your balcony is tiny, turning it into a garden enclave is worth the expense and effort.

It will provide a focal point beyond the boundaries of your interior walls.


Shop beautiful Home & Garden Products at Light In The Box

How to Design Simple Kitchen Layouts (Kitchen Upgrades)

You can plan out and design your kitchen layout in a simple DIY way if you want to build a new kitchen or renovate an existing one without you needing the services of an interior designer. The savings you make can be put into the kitchen cabinets production and installations expenses.




Beautiful kitchens are made when its layout is well-thought-out. It is true that beautiful kitchen designs are pleasing to the eye, but it is also important that space works well for its user. It must be functional, efficient, and user-friendly. The kitchen is said to be “the heart of the home”, so, a kitchen layout demands special attention design-wise.


Design Your Kitchen to Form a Clear Work Triangle


Designing a successful plan and arrangement is fairly easy but what many people overlook is the fact that a kitchen’s activity flow should follow a particular path. This path is what kitchen designers refer to as a “work triangle” and is the distance between the sink, refrigerator, and the cooker.

1st point of the triangle - The starting point of the work triangle is at the food storage area (refrigerator). This path's distance can range between 42inches (1metre) and 60inches (1.5metres) to both the kitchen sink and the cooker.

2nd point of the triangle - The food cleaning and processing area (sink) is the second point. It is the area where uncooked food is cleaned, cut, mixed, stuffed, etc... and set ready for cooking.

3rd point of the triangle - The last point of the work triangle and path of movement is the cooking area. This is the area where the oven, stove, and microwave are installed and the zone where the processed and mixed foods are cooked.

The three points which form a triangular path works well for efficient activity flow and even though kitchen designs differ widely and should be adaptable to each home occupants’ ways of life, certain things somehow remain constant. This means that the best kitchen planning involves following a flow pattern while working in the kitchen. It must heighten efficiency and save both time and the expended physical energy of moving around.




Kitchen Worktops

The standard kitchen worktop width is 60cm (24"), but in some regions of the world, you'll find lesser countertop widths of 50cm (20inches) and 55cm (22inches). The total area of the worktop will always depend on the kitchen's size (area) and its length and breadth.

Kitchen Worktop Backsplashes

Backsplashes are vertical addition to kitchen counters and are an essential part of kitchen cabinet top surfaces. Although today's backsplash offers more than protection from splatters of food and splashes of liquid, they are still an integral part of kitchen cabinet designs. Modern kitchen designers now use them in a wide number of ways to add beauty to their creations. You'll find them made from various materials including colourful PVC-based finishes, glass, stainless steel, natural stone, ceramics, and wood.

Kitchen Appliances

The basic appliances required in all kitchens are the refrigerator, single or double oven, the cooker, dishwasher, microwave oven, and if you have a large family, a separate deep freezer. You’ll also need a kitchen sink, double or single. Depending on the size of your kitchen, and how often you use it, a kitchen may require space for food processors, toasters, rice cookers, etc…; it is a good idea to have these in mind while designing your kitchen.





Others Kitchen Requirements
  • Ample storage in terms of open and/or closed cabinets.
  • Walk-in larder if space permits this or one built into the cabinetry.
  • A serving surface or a breakfast counter.
  • A waste disposal unit in the kitchen sink.
  • Central island cooker with a downdraft extraction fan.
  • An intercom system.
  • Built-in warming trays.
  • Sliding cutting/chopping boards.

Many homes have their kitchen in close proximity to a utility room. A well-positioned utility room can provide space for an extra deep freezer, washing machine/dryer, a folding table for laundry, an ironing board, and a laundry sink if possible. Being an appendage to the kitchen, a utility room should also have a counter-top, cabinets, and/or open shelves.

And for senior citizens and the newly liberated empty nesters, it is advisable to create wider doorways and easy-to-reach kitchen furniture. Your kitchen design must take into cognisance the fact that as we advance in age, we need easy access and movement around the kitchen.


Further reading:

Slate Kitchen Worktops: 16 Reasons Why They Are Getting Popular
Is It Wise (or not) to Use Marble for Kitchen Countertops?
Top 5 Materials for Kitchen Worktops 
5 Best Kitchen Layouts: How to Design Efficient Kitchens

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9 Budget-Friendly Home Renovation Ideas

Many homeowners planning to upgrade their homes are looking for budget-friendly renovation ideas. We all know that renovations don’t come cheap. While it has been said that it is good to upgrade a home every ten years on average (a room refurbishment varies from six to eight years), depending on the extent of renovations that you plan to carry out, it need not be expensive or cumbersome.

Interior design and décor styles do go out of fashion too, especially if you follow vogues and trends that quietly slip away after a few years. For those who fall under this group, you’ll always need to refurbish, re-paint, and select new schemes and themes on a continuous basis. Expensive ventures!




Budget-Friendly Renovation Ideas


As long as you aren’t planning to take on major structural changes, minor renovations can be inexpensive. This means that you don’t have to wait a decade or so to upgrade your interior space. There are budget-friendly renovation ideas that will not only save you lots of money, they can also give your space the charming uplift you desire.

1. Painting


When you paint the walls and/or ceilings you give a room a new lease on life. A coat of paint does wonders to an old tired house and is a good form of renovating. If you are not quite sure of colours to choose, play safe; go for neutral colours in warm or cool hues. Neutral colours work well with every theme and also serves as wonderful backdrops to furniture and furnishings.

2. Dado and Picture Rails


Although mouldings like rails and cornices are usually associated with period houses, dado and picture rails are brilliant features that will transform any room dramatically, just as adding crown mouldings and architraves will liven up bland walls too. Use them to create clear borders between different colours on a wall. The modern approach is to paint them in soft colours that either complements or contrasts with the walls. The softer colours are best, as they enhance the entire space.

3. Flooring


Many homeowner’s preferred form of renovating is changing the floor covering. Engineered wood flooring materials are affordable and budget-friendly and there are a wide variety of stylish favourites. When you change the flooring, you give the entire space a complete turn- around. Inexpensive options of flooring materials include faux wood planks, tiles, bamboo, cork, and laminate.

4. Lighting


Create cove lighting for a dropped ceiling in a living or dining zone. The false ceiling with hidden lights will transform a room remarkably especially if dropped over a specific zone in the interior space. Cove lights work great in both modern and traditional style interiors and can also be regarded as timeless.

5. Add a Focal Point


Creating a distinct focal area in a room is a great way to change the look of a room. What’s the wall that you see when you walk into the room? Identify this wall and turn it into a feature wall. A budget-friendly idea is to use 3D wall panels (three-dimensional decorative wall panels) on the wall. They are lightweight and can be painted to any desired colour. Other ideas that work well for feature walls include stucco walls, wall panels, wallpaper, and some special paint techniques.

6. Wall Art


You can change the look of a room by simply hanging artwork, so, invest in some affordable wall art, sculpture, murals, elaborate stickers, wall decals or create an art gallery theme. If you don’t have framed pieces on hand, try the flea markets, antique stores, second-hand shops for vintage artwork, or online stores that retail unique artworks.

7. Upgrade All Interior Accents


To inject a fresh renovated look into a room that looks ‘tired’ doesn’t only rest on changing the floor finish, painting the walls, or changing the window treatments. A good upgrade could be as simple as changing the lampshades (shape, colour, or both), adding new throw pillows with classic patterns, texture, and in complementary colours, adding new vases or an elaborate urn, and adding a standalone water fountain in the room. Fittings, fixtures, locks, and other interior accents can also do with a dramatic change.

8. Window Treatments


Having new window treatments will dramatically enhance a room and it doesn’t have to require much money or a ton of effort. Budget-friendly easy-to-install shades, blinds, no-sew drapes and curtains, and unique rods and decorative ornaments like finials can transform a room and even give it a classic timeless look. Never underestimate how simple window treatments can complete a design concept and ‘finish’ a room.

9. Smart Home Features


Adding modern smart home features can modernize an old interior and make your home more appealing if you finally decide to sell. Install smart lighting systems that will give different lighting moods, modify brightness, and even set schedules. Other smart home features that are budget-friendly renovation ideas include security features, heating and cooling systems with both time and parameter-based functions, and power supply for all appliances controlled through the smart system.


Budget-friendly renovation idea - 3D wall panelling


Related:

Tips:

  • For a style that stays around for a long time, stick to classic furnishings.
  • Remember to create a sense of flow in the house with your choice of colours. Do this by repeating at least one colour throughout the interior.
  • Always use professionals for electrical, plumbing, and structural works.
  • If you have a patio, you can convert it into an outdoor living area.
  • In the absence of a patio, build an outdoor deck that flows out from the living or dining area.

Interior Lighting and Its Effect on Your Colour Scheme

Every interior designer knows that a carefully conceived and chosen colour scheme can be ruined, either by a single or cluster of glaring interior lights and if your entire room is lit only with dim lights, there will be a depressing mood in the room, asides the fact that there will be insufficient lighting in different zones of the room’s interior.




When a room is lit effectively, you will observe that colour tones change with different lighting illuminates. This is why any interior space will have a completely different colour palette and ambience when viewed under different types of lighting like daylight, incandescent lights, warm (or cool) fluorescent light fixtures, and halogen lights.

Effects of Daylight on Colour Scheme


A good design job demands you consider the effects of natural light on colours, textures, and patterns. For instance, bright sunlight conveys a wonderful feel on both warm and cold colours. Its effect on lighter colours and pastels is radiant and bright, and on darker colours, bright light makes them look crisp and ‘illuminated’.

Effects of Incandescent Interior Lights


Rich, bold and intense colour schemes that look pleasing during the daytime are usually dulled by incandescent lights at night. And though incandescent lights emphasise colours like yellow and red, which means they accentuate red, orange, and tan, they, however, produce a dulling effect on blue, burgundy, and violet tones.

Fluorescent Light and Its Effect on Colours


There are two types of fluorescent lighting, warm and cool. Both types are popularly used by interior designers in their lighting designs. Fluorescent lights have a different spectral energy distribution of light which makes them emphasise blue and green colours while blunting reds and orange tones.

Halogen Light Effects on Interior Design Colour Scheme


They are white lights which bear a resemblance to natural light. Halogen lights make all chosen colours appear more vibrant and have a way of making the transition from daylight to artificial light a bit less ‘jarring’ like it does with incandescent lights especially.

On a final note, because of the different way differing lights affect colour schemes, it may be wise for an interior designer to select colour samples in the rooms or spaces in which they are to be used, under both day and night light.

And if for any reason this is not possible, the next best thing is to choose colours under an identical lighting source using approximately the same illumination level . . . bright, mood-enhancing, or dim.



Relationship Between Lighting and Interior Design

As a professional interior designer, you’ll most likely know how important lighting design is to your project and how lights can be used in highly effective ways to enhance any type of interior space.

Though some major projects may require the serviced of a professional lighting designer, smaller residential interior design projects can always be implemented without the services or input of a lighting designer.

Creating great lighting effects within a home is simple, once a lighting plan is created. And for most interior designers, professionally presented proposals generally touch on topics related to lighting design and light fittings/fixtures placement and installations.

With commercial design projects however, it’s good to work in conjunction with a lighting designer, knowing the fact that there are differences in variables with colour schemes illuminated by different lighting elements.

This is quite varied and vast in commercial projects like hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, institutions, clubs, and the like.

Why Is a Lighting Plan Important?


It is important to draw a lighting fixture plan when an interior concept is being conceived. Even a simple plan will show your clients where you plan to place what. It will also show how effective use of light means highlighting what needs to be highlighted, toning down areas that need to be soft and subtle, and spotlighting choice items like oil paintings and statues.



Simple lighting plan for an interior design project

Without a good concept plan, the lighting of an interior can be ineffective. For instance, the use of excessive interior lights (or insufficient lighting) can distort or even destroy the ambience of a room and make nonsense of the creative works of an interior designer.

The wrong kind of interior lighting choice and/or placement can ruin a room's theme at the flick of the switch at nightfall.



Lighting - An Important Part of Interior Design


Lighting is the most practical, exciting and mysterious of all design mediums. It is exciting because of its ability to transform everything; any interior space and any physical object it illuminates.

It is a mysterious medium because light rays are invisible to the naked eye until they touch an object, practical because of its value to our lives, and exciting because of the aesthetics value it provides if utilised effectively.

Light not only possesses the absolute power to show, enhance and display objects and things to human view, but it is also virtually impossible to evaluate any visual effect without the presence of lights.

The long and short of it is that lighting is an important element of interior design. 

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