Speaking of the “ugly photos coming soon” message posted earlier today — and the process of turning unfinished space into something glorious — while blog surfing earlier today I found this photo which gave me an idea:
Our India apartment has two balconies. One is a larger balcony with room to sit outdoors. (The whole building also has two generous outdoor terraces accessible to residents, each 1200 square feet.) But the other balcony has a depth of only 18 inches:
We were planning to install French doors here anyway, and I imagined swinging them open and letting sheer curtains billow in the breeze. It’s a 10-foot wide opening so there would be two sets of substantial doors. But then again, I am from the Windy City where I hear wind blowing around our house as I sit here now. Perhaps my dreams aren’t so realistic for a place in Chennai. The effect may be more like receiving a humid furnace blast in the face much of the year.
But, what if this balcony were enclosed with windows and architectural trim, as the photo above? This would bump out the interior space a bit too, and would eliminate the issue of French doors gobbling up otherwise usable space. We’ll have to check on the restrictions and the effect on the exterior. It’s an idea to consider any time you can take advantage of it, because even a small amount of floorspace can make a difference when you think of the cubic space added. It’s not that we really need the space. The apartment has a very open and spacious floorplan. Mostly, I like unique nooks and cubbies of the kind that Sarah Susanka advocates.