World of Design: 11 Balconies Straight Out of a Postcard

One in a series from Houzz international editors on how our lives shape home design around the world

A beautiful balcony adds a lot of personality to a home. Not only does it expand the living area, it enhances the lives of the people lucky enough to have this outdoor space. It’s the perfect place for spending time with family and friends, relaxing and contemplating the landscape, or just reading a favorite book while enjoying the air. Let’s take a look at some amazing balconies from 11 countries — and at what gives the owners so much pleasure when they’re out on the terrace.

1. Above the Boulevard in Paris

Location: Paris, France
Who lives here: A family
The view: Beautiful rooftops

This terrace looks out over the Haussmannian architecture so typical of Paris. The homeowners’ 16th-century building sits on Rue Rambuteau, a street that connects two famous areas of the French capital: Les Halles, in the 1st arrondissement, and Le Marais, in the 4th.

The terrace, which is oriented to the southeast, was renovated by landscape studio Terrasses des Oliviers, which installed the large pots for privacy. The balcony is made of Brazilian ipe wood and provides 129 square feet (12 square meters) of city sanctuary.

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2. Gazing Out to Sea in Cornwall

Location: Polzeath, Cornwall, England
Who lives here: A family of 4
The view: Dramatic British coastline

The homeowners wanted their newly built house to make the most of the incredible views of the Cornish coast, so architect Rob Grieve of The Bazeley Partnership designed a home that has most of its windows facing out to sea.

The balcony is perfectly situated to take in the dramatic scenery, and it was placed away from the main road for privacy. It can be accessed either by a winding staircase from a ground-floor deck or from the master bedroom suite. Glass lights set into the balcony floor allow for evening enjoyment too, providing a soft wash of light as the sun sets over the water.

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3. Views of Sydney’s Harbor Bridge

Location: Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia
Who lives here: A couple in their 60s
The view: A city’s iconic span

“The clients wanted a relaxed feel but not a beach one,” says Marylou Sobel of Marylou Sobel Interior Design, who found inspiration for this outdoor space from the view beyond. “I selected the outdoor furniture because it reminded me of the branches from the surrounding trees. The colors came from the exterior too — blue, green and mustard tones,” she says.

A key challenge for Sobel was ensuring that the fantastic view of the harbor was unimpeded despite the awkwardly shaped balcony. She chose a dining table with bench seating instead of chairs so as not to visually clutter the space and tucked a small table for two up against the window, where the homeowners can enjoy watching Sydney’s breathtaking fireworks over the bridge on New Year’s Eve.

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4. Reading and Contemplating in Japan

Location: Kochi prefecture, southern coast of Shikoku island, Japan
Who lives here: A retired couple
The view: Pacific Ocean splendor

The retired couple who live in this house created by Kiriko Design Office like to spend as much time as they can out on the terrace. The man loves to read here, but he especially enjoys spending the evenings watching the stunning sunsets over the Pacific. The house was built on a hill because the owners wanted to take advantage of this superb view.

In Kochi prefecture, where the climate is mild, the boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces is often blurred, and this couple’s balcony extends to their library inside, with its collection of 10,000-plus books and CDs. It has movable wooden slat doors to create a semi-outdoor space where the surroundings can be experienced up close.

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5. Polished Oasis in Spain

Location: Murcia, Spain
Who lives here: Newlyweds in their 30s
The view: Toward the bell tower of a 14th-century cathedral

The young homeowners wanted a full renovation of their 1,400-square-foot (130-square-meter) penthouse in Murcia, in southeastern Spain, and the result provides a fantastic view of the city’s red roofs, narrow streets and historic buildings. The balcony seen above isn’t the only spot they can enjoy it from — one level up is a terrace, seen below, that offers a 360-degree panorama of the city and the bell tower of the Cathedral of Murcia.

Clavel Arquitectos designed the penthouse interior around a large central area that comprises the living and dining spaces. The white resin floors inside continue out onto the 538-square-foot (50-square-meter) balcony, virtually erasing the line between indoors and out.

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6. Watching the Stars in Moscow

Location: Moscow, Russia
Who lives here: A couple in their mid-30s and their 2 daughters
The view: Night sky in the city center

This 915-square-foot (85-square-meter) apartment was purchased mainly for its beautiful views of Neskuchny Garden. The green space, public since the 18th century, is filled with hundred-year-old maples and is a popular walking spot for families. The homeowners’ 97-square-foot (9-square-meter) terrace once enjoyed beautiful leafy views, but that changed when the city cut down some of the trees near their apartment.

“It was painful. We cried about their loss with the owners,” says designer Irina Krasheninnikova. A few small pine trees were planted as compensation and the owners decided to buy a telescope. Now they enjoy stargazing instead.

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7. Killer View of Copenhagen

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Who lives here: A couple
The view: Historic capital

This apartment, located between the parliament buildings and Tivoli Gardens, enjoys splendid views of the old rooftops, churches and spires of Copenhagen. The home was redesigned by the architectural firm B19 with a focus on combining the original features of the building with modern touches. The firm was able to create a large balcony that has arguably the best view in the city.

The Danish Architects Association described the home as having been redone “with great respect for its originality. It adapts to the surroundings, and the balance between old and new is found.” In fact, the project was named “Best Renovation in Copenhagen” by the group in 2014.

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8. Water and Sun in Stockholm

Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Who lives here: A photographer and his family
The view: A sparkling bay

This 151-square-foot (14-square-meter) balcony faces south, meaning it soaks up as much sunshine as it can in a city that’s shrouded in darkness in winter. The sun-kissed location makes it the perfect place for the family to enjoy long summer dinners. They love the amazing views of the Essingefjärden bay that spreads out below.

This is one of the many stretches of water that cut through the islands that make up Stockholm. If you walk across the road below, you hit cliffs that offer some of the best swimming spots in the city — even in winter!

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9. Escape From Hectic Berlin

Location: Berlin, Germany
Who lives here: A couple, their two sons and their cat
The view: A peaceful pocket of nature

The way up to this terrace is long — the balcony sits at the top of a four-story townhouse — but the view is worth the climb. Right in the middle of bustling Berlin, the family enjoys views of the quiet Rummelsburger Bucht, a bay on the Spree River near the Kreuzberg district. A view like this is hard to come by in such a big city.

The 2,153-square-foot (200-square-meter) home is part of the so-called Artists Village, a row of townhouses built nine years ago, when the area was less appreciated than it is nowadays. The homeowners, a photographer and a bookseller, were able to influence the layout of the building; the photographer now also has a bright studio in the townhouse.

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10. Connected to the Pulse of Naples

Location: Naples, Italy
Who lives here: A family that includes a child and dog
The view: 24/7 city life

One of best things about this space on the Piazza Sannazzaro is that the owners can feel the lively day-and-night life of Naples. From here they can hear the voices of all the late-night diners eating pizza and fresh mussels on the square and at the harbor of Mergellina. They also enjoy views to the beautiful 19th-century Sannazzaro mermaid fountain.

Their 1918 building, a former hotel, has been completely renovated by Studio VeneziaTre Arch Ass. The interior of the 2,260-square-foot (210-square-meter) flat reflects the owners’ passion for travel and for collecting objects from around the world.

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11. Cascade View of California’s Big Sur

Location: Big Sur, California
Who lives here: A family of 4
The view: Breathtakingly rugged coast

This balcony hangs 250 feet above a bluff, with glass walls that practically disappear to allow for views of Big Sur, a dramatic and rugged region that stretches about 90 miles along the Central California coast.
The home, designed by renowned architect Anne Fougeron, is situated on a steep grade, a challenge that Fougeron embraced.

“I had this idea of having the house cascade down the hill to take advantage of the view as much as possible,” she says. “Sometimes modern homes look like they’ve landed on the site out of nowhere. We wanted to make the home indistinguishable from the site, totally embedded and following the contours.”

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URL: World of Design: 11 Balconies Straight Out of a Postcard http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-26682.html