How to make an office on a balcony or loggia, options, tips. Chic do-it-yourself office on the balcony: before and after photos Computer zone on the balcony

By the way, if you choose light colors for walls and furniture, you can visually expand the area of ​​​​such a room.

That's all the features of arranging a personal office. By following a few simple procedures, you can get cozy place for work, in which it will be pleasant to be even when you do not need to deal with office affairs.

Try to arrange this place in such a way that your taste and character are felt in detail - and then it will be even more comfortable for you to spend maximum time in this part of the apartment. And get ideas for inspiration from a photo of the design of study rooms on the loggia and balcony.

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Majority modern apartments complemented by a small balcony. Despite its small size, this room can be used as efficiently as possible, especially if you work at home, spend a lot of time at a computer or documents. An office on a small balcony can be created by everyone with their own hands, on the design, the photo "before" and "after" the modernization of which we will dwell in more detail.

Variations of study rooms from a balcony or loggia

The working area, organized on the balcony, can have several types. The room may differ in area, degree of openness and features interior decoration. Therefore, before proceeding with the main work, you should familiarize yourself with the varieties of workrooms. Such premises are classified into the following types:

Another classification of cabinets is the interior equipment. So, the office can be stationary and look like a small office with the necessary items. If you plan to work on the balcony infrequently, you can resort to another option - a mobile office. This type differs from the first one in that after completion necessary work you can effortlessly transform the balcony by removing some furniture. Thus, this part of the apartment can be used for a pleasant pastime or for other purposes.

How to organize your workspace

If you decide to create a work area on the balcony, you should carefully consider how to make this room beautiful, comfortable and cozy at the same time. For example, a lack of light or uncomfortable furniture can lead to the fact that the balcony will end up being used for storing various trash, and not as it was originally intended. Therefore, first of all, you need to take care of overhaul square meters and complete the design work.

Balcony insulation

The balcony should be glazed by default. Otherwise, a living corner will not work out of it. However, in addition to glazing, high-quality finishing with heat-insulating materials will also be required.

The choice of insulation and its thickness directly depend on the climatic features of your region.

Traditional materials for these purposes are polystyrene foam, mineral wool, polystyrene foam. All non-glazed parts of the balcony are subjected to thermal insulation, i.e. walls, floor, ceiling. Additionally, you will need a vapor barrier and a beam for mounting the crate. As the floor finishes, materials are used to your liking.

Balcony insulation basically boils down to the following steps:

• pour concrete screed;
• lay the vapor barrier;
• mount the crate and line the insulation;
• lay plywood;
• mount finishing material.

If concrete base balcony is in good condition, then there is no need for a screed.

Concrete or brick walls are plastered, puttied, preparing them for finishing. Depending on the materials used, the preparation process may vary slightly. As facing materials use lining or plastic panels. However, other more expensive options, such as clinker tiles, are also quite appropriate. It is not recommended to use wallpaper for the purposes in question due to possible dampness, which will lead to their delamination.

Organization of lighting

If the room is planned for relaxation, then subdued light would be quite appropriate. However, for working room soft and bright lighting is needed. Light sources should be such that the workplace is well lit, but at the same time the light itself does not hurt the eyes. One of the advantages of organizing an office on the balcony is that during the day there is enough natural light penetrating through the windows for good lighting. For evening work you will need.

A light installed from above is good if it is located directly above the workplace, i.e. over the table. If the lamp is installed away from the working area, then you will additionally need a table lamp fixed on a shelf or wall.

The light should not blind the eyes, but at the same time it must illuminate the work area.

Before installing the light source, electrical wiring is required. To do this, drill a hole in the wall through which the wire is laid from the junction box from the room. Considering that the balcony will be completely protected from atmospheric precipitation, the lamps can have the same degree of protection as that of indoor elements - no higher than IP44.

Interior Design

Even if the office is equipped with your own hands on a small balcony, there are many design examples, photos “before” and “after” improvements. Even at the stage of drawing up a design project, you need to understand all issues related to the finishing of walls, floors, ceilings, the choice of lighting fixtures and furniture. In most cases, the cabinet is finished in a neutral style, which is close to modern minimalism. But, in order to make a room with some individual features, they often take elements from other directions.

On balconies with good lighting, the Scandinavian style fits perfectly, which is characterized by light, ergonomic and at the same time simple furniture, as well as a minimum number of curtains and walls finished in white or pastel colors. To give the workplace status, they prefer the classics: wooden elements in decoration, leather armchair, natural wood furniture. If a work area is being prepared for a schoolchild or student, then a simple desk with enough shelves and drawers for various office supplies, as well as a place for a computer, would be quite appropriate.

An important element in the end is the drapery of the windows. The use of blackout curtains or blinds in summer period will create a pleasant partial shade, while transparent curtains will not provide sufficient protection from the sun: working in such conditions will be uncomfortable. It is desirable to finish the floor with materials of dark shades. Under the finish, you can mount a floor heating system or, in extreme cases, put a rug under your feet.

Furnishing an office on a loggia or balcony

The office on the balcony, despite its small size, should be used as efficiently as possible. This indicates the need to buy ergonomic and compact furniture. If finances allow, it is preferable to make furniture to order. This is explained by the fact that the small size of the balcony makes it difficult to select ready-made tables, chairs, etc., which are ideal for your interior.

In order for the balcony space to be used rationally, the furniture must be fitted close to the walls.

To organize a working corner, it is best to use the minimum amount of furniture:

• desk;
• computer desk;
• office chair or traditional chair;
• cabinet;
• shelves.

If the balcony is very small, you can limit yourself small table, a chair and a couple of shelves. In this case, there will definitely be nothing superfluous in the room, thereby creating optimal conditions for work.

Desktop

The table is best placed on the entire width of the working room. It is also possible to install it in a corner, while the window sill can be used as an additional surface. The location of the light source depends on whether you are right-handed or left-handed. In the first case, the light should fall on the left, in the second - on the right. The design of the desk, like the rest of the furniture, is selected to your liking, adhering to general style the main part of the apartment or bringing some zest to your home. As materials from which the table can be made, MDF, chipboard are most often used, less often metal and natural wood.

Armchair

One of the requirements for a chair or armchair is its small size. A large armchair on a small balcony would simply be out of place. Its shape and type depend only on your wishes. It is desirable that this piece of furniture is equipped with a height adjustment mechanism and an anatomical backrest adjustment. As a finish, you can choose leather, eco-leather, mesh or fabric.

Shelves

Items that complement the interior are. They will give not only a certain style to the office, but also make it more comfortable. Shelves should be strong enough to accommodate books and folders with working papers. The material of their manufacture may be the same as that of other furniture, but other variations are quite suitable. It is best to place shelves above the table on the end side of the balcony, which will save space. As for the racks, they can be mounted on opposite side fixed to a load-bearing wall.

Having considered the stages of upgrading a small balcony into a study with your own hands, a possible design with a “before” and “after” photo, almost everyone can convert this room into a work area. This does not require special knowledge and skills, and the costs will directly depend on your preferences. Thus, a previously unused balcony or loggia can become a pleasant addition to the apartment, where you can realize the most daring ideas.

In a city apartment, it is often difficult to organize space for a workplace. What if the apartment is small and the family is large? Where can I get even a very small, but secluded and comfortable corner? The way out of this situation can be an office on the balcony. Photos of the successful conversion of a balcony into an office are provided in this article. Also here, readers will find recommendations on preparing a balcony for turning into an office, floor, wall and ceiling insulation, as well as finishing work and furniture selection. There will also be tips on choosing the optimal lighting and dividing the balcony into functional areas.

Office on the balcony. Photo good decision small space.

Balcony office. Pros and cons

Is it always appropriate to remake a balcony into an office? In what case will such a balcony bring maximum comfort? First of all, we will take into account the moments that prevent the balcony from becoming a cozy office. So, the balcony is often:

• unheated room;
• has a small area;
• used by the family for household and other purposes.

But the advantages of such a decision are also obvious. A man works on a balcony, in silence and solitude. Nobody bothers him, and he doesn't bother anyone. This is important for those who study, work on a computer, read a lot, write, and think.

Based on this, an office on the balcony is quite appropriate if its area is not too small, if it is glazed, insulated and think over heating. The owners, ready for such transformations, may well make an office on the balcony with their own hands.

Balcony preparation

Where does the preparation of the balcony begin? It needs to be glazed. Most often this is done using plastic windows. These windows are custom made. They are sealed, have good thermal insulation properties, do not let dust and moisture through, and are not afraid of frost. The level of external noise in a room with such windows is reduced several times.

We warm the floor

As you can see, there is a choice. Each of the methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. So the first option is the most budgetary, but the most labor-intensive. Plank floor with mineral insulation- the most traditional, but requiring carpentry skills. Modern insulation materials are easy to use, but not cheap.

The underfloor heating system deserves special attention on the balcony. It effectively solves two problems at once, floor insulation and general balcony heating. However, such a floor is expensive, and professionals should mount it.

One of the ways to insulate the floor. Logs and mineral wool. From above they are sewn up with boards.

Wall and ceiling insulation

Workplace organization

As far as possible, the balcony should be conditionally divided into two zones. Work area - a place at the computer desk. And a recreation area where you can warm up, drink coffee without fear of spilling it on expensive equipment.

A small computer desk can be placed in the work area. And it can be easier, to strengthen the transverse board-tabletop across the entire width of the balcony. She will replace the computer desk on the balcony. Under the board, you can provide a place to place the system unit.

For storage of documents, disks, stationery, compact hinged shelves are placed above the table. Bookcase or book shelves can be placed on opposite wall balcony. If there is enough space, the recreation area is supplemented with an armchair or a small sofa.

Workplace on the balcony. Shelving can also be placed below.

To regulate the amount of light entering through the glass, blinds are very appropriate on the balcony window. They are not only practical, but also decorative. Blinds emphasize the office style of the room.

Should not be placed on small balcony A lot of furniture. Let your office be as spacious, comfortable, and bright as possible. And you will experience the joy of working in your own little office.

V modern conditions more and more people work remotely, but even those who travel to the office every day have the opportunity to work from home from time to time. Allocate for such purposes separate room not everyone can, but equipping an office on a balcony or loggia is much easier. Yes, you will have to spend time and money, but you will have another full-fledged room instead of a place to store trash and seasonal items, you see, this is a very big plus.

Pros and cons of this solution

If you are still thinking about whether to remodel your balcony, then this small section will help you familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of such cabinets and make an informed decision.

Let's start with the advantages:

As for the shortcomings, in my opinion, there are only two of them:

1. If your balcony was in a state of disrepair, then you will have to spend a lot of effort and money in order to make a full-fledged office out of it. For some, such costs seem too high, but if you are still fired up with such an idea, then you can do the work gradually, then you will not have to immediately invest a lot of money, and in the end you will still receive from Personal Area;
2. Sometimes the balcony area is not enough to equip the workplace. Personally, it seems to me that if you think through everything and use the space wisely, then you can fit everything you need.

The process of converting a balcony into an office

As you guessed from the name, the whole work consists of six stages, each of which is mandatory for implementation if you want a great end result. I will consider the process from scratch, that is, the most difficult option when you have outdoor balcony or a loggia without any glazing and insulation.

You need to familiarize yourself with all the information below and simply skip the work that you may already have done.

Stage 1 - glazing

If you have ordinary wooden frames, then it is better to replace them as well. Installation work is complex and responsible, so I strongly recommend that you entrust it to professionals, but you need to choose the best option.

When choosing, you should be guided by several recommendations:

• It is necessary to purchase windows with good thermal insulation performance, for middle lane plastic structures with double-glazed windows are well suited. Single windows used on cold balconies will not work for you;

• Modern manufacturers offer options for different colors, if desired, the frames can be laminated to look like wood to give them a more attractive appearance. Here you need to be guided only by your preferences, think about what you like the most, because you will have to spend a lot of time in this room;
• The size of the structures can also be different, some prefer to install floor-to-ceiling options, and some, on the contrary, close some of the openings with deaf elements. It is necessary to take into account all the features of your balcony and, based on this, select the optimal solution.

When ordering windows, pay the most attention to the manufacturer of the profile and the quality of the fittings, it is better to use products from Western brands, they are reliable and time-tested.

Stage 2 - wiring

Cabinet - a room in which various office equipment can be installed, quality is also needed. Therefore, it is necessary to solve the issue of power supply in advance, here it is necessary to take into account several important nuances:

• It is best to bring the wiring out of the adjacent room in order to hide the cable, you can lay it in a strobe, or you can close it with a finishing material. It all depends on how you will make the finish, in the first case you will need a puncher with a special peak, and in the second you need to use a corrugated sleeve into which the wire is placed and which is laid behind exterior finish or in a layer of insulation;

• It is necessary to think over the location of switches, lighting elements and sockets in advance in order to make high-quality wiring. It is better to make an extra outlet that will not be used later than tripping over an extension cord or laying a wire over a trim;

If you will be using an electric underfloor heating system, then do not forget to bring the power wire to it as well.

• In order not to confuse anything and not cause problems for those who do not understand electrics, I advise you to invite specialists to connect the wiring and plan it. This will eventually come out cheaper than reworking the entire system or eliminating the consequences of a short circuit.

Stage 3 - warming

Unfortunately, standard designs most often do not provide proper thermal insulation of balconies, so you will have to carry out insulation work yourself. The process is described in detail by me in one of the articles, so here I will only touch on its main stages:

• Exterior walls are best insulated with 5 cm thick extruded polystyrene foam.. This is a very reliable material with high thermal insulation performance, which is easy to use and allows you to achieve excellent result. To ensure the highest reliability, all cracks and joints must be filled with mounting foam, the excess of which is subsequently simply cut off;

• On top of Penoplex, I advise you to attach Penofol - a new generation heat insulator with a reflective layer. It has a small thickness (only 5 mm) and has high performance. And the presence of a reflective layer allows you to save heat much more efficiently, so your balcony will become even warmer and more comfortable;
• Walls that do not go outside, but are adjacent to a neighboring loggia or house, can be insulated with a layer of Penofol, this is quite enough. Fastening is done using wooden slats, I advise you to additionally close the joints with metallized tape to ensure maximum reliability;

• As for the floor on the balcony, it can be insulated different materials, again I have covered some options in other reviews. You can use polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, mineral wool, or you can lay a dry Knauf screed. The latter option is especially good if you need to raise the floor level by 10-15 cm and at the same time insulate it;

• It is easiest to glue polystyrene or extruded plates on the ceiling. As an adhesive, you can use a special composition, or you can use ordinary mounting foam. For additional reliability, special dowels for thermal insulation are used, which have a pressure washer.

Stage 4 - heating

Even the highest quality insulation will not help to completely protect yourself from the winter cold, and if you do the work yourself, you should also take care of heating the space, there may be several solutions, you need to choose the best one:

• If you want to install a conventional heating radiator, then you will first have to coordinate this action with the supervisory authorities. Specialists must carry out appropriate calculations, and if the design heating system allows you to remove the radiator, then you will be given permission, you will also have to redo the project, and only after that you can start work. If everything works out, then you will have stationary heating at minimal cost;

• You can use an electric underfloor heating, this option is good because it does not need to be coordinated anywhere, and it is easy to implement. To work, you will need to purchase several ready-made modules that are spread over the surface and connected as the instructions prescribe. But this option is more expensive due to the high cost of electricity, to minimize costs, it is necessary to install thermostats so that they turn off the system when the required temperature is reached;

• You can install an electric radiator on the loggia, which can be turned on as needed or equipped with a thermostat to maintain the desired temperature. This solution is even easier, because you just need to attach or even put the structure in the right place and plug it into a power outlet. The main disadvantage is the same as in the paragraph above - the considerable cost of electricity;

• A modern solution is the use of infrared heaters, they are mounted on the ceiling and differ in that they do not heat the air, but all the surfaces to which they are directed. Such designs consume little energy, but perfectly heat small spaces, so they are the best suited for balconies and loggias. They are easy to install, which is also important.

Stage 5 - finishing work

Sitting in shabby walls the best solution, so you need to spend at least redecorating. If all the above points are fulfilled, then we will have a well-insulated and heated space, therefore, any finishing materials can be used.

I will talk about those options that, in my opinion, are the easiest to implement:

• Before you make an office out of a balcony, you should consider its color scheme. The main requirement is that the environment should be such that it is comfortable for you to work in it. That is why with color design you need to decide in advance so that it doesn’t turn out that you are annoyed by bright or, conversely, too dark walls;
• For the floor, it is best to use a laminate, it can be laid even by those who have never done such work. An additional advantage is the fact that there are great amount textures and colors, so you can choose the best solution for any environment. Price square meter can be from 300 rubles and more, it is better not to use the cheapest options, choose products at least in the middle price segment;

• As for the walls, then you are free to choose what you like. Can be used decorative plasters, you can apply MDF panels or even, it also looks great. A very cozy working atmosphere can be created with the help of cork, but in general the choice is yours - the main thing is that the atmosphere is conducive to work;

• For the ceiling, the most optimal, in my opinion, option is tensile structure . Firstly, it does not cost that much, secondly, it will be delivered to you in just a couple of hours, and thirdly, dust and dirt are almost not generated during operation, and your finish will not suffer. Big choice colors allows you to decorate the balcony as you need, and the elasticity of the material will prevent damage to it during temperature changes or structural movements.

Stage 6 - organizing the workspace

If all the above actions are suitable for any balconies, regardless of what you want to make of them, then in order to turn the room into an office, you need to properly furnish it and consider the location of all elements.

That's what we're going to talk about in this section:

• First of all, you need to think over the design of the office on the balcony, for this you need to decide which elements must be present and what kind of furniture you will need. You don't need to be a designer to deal with this task, the Internet is full of photos, and you can find the perfect idea for yourself or collect the most from several concepts. interesting solutions and create your own unique interior;

• Then you need to draw a sketch of the future office, you don’t need perfect lines and maximum accuracy. The main thing is to measure your space and calculate how much space you can allocate for this or that object. So you can clearly imagine the end result and understand what you need to purchase in order to make your personal account on the loggia;
• It is worth considering what elements of furniture will be needed to organize the work. Someone needs a lot of drawers for storing papers, printer and fax installation is also required, and someone can work on simple table with a laptop. Do not try to fill the space with furniture, you need to use only what you need, it will be much more reasonable, and it will cost less;

If you want to use the balcony not only as an office, but also for other purposes, then you can make the countertop folding. When you need, you can lay it out, and the rest of the time it will not take up space.

• As for the places for storing papers, it can be both drawers in the table and shelves on the walls. Choose what you like, but remember that shelves are cheaper and much easier to put up than putting together a table with drawers. The size of the shelves depends on what will be stored on them, so think in advance about what you will fold and how much it will weigh;

• Lighting is another important aspect, it is better if you have both general system, and a separate lamp that will shine on the workplace. The most convenient are adjustable options or small structures located directly above the desktop. This is much more efficient and allows you to achieve the best effect;

• It is very important to provide protection against sunlight if it shines in the eyes, then this is unlikely to contribute to the work. The easiest way is to use blinds, but if you do not like this option, then you can choose Roman blinds or another similar option, the main thing is to provide good protection from sunlight;

• You also need to purchase a comfortable chair, it should fit the height of the table, not clutter up the entire space. If you have work zone from two or even three sides, it is most convenient to use turning options.

In principle, there is nothing complicated in the design, the main thing is that all the elements are combined with each other and provide convenient work. It is better to order furniture according to individual sizes so that it fits perfectly into the space, try to choose not massive, but light structures, in small room they will look much better. Use decorative elements to make the space cozy.

Conclusion

Office on the balcony great idea for an apartment, you get a quiet place to work and your family won't have to tiptoe around to distract you. The main thing is to carry out all the work described above in order to get a full-fledged room with good insulation and heating.

The video in this article will help you understand the individual nuances even better, and if you still have questions, you can write them in the comments below.

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