Fencing is something every Malaysian balcony has but, as you know, not all balcony fences are created equal. And as the balmy warm weather of summer is upon us, perhaps our own balconies could use a facelift.
For this reason, homify has put together a list of nine ideas for updating your balcony's fence. From the simple and inexpensive to the more elaborate and costly, we hope you will find one fencing idea to suit your fancy.
While we love the ability to sit out on our balconies and view the neighbourhood, many of us like less for the neighbourhood to be able to watch us watching them.
For this reason, updating your balcony's fence with frosted glass plating is a wonderful way to give your whole balcony a stylish facelift while increasing the privacy factor.
You would be forgiven in thinking that wire fencing was out but, in fact, it has made a comeback, with one major creative, green use giving it the ability to re-debut: greenery.
Yes! Add some height to your current balcony fence by installing some simple wire fencing and then let crawling vegetation like ivy grab onto it and grow. Eventually, you'll have a balcony wall of greenery. And what elegant Malaysian balcony doesn't have foliage?
If you're like most Malaysian balcony owners, you are tight on space enough for a full bar. What you can do, however, is get a flat slab of your favourite bar material – wood or metal – and fix it onto your balcony's fence, jutting out just enough to make a balcony bar.
If you are doing it yourself, we recommend you keep the dimensions of the slab in proportion to the size of your balcony, so as not to cramp your space.
If you'd like to take full advantage of those fantastic Malaysian views, then we recommend replacing your fence with one made of completely transparent glass.
The downside is less balcony privacy but then agin, you don't have to do all fencing in glass; just choose the best view frame and pop the glass in there.
A stone facade for a balcony fence is a step up to top-notch, super sophisticated balcony living. While it, of course, requires a bit more work and time – likely, by a professional – the end result is well worth it, as this photo shows.
With all the varieties of stone available – granite, marble, limestone – finding the perfect type for your balcony is going to be fun!
There are pots for plants and flowers on the market that have been designed precisely to accommodate apartment balconies, so our sixth fencing idea is to nab a few of these pots.
They come with a gap in their bottom middles that rest snugly and sturdily on the edge of your balcony fence. No more pots lost to gravity!
Whatever type of fence you have right now can easily be updated on the inside and outside with built-on wood. It involves picking up some wood, staining it to your desired hue and polish, then fixing it with screws in horizontal or vertical strips to your balcony.
The wood look is completely on-trend, sprucing up any balcony – especially those suffering from urban malaise caused by a lack of natural materials.
The vertical garden idea – an oldie but a goodie – just means investing in some taller plants to edge your balcony's fence; it is for folks with all kinds of balconies but is especially useful for people who want to create privacy without building up a wall.
For our last idea, we decided to get a little artsy. If you thought wallpaper was only for inside, think again. There are plenty of wallpapers that are water-resistant nowadays and for those that aren't water-resistant polishes are easy enough to find as well. To make the inside of your balcony a bit more cosy, just nail wooden slabs to your current balcony fence, then paste up your favourite wallpaper like you would in the house.
The result is a truly unique, pretty balcony that has a touch of home, and it is applicable to the outside balcony fence as well, so you can impress your whole neighbourhood!
If you liked this article, check out: 8 awe-inspiring balcony makeovers.
