Enjoy a 'Jolie' good view from your own balcony
Angelina Jolie was recently spotted showing her 20 month old daughter the spectacular views of Venice from her balcony where she is currently filming her latest movie.
Here on Merseyside there are spectacular views to be enjoyed from your home whether it is our world famous river front, beautiful parks, outstanding golf courses or our stunning coast. Making the most of it can not only add value to your home, but also bring a new dimension to any room allowing you to feel closer to surroundings our region has to offer.
Balconies have a romantic association made famous by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Most of us have experienced sitting in the warm sun whilst on holiday, enjoying a relaxing afternoon on a balcony, yet this common-place European feature is not our first thought when it comes to changing our homes.
When you think of getting work done on your home a new kitchen, bathroom or additional bedroom is probably at the forefront of your mind. However, adding a balcony can set your home apart from the rest.
Local interior designer Suzanne Roberts from Jia Interior Design spent ten years in Holland and has seen first hand how a balcony can transform a home.
“Enjoying your home's surroundings, particularly if you have spectacular views, can add a whole new dimension to how you enjoy your property,” said Suzanne.
“Balcony living is more common-place in mainland Europe, but why shouldn't we live the dream of stepping out on a warm summer's morning enjoying a relaxing cup of coffee and reading the paper from a balcony? Or if you work from home, why sit in a stuffy office when you park your laptop on a table outside and not feel excluded from the nice weather? Or perhaps you can enjoy a few drinks with friends or even a romantic meal.”
Suzanne continued, “A balcony has practical uses too. If you don't have a garden, or live in a high rise apartment you can turn your balcony into a garden feature.”
A view that inspired Isabella Palmer to set up her own dedicated website to getting the most from your balcony garden as she said “Your own outdoor space, whatever size, should be a special place. I set up The Balcony Gardener because of my own experiences - I wanted to make the most of my small balcony and create a space where I could look, sit, relax and grow my own little bit of green in the city.”
What are the best options for creating this unique space in your home? Stan Turner from Inside Out Balconies says, “You can go for the simple Juliet style balcony which is effectively a rail in front of your window, but this doesn't really provide the full balcony experience.
“Alternatively, you can have a balcony added to the outside of your home which is very expensive and requires planning permission.
“Or you can make use of the existing space in your home and effectively build a balcony into a room, which provides a secluded balcony space at less cost and doesn't require planning permission in most cases.
Stan continued, “You don't actually need a big room to make full use of the balcony space. Any modest sized room can take advantage of this al fresco lifestyle and the simplicity of this approach is that there is minimum disruption and you can be sitting outside and enjoying the views in a matter of days.”
To find out more about adding an internal balcony to you home you can call Inside Out Balcony on 0845 054 2469 or email info@balconywirral.co.uk.
