A custom bench that changed everything in this balcony

Balconies are a great feature in your home if you like spending time outdoors without having to leave your home. But when they’re irregularly shaped, balconies can become impractical and serve little purpose.

Our client faced such a predicament in their home. Looking at the layout, the balcony seems sufficiently big enough to be usable.

But upon fitting in a regular sized outdoor table and chair set, it’s uncomfortable to manoeuvre  about in the space. Our client has stayed at their home for close to a year but has rarely sat at the balcony to enjoy the semi outdoors.

Our client could have found a smaller/ longer/ shorter furniture set but anything they buy will  literally be fitting a square peg in a round hole.

So we suggested building a bench to fit into the curvature of their balcony as that will maximise every bit of of that curve for use.

We also had to ensure the bench is comfortable enough to be usable. Looking at the dimensions, even at the shallowest depth at the left and rightmost ends, 36cm is a deep enough seat depth as a task seat. 

We had the bench frame done in two pieces so that the bench can ride with us in the lift. Carrying the entire piece up the stairs is out of the question as our client stays on the 30th floor. The seat cushion was made as a continuous length of foam as we can squeeze that into the lift.

Customising the bench also meant that our client can choose colours and patterns that reflect their personality. Using UV resistant outdoor fabric, our client picked complimentary blues and oranges for the space.

As always with customising, budget is always an important priority. Our client asked for storage for their bench which would have increased the cost by another 20 - 30%. So we looked at raising the height of the legs instead so that our client can look at cheaper storage boxes to place under bench instead of getting customised storage built. 

It’s so much better when you have a space that is both comfortable and usable. Bonus points when you’ve got the aesthetic nailed down too!