Take advantage of great weather and views from your balcony by turning it into your work from home space. This is a great way to make sure that you get some fresh air and sunshine throughout your day. You’ll also be able to reserve space inside of your home for other purposes. Here are a few tips to get you started making your balcony the perfect home office.

Sun Shelter

Once you’ve been outside for a little while, the sun might start to impact you. It can get hot, uncomfortable, and cast glare onto your computer screen. You may want to protect yourself from direct sun. There are a few ways to do it. Some people will enclose their balcony space with walls. If you do this, you can also add air conditioning. For others, enclosing the balcony is too complex or defeats the whole purpose of working outside. If that’s you, you can use a umbrella, large plants, or a sunshade to protect yourself and the screen.

Desk Orientation

Which way should you face? You could consider setting up your desk so that you’re facing away from your apartment, or facing either side, assuming you have enough room to sit on the left or right. Which should you choose? Here are some things to consider:

  • Video: Generally, when you are on video, you want the light to be in your face. If you have a south-facing balcony you would then want to face straight out.
  • Distraction: If the view is too distracting, you might not get much done. You can face left or right so that it is a little harder to get distracted by the view.
  • Confidentiality: Those whose work shouldn’t be seen by other people need to be careful about the orientation of their desk. You likely want to face straight out, so that only the people in your apartment can see your screen.

Shelving or Storage

Some people can get by working with just their laptop, but others need to store some supplies or materials nearby. If you do, then you need to consider your storage options carefully. It will rain on your balcony eventually, so you either need to keep your materials in water-proof containers and shelving or you need to only store things that won’t be damaged by the rain.

Also, consider that it might be easier for people to steal from your balcony than from inside of your apartment, especially if you’re on a low floor. It may not be a good idea to keep confidential or highly valuable items outside.

Theme and Accessories

After you’ve considered all of the practicalities, all that is left to do is decorate. We suggest that you choose a theme for your balcony, to inform all of your décor choices. For balcony workspaces, themes that make use of greenery and are relaxing are often great choices. Examples include:

  • Beach: Make it look like a beach vacation with umbrellas, palm trees, and lots of soft cushions.
  • Oceanside: A more sophisticated style, oceanside makes use of high modern accessories. Colorare neutral and blues.

Tropical: This is the right theme if you want an excuse to cover your balcony in lush plants and choose intense colors.