Design elements

Mirror wall feature

This has a duel purpose – the mirror makes the balcony area appear larger, while the ply backing board hides an unsightly brick wall and downpipe. The backing board was cut to size and painted purple (Weathershield low sheen ‘Hot House Orchid’ from Dulux). It was screwed into the mortar, to avoid damaging the bricks. The mirror was attached to the backing board with non-acidic silicon glue and double-sided tape. A timber frame with mitred joints was then nailed around the mirror. (Tip: cut the mitre joints with a mitre box, or use a mitred edge saw.) The frame was painted green (Weathershield low sheen ‘Kiwi Fruit’).

Benches

Scott attached lockable castors to two aluminium tread plate tool boxes, which were placed on the balcony to provide storage, bench seating and seats for the outdoor dining table. Foam was cut to size to fit the top of each tool box, then covered in fabric. Rapee Cushions in ‘natural’ and ‘citrus’ colours were added as a finishing touch.

Plants

Don planted two purple-flowering bougainvilleas (Bougainvillea ‘Purple Cascade’) in square pots with wire pyramid frames. The pots were painted with a primer (Dulux Weathershield acrylic primer), left to dry and then painted a mauvy purple colour (Weathershield low sheen ‘Hot House Orchid’) to match the bougainvilleas. A clear sealing agent (Thompson’s Water Seal) was applied to the inside of the pots, to prevent too much water soaking into the terracotta and causing the paint to peel off. (Tip: a few large, spectacular plants look less cluttered than lots of plants in smaller pots.)

Accessories

A solid dining table, chairs and barbecue are all desirable items to have on a balcony for outdoor entertaining. However, they take up a lot of space whilst not often being used. The solution is to use innovative collapsible furniture, such as the dining table in our makeover. When folded up the table can be stored in one of the benches, yet when erected it is large enough to seat six people. We also used a handy, stainless steel barbecue, which is perfect for small balconies because it can be folded up and stored away.

Tell us about your balcony makeover

If you’ve done a balcony makeover that you think is fantastic and innovative, Don would love to hear from you. Send your letter and photos to:

Burke’s Backyard
PO Box 929
Willoughby 2068

Note: please do not send original photos (unless you have copies), as photos sometimes go astray. Don’t forget to send a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you’d like your photos returned

Further information

Dulux Weathershield acrylic primer ‘Neutral Cure’ costs approx. $30 per litre; Weathershield low sheen ‘Kiwi Fruit’ and ‘Hot House Orchid’ both cost about $30 per litre. Aluminium tread plate tool boxes, $500 each, available at MW Sheet Metal. Website: www.toolbox4u.com.au Heavy duty 50mm grey swivel brake castors, $16 each from hardware stores. ‘Rapee Cushions’ cost $16.50 (43cm) and $36.30 (66cm). Phone 1300 301 013 for stockists. 700mm x 1000mm mirror cost $87. Mitred edge saws are available at hardware stores. Bougainvillea ‘Purple Cascade’ costs $15-$20 for 200mm (8") pots. Jackeroo folding table cost $69 from K-Mart. Stainless steel, portable barbecue cost $149, from Room Interior Products. Phone (03) 9428 3344 for your closest stockist. Foam seating and cover, phone Foambooth on (02) 9319 0594. 

Copyright CTC Productions 2003