How to make shelves on the balcony with your own hands

For most of the population, the balcony has long ceased to be compared with an undeveloped area, littered with various old utensils and unnecessary things.

For many, this is now a place where you can relax, have a cup of coffee, read a newspaper or watch the latest news on TV.

Many have a coffee table, soft chairs, various wardrobes, as well as racks on the balcony.

It is the convenient shelves on the balcony that make it possible to maintain the necessary cleanliness and keep everything in a certain order.

Many owners of living space with balconies widely practice the installation of various (photo) shelves on the balcony on their own.

You can certainly purchase a cabinet in any furniture salon, but it is more pleasant to make beautiful shelves on the balcony yourself, make them of the desired shape and color, setting where you think is necessary.

It is worth remembering that this option will help to significantly reduce the costs of your money. And most importantly, beautiful shelves on the wall of the balcony, mounted by yourself, are perfectly combined with the environment.

If you finally decide that it is better to make furniture on your own, it remains to think about how to make a shelf on the balcony?

To implement your plan, you need to carefully study all kinds of designs of cabinets and shelves mounted on balconies and loggias.

The device of shelves for a balcony or a loggia

It should be noted that the device of the cabinets for the balcony is the most common, not distinguished by aesthetics, because of which they are very simple to manufacture, if you wish, they can be easily made by yourself.

Good ideas can be borrowed from the Internet, they will help you develop your own original design, when the shelves of cabinets on the balcony will have an attractive look.

Starting to build shelves, you need to clearly understand how you place them, as well as to think about what will be in them. And only after thinking about these issues, proceed with the design of the shelves.

It is this formulation of the solution to the issue that will allow products to take up not so much space. We also note that the shelves are of various types, and each of them can be used for its intended purpose.

It should be noted that for the manufacture of ordinary shelves, an exclusive type of furniture, they must be beautifully decorated with all kinds of decor and decorations.

You also need to remember that regardless of the choice of products, they must be used according to their intended purpose.

Installation of shelves on the balcony

It is advisable not to mount open shelves, if the property that is stored here does not tolerate ultraviolet rays, or objects folded here, with their appearance, spoil the interior, then it is best to use the corner shelves on the balcony, which are closed outside.

If your balcony or loggia are long, you must install the shelves vertically in height.

The upper and lower shelves should be closed, thus protecting the property stored there from dust.

Shelves located in the middle can be left open or covered with glass; it is best to store beautiful dishes or accessories in them.

For external aesthetics, you can hang flower shelves on the balcony, decorating the room with beautiful flowers.

What is the best choice of cabinets?

Shelves and various racks, together with cabinets, if they do not fit into the interior, will certainly spoil the design of the balcony. Therefore, it is necessary with all responsibility to choose furniture for the balcony.

Let's consider some rules!

Shelves will be able to support the weight of all kinds of things in them, only if they are securely fixed with the help of fasteners.

It is necessary to use only such raw materials, for shelves, which will be suitable for certain conditions. For example, if the balcony is not glazed, it is better not to install furniture made of plywood or chipboard on it, because due to changes in temperature and humidity it will become soaked and destroyed.

The interior should be combined with the overall decoration of the balcony. If you combined a living room with a loggia, you need to select all the furniture that combines with each other.

Fulfilling the strict rules of the selection of the interior on your balcony, it is possible to place furniture that can satisfy your taste.

By way of fastening

Removable. They must be able to withstand constant outweighing, so they should be made of durable material, such as solid wood, metal, or durable glass.

In appearance

Corner shelves on the balcony are very compact and ergonomic, save space. They are attached by brackets to two walls that are adjacent.
Direct - without unnecessary curly and artistic elements.
Curly - will become an original and unique component of your balcony.
Open. Set as decorative. Therefore, if you are going to store objects on the balcony that can easily spoil the appearance of the room, it is not recommended to install this type of shelves.
Closed. Designed to store items that you do not use every day, or that do not look aesthetically pleasing.
With backlight. designed for additional lighting of your balcony, if your balcony is on the shady side.
Mirror shelves. Visually increase the space of your balcony in case it is small in size.
Combined shelves. The most convenient and practical option for your balcony, because you can combine different types of shelves in it, both for convenience and spaciousness, and for aesthetics.

Photo gallery

By appointment

Bookshelves are designed to store books, if you are tired of a lot of books in the room, you can easily put them on the balcony.

In addition, this is a good plus if you use a balcony as a place to relax.

Just need to take into account the fact that this type of shelves must be strong enough to support the weight.

Wooden the shelves on the balcony look very aesthetically pleasing and noble, but they need to be covered with special protective varnishes to prevent moisture from entering the material. The coating will be able to keep the shelf unchanged for a long time.
Metal shelves are characterized by practicality, strength and durability.
Shelves plastic on the balcony. Plastic - is a popular material that is used to create shelves. It has a presentable appearance, has high strength and resistance to wear, and this material also bends perfectly, so this property allows you to create very interesting-looking pieces of furniture for the balcony.
Glass shelves visually almost do not take up much space, have high strength, create a feeling of lightness. And the only drawback of glass shelves is the difficulty in fastening.
From combined materials - the combination of several types of materials, shelves made of wood, and the doors can be made of glass.

The material for the manufacture of shelves must be selected carefully, depending on the characteristics of your balcony. For a non-glazed balcony, it is better to choose durable and strong materials that can withstand temperature extremes and high humidity.

Ideas of shelves on the balcony

Based on your imagination, you can realize the idea of your own unique and unique shelf for your balcony. You can choose from the simplest to the most original, if you select curly shelves. But in this case, it is also worth considering the size of your balcony.

The general functionality and practicality of this piece of furniture depends on the type of installation you choose and the material for the shelf.

Shelves for a balcony should fit into the overall interior and design of the balcony.

If the area of your balcony is small, then corner shelves are a great option. Although they will not be so roomy, they will help to save space on the balcony.

Another option is to install combined shelves on the balcony. Some of them can be closed with doors, and some can be opened.

And thus, things that you would like to hide as far as possible, or those that you rarely use, can be hidden on a shelf with doors. On open shelves you can place flower pots, or some other decorative elements.

Blueprints

Initially, you should think about the purpose of the cabinet and, based on this, you can already draw up projects, draw drawings, calculate the amount of required material for the shelf.

When choosing a shelf, you can make the drawings yourself, to your taste, turn on your imagination and thus invent your own unique and original shelf. You can rely on experienced craftsmen to help you decide on the right shelf.

Below we provide you with several drawings for the shelves on the balcony:

Do-it-yourself shelving

There are many options for the installation of shelves on the balcony, but each of these options provides its own way of fixing the shelves.

Until the moment you start installing the shelf, it is very important to think ahead of time the shape of the shelf, directly its purpose.

If you plan to place heavy objects on them, then the mount should be such that it can support all the weight.
Shelves, designed for heavy objects, must be mounted on anchor bolts and corners for the frame, made of metal.
If the shelf is small, then we recommend fixing it on hinges that will be held on the wall of the balcony through the use of dowels, or various self-tapping screws.

Installation work takes place in several stages. More intuitive instructions will be presented below. But first, it’s worthwhile to make out what is necessary when performing work of this type.

List of required tools:

Drill with drills
Puncher for making holes in the wall,
Level,
Spanners,
Nuts
Jigsaw,
Screwdriver.

Work order for hanging shelves:

We take a sheet of plywood, or fiberboard and cut a shelf of the right size.
To strengthen the strength and stability of the material you have chosen, metal pipes can be fixed at the ends of the plate.
Mark the holes for the studs along the edges of the shelf. It is necessary to take into account the fact that under the shelter of the whole load the material of the shelf can crumble, therefore it is advisable to drill holes in 6-8 cm. from the edges of the plate.
After you have drilled holes in the plates, you need to put the shelf on the ceiling and use the pencil or pen to transfer the location of the holes to the ceiling.

Video

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Material selection for shelves

In order for a balcony to become not only practical, but also a beautiful part of an apartment or house, you need to carefully consider the choice of materials for decoration and creating shelves.

There are several recommendations:

The material and design of shelves and cabinets should be appropriate to the design of the balcony - this will give style and comfort to the room,
Strength and rigidity is one of the main characteristics for balcony shelves,
For open balconies, only waterproof materials should be chosen, the appearance of which does not suffer due to various weather conditions,
In the case of the arrangement of residential balconies, it is better to opt for eco-friendly options,
It is necessary to take into account the load on the floors - too heavy shelves for the balcony will not work.

The search for suitable options should begin already at the stage of the balcony repair project, since in many cases the shelves and drawers are mounted simultaneously with the interior decoration.

The most popular material options for the degree of installation complexity:

tree,
plastic,
metal,

Such racks are sold in hardware stores.

glass.

In addition, there are many improvised materials (pipes, materials left after repairs, parts of old furniture) and life hacks with old things and interior items, with which you can organize storage space.

It should also be noted that for good tolerance of weather conditions, wood and metal must be treated (impregnation, paint, etc.), depending on the degree of isolation of the balcony.

Varieties of shelves and cabinets for balconies

Depending on the selected materials and the placement of the shelves can be of very different designs. The most practical options:

Shelves at the side of the balcony across the entire width - they will not take up much space, while leaving a wide passage,
Shelving - depending on the size of the room, they can be placed both on the side walls and on the wall adjacent to the room,
Built-in Lockers - differ in harmony in the interior and the ability to hide the contents of shelves behind a door or curtain,
Niche Shelves - A very stylish and convenient option for placing decorative elements or indoor plants. But such shelves are suitable only for spacious balconies or loggias,
Hinged shelves - various variations of the hinged shelves are the easiest way to organize places for storing objects and things, while unusual materials will help create a stylish interior design for the balcony,
Corner shelves - more suitable for placing decorative elements, flower pots or books, an option that does not take up much space and fits easily into any interior.

In addition to the above designs and their variations, you can come up with your own original ideas for shelves for the balcony. It can be drawers from an old chest of drawers or a closet, flower pots or fruit boxes.

We choose shelves for a balcony or a loggia

To begin with, all the shelves for the balcony are divided into open and closed. By the method of fastening, these designs are:

suspended
folding,
removable
outdoor
fixed.

However, the owners of the apartment should pay the closest attention to the appearance of the structure, unless of course they want to make maximum use of the interior space and make the design of the balcony or loggia unique:

Corner option. Models of this type are more suitable for spacious loggias. Capacious storage stands are attached by brackets to the adjacent walls, freeing up a rest area for the whole family. However, corner balconies would be acceptable on balconies. We are talking about small mounted models on which you can store books or put a small flower garden.
Shelves in the form of shelving. Such furniture will be appropriate to look on the balcony and loggia. A simple structure consisting of a vertical frame and horizontal surfaces is mounted along one of the side balcony walls. Most often, apartment owners use racks for storing things, homework or growing plants (details in the article: “Balcony flowers“). The number of levels in this case depends only on the ceiling height, as well as the preferences of the homeowners.
The rack does not have to rest against the ceiling. After all, there are original models in the form of a bench for relaxation with an impressive department for storing things below. Such structures are usually installed around the perimeter of the balcony, with the exception of the outside.
Open shelves on the balcony are a suitable storage for homemade items in the winter, as well as warm items in the summer. These lightweight constructions will look appropriate even on balconies or loggias without glazing.
Built-in models are primarily suitable for loggias with niches, in the depths of which are able to accommodate several shelving racks. Often these designs are made open. However, a closed version with hinged doors, blinds, a sliding mechanism or with a regular curtain made of thick fabric looks preferable.
Hinged shelves look appropriate on the balcony and loggia. This simple storage furniture is attached to the wall with a pair of brackets that can be turned into additional decorative ornaments (forging, wood carving, etc.).
Built-in lockers are ideal for spacious balconies and loggias. Such models are usually located in the side openings on the frame and are closed using sliding or sliding doors, as well as thick curtains or bamboo curtains. As a result, apartment owners receive an additional closet for storing things. Remaking this design for storing things is not difficult. We just pull out several shelves from the middle part of the cabinet to install the crossbar for the shoulders in their place. (More in the article: “Wardrobe on the balcony“)
Hanging models. One of the most original ways to decorate a balcony or loggia. Structures of this type consist of several vertical surfaces interconnected by ropes with nodes fixed to the ceiling. This model is suitable for placing flower pots.
Outdoor option. Shelves of this type, when installed on a balcony or loggia, can become an adornment of an apartment if homeowners attach a little fiction. For example, as a basis for such a design, you can use a stepladder or wooden packaging from a store.

What materials do shelves for balconies and loggias make

Design selected. It's time to choose the material from which the shelves for the loggia or balcony will be made. It is worth noting that the owners of apartments, as a rule, start the arrangement of a balcony or loggia last, trying to use the materials that remained from the repair of other rooms.

However, experts warn that not all "residues" are able to withstand operation in an open or poorly insulated room. Therefore, when choosing the material that goes to the shelves, cabinets and racks on the balcony, you need to approach responsibly:

The easiest way to make shelves on the balcony is from cheap chipboard. However, this building material can only be used if the board has a protection in the form of a laminated coating. At the same time, the presence of a protective film does not differ in the special strength of particle boards. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen long shelves made of chipboard with additional supports to prevent them from breaking.
Raw wood shelves are suitable only for use in an insulated room (For more details, see “Balcony insulation”). In all other cases, wooden structures on the balcony should be protected from the negative effects of drying oil or varnish.
Recently, glass is gaining popularity, which is not afraid of temperature extremes, as well as high humidity. However, for the manufacture of balcony shelves, only high-strength tempered glass can be used, which is highly resistant to external mechanical influences.
Metal structures are resistant to any kind of impact. Therefore, this material is widely used in the manufacture of shelves for loggias and balconies. At the same time, racks are best made of aluminum, and frames, forged structures and brackets are made of steel.
Quite often, balcony shelves are made of plastic, which easily withstands natural disasters, but does not differ in increased strength properties. However, over time, plastic becomes brittle. In addition, this material emits hazardous substances during combustion, which significantly limits its popularity.
Massive drywall constructions take up a lot of space. Therefore, their use, as a rule, is limited to spacious loggias.

It turns out that each of these materials has its advantages with disadvantages. Therefore, when independently arranging the internal space of balconies or loggias, it is better to use a combination of them.

The main thing in this matter is not to restrain your imagination. Indeed, from old furniture, ordinary wooden boxes and materials left over from repairs, you can create a truly original design that will decorate the balcony space. For example, read the article: “Closet to the balcony with your own hands.”

The simplest shelf

With the manufacture of a small hinged shelf to cope, and a novice master who knows how to use the ruler and will be able to "nail a wall." Therefore, we can safely prepare materials (a small board, two metal brackets and fasteners) and the necessary tools (tape measure, level, jigsaw, hammer drill and screwdriver).

Next, we act according to this scheme:

measure the width of the opening of the side wall to finally find out the dimensions of the shelf,
cut out from the prepared material a horizontal plane,
we finally assemble the shelf, attaching the brackets with screws to the lower edge of the horizontal surface
mark the place on the wall for holes at a convenient height,
align these marks under the holes with a level,
pick up a punch to make holes for the dowels,
we attach the shelf to the wall, and then fix it with screws.

Attention! The length of the screws should be less than the width of the board, which is used to make the shelf.

The classic scheme for the manufacture of shelving on the balcony

This design consists of a vertical frame with levels in the form of horizontal surfaces. A classic rack, as a rule, is located near the side wall, and the number of sections depends only on the height of the ceilings and the preferences of the owner of the apartment.

The manufacture of the rack takes place in several stages:

first we measure the side wall, and then draw up a detailed plan indicating all sizes, as well as the exact number of levels,
we install on the supporting wall a frame of two bars with a cross section of at least 5 by 5 centimeters, and then securely fasten it with a puncher, dowels, brackets, screws, a screwdriver at the junction with the wall, floor and ceiling,
we install jumpers for racks between the vertical bars and fix them using brackets, a screwdriver and self-tapping screws,
we’re building a similar “staircase” at the opposite wall,
we cut the racks from plywood with an electric jigsaw, the thickness of which should correspond to the expected load, and then carefully lay them on the jumpers.

The frame for shelving from a metal profile is made in the same way. The advantage of this design is that it can always be upgraded with hinged or sliding doors, blinds, sliding mechanisms or a simple reorganization of the storage space.

Ideas for original designs

Follow the instructions during the redevelopment of the interior of the balcony or loggia is not necessary. It will be much easier to turn on “turn on” your imagination at full capacity in order to “bring to mind” one of the original ideas for arranging the interior space of premises.

For example, a used wooden container for vegetables or fruits can find a second life in the form of an original shelf. Just connect several drawers to each other in random order, and then attach the resulting structure to the side wall. Similar designs organically fit into the interior of the balcony.

A broken staircase is another idea for creating an original balcony structure. We take the undamaged section, file the racks at a certain angle, and then install the resulting structure near the load-bearing wall. Crossbeams of a ladder are a high-quality place for storage of books or placement of pots with home flowers.

By the way, one more original shelf for flowers can be made in just a couple of hours. To do this, we need four square planks and a coil of rope. In the center of each plank, we cut a large hole under the pot, and four more small holes for the rope need to be drilled in each corner.

We connect all four supports for storage with a rope and fix them at the same distance from each other with ordinary nodes. The shelf is ready - all that remains is to hang it from the mount mounted on the ceiling.

These examples once again prove that people can make their life a little better without much expense. Do you want to verify this personally? Try to start with arranging your balcony or loggia.

Do-it-yourself shelves on the balcony

With certain skills and a set of tools, you can mount shelves of various materials on the balcony yourself. The main thing in this matter is not to make a mistake with the measurements and carefully think over the design.

And to make it easier for you, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the nuances of manufacturing various shelves in design and material.

Shelves on the side walls

Ordinary open shelves at the side walls of a balcony or a loggia can be made of either wood, plastic, or strong metal sheets.

The procedure is as follows:

On the wall, markings of the fastenings are made at the required height, along the length of the shelf itself and at the same level (it is mandatory to use a level or a plumb line)
Metal corners are attached to the shelf from the bottom side in two or three places, depending on its length,

Mounting on small corners

In places of fastening to the walls, the shelf is screwed to the same corners with screws.

Thus, it is possible to make a strong and wide shelf from any material, the main thing is to take into account the load on the side wall of the balcony. The shelf will be closed on three sides, so that it becomes possible to easily place a variety of objects on it.

How to make shelves on the balcony with your own hands

You can equip the loggia with finished products or make them yourself. In the first case, you will have to spend a lot of time choosing the right option for the size and interior of the room. Installation of store shelves is either not required at all (in the case of floor construction), or is minimal and uncomplicated. Some stores provide additional installation services.

However, a do-it-yourself shelving unit or cabinet can save money, as well as get an original design that fits perfectly into the dimensions and appearance of the balcony. All that is required for this is a minimal construction experience and simple tools. As well as a description of the creation of shelves on the balcony with your own hands and useful tips.

Shelving for balcony

Depending on the materials chosen, the racks can be solid solid or light, act as shelves for flowers on the balcony. The device is a vertical frame with horizontally arranged surfaces. The number of levels depends on the height of the ceiling, the distance between the shelves and personal preferences.

To implement the idea, you must follow these steps:

Calculate the number of levels and outline the construction plan, indicating all measurements on it. So it will be more convenient to perform work, and the result will be high-quality.
The frame consists of supports (it is most convenient to use square wooden beams) and transverse bars. It is necessary to prepare parts by sawing into pieces of the right size.
Cut the sheets of the base of the rack along the width of the inner part of the frame. It can be plywood, particleboard, plastic, glass.
Fix the cross beams on long vertical supports with the help of angles or simply on self-tapping screws. Get two designs that resemble a staircase. For convenience, this work can be done on the floor.
Raise the structure and fix the frame to the wall for greater reliability.
Lay the base sheets on horizontal supports. They can be fixed with screws, nails or not fixed.

A similar design can be made of metal by connecting the joints at the welder. The final step is to cover all surfaces with protective agents (drying oil, varnish, paint).

Built-in Lockers

A standard balcony or loggia is a narrow rectangular room. In the side openings it is convenient to organize built-in wardrobes. They will make the elongated perimeter more square, and behind closed doors the contents of the cabinet will be inaccessible to visitors to the balcony.

To build a built-in cabinet you will need to perform the same steps as when creating the rack. The differences will be that the cabinet is made to the entire height of the ceiling, the frame is attached to the walls of the opening, doors are hung in front. The latter can be made in the form of accordion doors or sliding options. Thick curtains and bamboo curtains are also suitable. In such a cabinet on the balcony, shelves can be made only at the bottom and at the top, and in the middle part a crossbar for hangers can be installed. Get a small wardrobe.

Shelves in niches in the wall of the loggia

The shelves in the niches are the recesses in the wall, which are artificially created using drywall. Such a structure takes up a lot of space, so it will be appropriate on spacious loggias. If the sizes allow, then such a shelf will become an original object and decoration of the balcony.

Hinged shelves

Wall mounted shelves have many options. From classic solitary to string-hung structures. The installation of shelves in the corners has already been discussed above. Note that the brackets can act as a decorative element if they are intricate metal forging or interesting wooden figures.

Corner shelves

Such shelves are small in size and are suitable for placing flowers, books, decorative items. Hang them in the corners of the room on the corners or props. If it is planned to place non-heavy objects on the shelves, then you can install them on wooden racks. They are attached to both walls with dowels, and the shelves themselves are placed on top of them, previously lubricating the joints with glue.

Original do-it-yourself shelves

If you apply imagination, then the shelves can be made from what is at hand. Here are just a few options:

Hanging shelf on the ropes. In wooden boards of the same size, four holes are made in the corners. A rope is threaded through them, the height of the shelves is fixed with knots. The structure is suspended from a wall or ceiling.

Pallets are attached to the wall in random order. One pallet forms two shelves at once - on top and inside the box.

Make a metal frame in the entire wall and install boxes or baskets in it.

Hinged shelf on belts - make two loops of the same size from leather belts and fix the connection point on the wall at the same level. Insert the base into the hinges (chipboard, plywood, board).