Balcony Make Over: From Bland Brick Wall to Balcony Oasis

I see so many balconies with so much potential, especially those with brick walls. If you are anything like me the thought of drilling into a brick gives you the heebee jeeves. I have heard horror stories of cracking or damaged bricks and saying goodbye to rental bonds. Before I discovered Brick Grip, I would spend hours looking at my balcony brick wall frustrated I couldn’t do something with the space. Now I see nothing but potential and I have transformed my balcony from a bland brick wall to my inner-city sanctuary.

When considering a balcony makeover, the brick wall is the ideal place to start. Vertical hanging ideas are great to help dress up the balcony but without taking up valuable balcony space.

Green it up:

Create an “in the garden feel” with greenery and plants. Add some herbs to make it smell as good as it looks. Cluttered balconies can make the space feel much smaller, so getting plants off the ground and hanging from the wall will help give the balcony a green thumb makeover while still maximising the space. The Brick Grip Plant Hanger or the All-Purpose Brick Hanger are both ideal for securing hanging plants to the brick wall. The Brick Hooks can also be used for a hanging vertical garden, attach some Hoyas on a trellis with the Brick Hooks to one wall for an instant urban wall oasis. Simply choose the right plant for the light conditions, find a few beautiful hanging pots (I really like the macramé trend at the moment), get the right Brick Grip product, secure them to the wall and sit back to enjoy the serenity.

Light it up:

Bring ambience and romance to your balcony at night by stringing up some lights and candles. Using a few Brick Hooks, you can easily hang rows of fairy lights, festoon lights or even lanterns. You will simply need to place a few hooks on the wall and then just drape the lights from the hooks. The balcony should provide enough sun for solar powered lights, so you don’t need to worry about electricity. Secure a couple of hanging candle holders with tea light candles from the All-Purpose Brick Hangers as well to create a magical hideaway.

Decorate it up:

Introduce some hanging decorations or small hanging shelves if you want to bring vibrancy and colour to the walls but you don’t have a green thumb. Some water-resistant art can also help achieve this. Consider extending the style and the colour scheme from your lounge room walls to the balcony walls to create an extended, harmonious space. The decoration doesn’t need to stop with the wall. The floor can be used to enhance the makeover. Get an outdoor rug with stripe patterns or the right design with colour that can also help make the space appear larger than it is.

Time for comfort:

There is no point going to the effort of decorating the space without making it comfortable. I like an outdoor lounge and small coffee table in the corner as an alternate to a table and chairs. Ikea have some great cost-effective options. Not only is this comfortable for enjoying a glass of wine or a cup of tea with a friend or partner but it is also great for when you want to kick back with a book after a hard day at work. Don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit by adding different patterns and textures, this could be a vintage table or even some fun and bright cushions on the lounge for a pop of colour.

Although my balcony is somewhat small, I am still confident entertaining friends on my new look balcony knowing that the plant, candles and lights are all safely secured to the wall. The Brick Grip product design is engineered with an active double locking mechanism, which means they secure by gripping the brick. They are also easy to install in three simple steps, require no tools and are easy to remove if you are renting.