Essential Outdoor Balcony Furniture Pieces For Small Spaces

Guide  /  Small Spaces

How to fit real comfort onto a tight balcony, and choose pieces that survive an exposed apartment position.

Outdoor Furniture Ideas  ·  8 min read

A small balcony works hard when every piece is chosen to fit, fold or stack.

A balcony is often the only outdoor space an apartment gets, so it has to earn its keep as a morning coffee spot, a place to eat, and somewhere to unwind after work. The trick is not cramming in more furniture, it is choosing the few pieces that fit the footprint, handle the exposure, and still leave room to move. Done well, even a two-square-metre balcony becomes genuinely usable. Start with the pieces made for it in our balcony furniture range.

No. 01

Getting It Right in an Apartment or High-Rise

A balcony is not a small backyard. Before you buy anything, measure the usable floor space, then note where the door swings, where the railing sits, and anything overhead. High floors cop wind, full sun and driving rain with no shade, so anything that relies on being covered simply will not get covered. Choose pieces that handle the weather on their own.

• Keep the doorway clear. A round table has no sharp corners and lets you walk past and open the door without shuffling furniture.
• Stay body-corporate friendly. Avoid drilling, permanent fixtures or anything fixed to the railing. Freestanding, movable pieces keep you onside with strata rules.
• Skip untreated timber. On an exposed balcony it can warp within a couple of summers. Powder-coated aluminium, polypropylene resin and rope hold up far better.
• Think cost per year, not sticker price. A cheap setting replaced every second summer costs more over ten years than one good setting that lasts the distance.

Match the furniture to the space you actually have:

No. 02

Stackable Chairs That Save Space

Stackable chairs are the backbone of a small balcony. They stack neatly out of the way when you need the floor, then come back out for guests. Look for lightweight designs that are easy to move but tough enough for constant outdoor use.

• Comfort still counts. Modern stackable chairs use ergonomic, supportive shapes, so a compact seat does not mean an uncomfortable one.
• Choose low-maintenance materials. Weather-resistant aluminium and UV-stabilised resin keep their looks for years with almost no upkeep.
• Colour sets the tone. Resin ranges come in soft neutrals through to bold tones, so the chairs can match or lift the balcony's palette.

Browse the full range of outdoor chairs for stackable options that suit a balcony.

No. 03

Compact Tables and Bistro Sets

A compact table turns a balcony into a place to eat, work or set down a drink. Paired with two chairs, a small bistro set creates a proper spot without overwhelming the space.

• Bistro sets. A small table with matching chairs is the classic small-balcony solution. Drop-side or folding tops make them even easier to store.
• Multi-functional designs. Tables with a lower shelf or extendable top do double duty as storage or a workspace. A Nardi extendable table grows only when you need it.
• Easy-care materials. Powder-coated metal and resin resist rust and wipe clean, while compact laminate tops handle sun and spills without fuss.

No. 04

Balcony Furniture Sets That Actually Fit

Guesswork is where balcony furniture goes wrong. These are the sets we point people to most often, with the footprint each one needs, so you can measure before you buy.

Two seats on a square metre: Pebl Sunset 3 Piece Bistro Set

A 70 x 70cm Sunset bistro table with two armless Sunset side chairs. The table top folds down on a handle with a lock on the base, the chairs stack, and the whole set stands flat against a wall when you want the balcony back. Everything is powder coated aluminium, so nothing comes inside for winter. This is the pick for a narrow balcony where the door swing eats most of the floor.

The Sunset set folds and stacks flat when the balcony is needed for something else.

A round table that clears the doorway: Nardi Step Table with Bora Bistrot Chairs

The Nardi Step round table with two Bora Bistrot chairs, all moulded in Italy from resin that stays outside year round and wipes clean. A round top has no corners to catch a hip in a tight walkway, and the Bora chairs are armless so they tuck fully under the table. Both pieces come in agave green, anthracite, tortora and white, so the set can match or lift the balcony's palette.

Round top, armless chairs: the layout that keeps a small balcony walkable.

Lounging without a lounge suite: Pebl Tolo 3 Piece Balcony Set

Two Tolo lounge chairs with a 45cm ceramic topped side table between them, for the balcony where a full lounge would not fit but two good chairs will. The frames are powder coated aluminium that will not rust, the seats are hand woven in 6mm olefin rope, and each chair comes with a quick dry foam cushion that sheds a shower instead of holding it. The ceramic table top shrugs off wet glasses and sunscreen.

Two rope lounge chairs and a side table: the balcony version of an outdoor lounge.

A sofa seat and a chair: NOON 3 Piece Balcony Sofa Lounge Set

For a deeper balcony, the NOON set gives you two seats and a surface without committing the whole floor to furniture: a NOON single seat sofa, a lounge chair, a Wave side table and a footrest, all on powder coated aluminium frames with a breathable woven outdoor fabric that dries fast and resists mildew. It is scaled for a balcony or a small courtyard rather than a full outdoor room.

The NOON balcony set is sized for an apartment, not a backyard.

Dinner for four on a bigger balcony: Nardi Palma Cube 5 Piece Balcony Dining Setting

Once you have three to five square metres to work with, the Nardi Cube 70 square table with four Palma armchairs seats four for dinner on a 70cm top. The table also comes as a Cube 80 if you have the room. Everything is Nardi resin built for permanent outdoor use, so the set stays out through the wet months and wipes clean in spring.

A 70cm square table with four armchairs is the smallest comfortable dinner for four.

Shop Outdoor Dining Sets

No. 05

Outdoor Bar Settings for Small Balconies

A bar setting is one of the best space-savers going, because it works vertically instead of spreading out. Slim outdoor bar stools tuck fully under a narrow bar table when they are not in use, so the footprint all but disappears.

• Measure and zone first. Note railings, walls and overhead structures, then split the balcony into a bar zone and a standing or mingling zone.
• Choose foldable or rail-side bar tables. A drop-side or against-the-rail bar table gives you a surface for drinks without eating into the walkway.
• Pick lightweight, stackable stools. Resin stools like the Nardi stackable range move and store easily, and shrug off UV and rain.

A bar setting stacks the seating upward, freeing the floor a dining set would use.

Shop Outdoor Bar Furniture

No. 06

Corner Lounges for Compact Areas

If you want to actually lounge rather than perch, a compact corner lounge uses the balcony's least useful spot, the corner, and turns it into the main event. The key is modularity: a set you can arrange as an L-shape, a straight run or a tight square adapts to whatever shape your balcony is.

• Match the footprint to the space. Smaller three-piece corner sets suit balconies; larger modular sets are better saved for courtyards.
• Stick to weatherproof frames. UV-stable resin, powder-coated aluminium and rope with thick, quick-dry cushions handle exposed balconies best. Modular resin ranges like the Nardi Komodo and Maximo reconfigure easily.
• Add a double-duty ottoman. One that works as a footrest, an extra seat and a low table earns its place on a small balcony.

A modular corner lounge reshapes to fit an L-shaped or narrow balcony.

See the outdoor corner lounges range, or the wider outdoor lounges collection.

“On a small balcony the best piece is the one that folds, stacks or does two jobs at once.”

No. 07

Growing Up: Vertical Gardening Ideas

When floor space is tight, use the walls and railings. Vertical greenery adds life to a balcony without giving up a single square metre of standing room.

• Vertical planters. Wall-mounted planters and trellises let you grow herbs, flowers or succulents up rather than out.
• Herb gardens. Basil, parsley and mint grow happily in hanging baskets or rail planters and give you fresh cooking ingredients.
• Privacy screens. Tall potted plants, climbers or bamboo screens add privacy and shelter without drilling into the building.