I live in Washington, DC. How can I make a small balcony with seating
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ut the plants on the railing or create a vertical garden. Then you will have room for seating.
Attach window boxes on the railing with braces, or use planters at the bottom and the railing for climbing plants.
Okay, a vertical garden or getting a way to put your plants on the railing will free up floor space. What about brightening up the space by painting the rug? Just an idea. Another idea for seating would be to construct stools from oversize pots with circles of wood covered with outdoor fabric and batting- you could staple it into the underside of the wood circle, which would then be hidden when used as a seat- and then it would be no-sew. I have also seen patio tables made that way using bigger circles of glass and then the top of the pot is fashioned with a terra cotta saucer filled with decorative items that you wouldn't mind seeing. You do not have to fill the pot full, part with packing peanuts and the other part with rocks to give it some stability, without too much weight. Then, there have been plenty of posts on here on how to make a bench using three wood crates from Walmart and then some lumber and some casters so you can move the seating as you might need. Have fun!
You can use wire or heavy string with climbing plants to offer privacy and color even up and over the railing. Think morning glories, sweet pea, clematis... attach clear mason jars to the railing (you can see through glass which adds an illusion of space) and you can root ivy and philadendrons in the water in the jars. If you put long, narrow boxes atop the railing, you can lean towards hanging herbs, like rosemary and thyme. The scent is great!
One of the best ideas I've seen was presented here on Hometalk by "Engineer Your Space". It appears she did the entire space herself which offers, comfortable seating, storage, plants, privacy and a small eating area. Check it out.
http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/benches/diy-outdoor-storage-bench-7098355?se=fol_new-20150215&date=20150215
Okay, truth be told...I have never painted a rug before either. But, there is a lot of great information on this website and I bet Pinterest has some cool ideas too. Generally, I think you could either paint it one color and then stencil a tile or other pattern on it. Or, I think I have seen random color-blocking using painter's tape to ensure crisp lines. I am thinking of attempting to paint my walkway and front porch, plus I have some basement cement floor that I plan to try to paint and then use a stencil to make it look like tile. I will post pictures, if I am successful. Have fun on you Lanai this summer. Hope it helps.