When we moved into our home in Boston four months ago, one of the biggest adjustments was trading our large back yard in Indiana for a balcony…..a little of the country mouse in the city saga. And while we love our proximity to the beach and park, we miss having an outdoor space for our family.  Another reason to prioritize the balcony is that I wanted a space for Connor and I to be able to retreat to with a glass of wine after the girls were in bed for the night. So right away, the balcony was the focus of my attention. 

This is the before picture-not too inviting. After sitting on our balcony a couple times and feeling a complete lack of privacy, I decided we needed some lattice. I like that the lattice is just the right height for us to feel a part of the outdoors and our neighborhood but tall enough to make us feel like we have a private space. After going through four bottles of black spray paint and losing feeling in my thumbs, Connor tied a rope around the lattice, lifted it above his head and then threw the rope up to me. I then proceeded to pull the lattice up over the railing. It was a sweaty business. 

These Homecrest chairs were a lucky craigslist find ($40 a piece!) our last weekend in Indianapolis. We literally took a break from packing up our house to go pick up these chairs. It made zero sense, but Connor is the best, and that's all I have to say about that.

 These Palm Springs style chairs are my first Boston craigslist find. They needed a new coat of spray paint (like the Homecrest chairs), but it was love at first site.  We bought matching cushions for all of the chairs from Home Decorators to create a cohesive look. 

The rug- it was originally in Connor's office in Indiana and since splurging on an outdoor rug wasn't in the budget for us (this is the one I'd get if it was), I'm happy to bring this out every weekend. We keep it next to the balcony door so that way it's not a hastle.