getting your balcony ready for the sunny season
Transforming a small balcony into a cozy and inviting space for the spring season is an enjoyable project that doesn't require much effort. Here are some simple yet effective tips to make your balcony look great:
Beautiful and inviting balcony in Amsterdam.
Clean and Declutter: Start by giving your balcony a thorough clean-up. Sweep away debris, wipe down surfaces, and remove any unnecessary clutter. A tidy space provides a fresh canvas for your design ideas.
Add Greenery: Incorporate plants to bring life and freshness to your balcony. Consider hanging pots, railing planters, or vertical gardens to maximize space. Choose a variety of flowers and foliage for a vibrant and colorful display.
Comfortable Seating: Invest in comfortable seating options such as foldable chairs, cushions, or a small bench. Opt for weather-resistant furniture that can withstand outdoor elements. Arrange the seating to create a cozy corner for relaxation and enjoyment.
Brighten with Lighting: Enhance the ambiance of your balcony with strategic lighting. String lights, lanterns, or solar-powered lamps can add a warm and inviting glow, perfect for evening gatherings or quiet moments outdoors.
Add Textiles: Introduce textiles like outdoor rugs, throw pillows, and blankets to add texture and comfort to your balcony. Choose fabrics in cheerful patterns or pastel hues to evoke the spirit of spring.
Incorporate Decorative Accents: Personalize your balcony with decorative accents that reflect your style and personality. Hang artwork, place decorative pots, or add a small table with accessories like candles or vases.
Embrace Natural Elements: Incorporate natural elements such as wooden furniture, stone accents, or a small water feature to enhance the connection with the outdoors and create a tranquil environment.
Regular Maintenance: Keep your balcony looking great throughout the spring season by regularly watering plants, cleaning surfaces, and maintaining furniture. With a little upkeep, your balcony will remain a delightful retreat for enjoying the beauty of spring.
By following these tips, you can transform your small balcony into a charming oasis where you can relax, entertain, and appreciate the beauty of the spring season.
Small balcony in the heart of Amsterdam. After I worked my magic on a budget.
That other type of faucet
Whenever we look up bathroom design online, most beautiful bathrooms come with a self-standing bathtub. For this type of tub, there are many trendy faucets on the market, the ones built in the adjacent wall or the “jewel” of all bathrooms, the freestanding tub faucet. A recurring question I get from people is how to pair a built-in bathtub with a practical but good-looking bathtub faucet that would also meet all the practical requirements. In this case, the best solution is a Roman Tub Faucet (“badrandkraan gats” in Dutch)
It’s not just esthetically pleasing, it comes with some practical benefits as:
It doesn’t take too much space on the outside.
It can be built in the bathtub itself or on a tiled horizontal surface.
There is no shower hose (douche slang) disturbing anyone’s peaceful moment of soaking that stressful day off. Everything is neatly tucked away until it’s needed.
The tiny sink mystery
It all begins with an idea.
There is no mystery around kitchen sinks, don't get me wrong. They have been around for a pretty long time. Nowadays there is such a big variety of sinks that it's hard to imagine that there is something in the kitchen sink world that hasn't been invented yet. They come in different materials, shapes, colors, and last but not least sizes. And when we are talking about sinks, size does make a big difference.
The most standard size for an under-sink cabinet is 600mm wide. Not in all cases, some very small kitchens might need to go for a 400mm, but this hardly ever happens. So the logical option would be to pair a 600mm under-sink cabinet with a 600mm sink (actual size 550mm-570mm). A 600mm is a standard size in furniture, appliances, and other house elements, including a standard oven, a standard fridge... So Yes! everything that fits into a fridge or oven, would also fit into a 600mm sink. No more splashing the entire kitchen when washing an oven tray or washing the fridge's fruit and veggie basket in your bathtub.
So imagine my surprise when I keep seeing new, modern kitchens with a 450mm sink in the same cabinet that would fit a 600mm... The first thing I check when working on a new kitchen is if I can fit a serious sink. And if so then one's life is about to change forever.
I guess the mysterious part of a tiny sink is not about the sink at all. The real mystery is why do people keep choosing it.
