What Is A Juliet Balcony?

Have you ever found yourself walking down some street and you notice a fancy-looking balcony with cool railings from afar, but when you got closer you see how small it is and wonder, "is this what you call a balcony?" Well, then you should know that you just saw a Juliet balcony.

So what is exactly a Juliet balcony? According to Street Easy, a Juliet balcony is a narrow outdoor balcony, and despite it supposedly being a balcony, it only has about a few inches of space on the outside at most. So, now that you know the basic definition, you may still ask yourself, "is it really a balcony?" We have another definition for you! Architect Russell Goss, who is the CEO of Blueberry Builders, gave Brick Underground his own definition of a Juliet balcony. "My understanding is a Juliet balcony isn't actually a balcony," he explained. "It's simply a railing against inward-swinging French doors at the exterior of a building."

We would be a little bit disappointed if you didn't think of Shakespeare when you read the words Juliet balcony because we certainly did. White Metal let us know that it's okay to think of Shakespeare since Juliet balconies were named after the famous balcony scene in "Romeo and Juliet." However, Rent Alpaca points out that the original "Romeo and Juliet" didn't have any balconies in it. Now, why didn't we study this fun fact in our literature class?

We know that Juliet balconies might not make you that excited when you think about them. It might come as a surprise, but this small space actually does have some benefits, which is why some people consider adding it to their homes. Balcony Boss believes that the first reason why would anyone want a Juliet balcony is the positive impact it can have on the appearance and aesthetic of the building. Street Easy agrees on the beauty aspect of Juliet balconies, especially since they give the building a European feel. That definitely sounds fancy.

If you still can't get past the fact of how small Juliet balconies are, then you will be pleased to know that you can change that. British Spirals & Castings mentions how French doors (usually associated with Juliet balconies) help invite more light into the room, and with this light you will feel like the space around you is larger than it actually is. One can't say no to some refreshing air as well, especially during summer.

Another reason why we enjoy Juliet balconies is that they can help you save some money. Bespoke Frameless Glass says that Juliet balconies cut costs because you don't need any planning permission for them. They also add that Juliet balconies are cost-effective when it comes to any needed repairing in the future, which should be easy.

Many people are convinced that the main reason for having Juliet balconies is to make your home safer. Balcony Boss recommends having a Juliet balcony if your apartment has French doors or a large window since it will make your apartment safer for animals and children. Bespoke Frameless Glass also recommends this type of balcony over regular balconies. Why? Well to put it simply: regular balconies? Risky. Juliet balconies? Not so risky. They even describe Juliet balconies as a railing that provides extra safety.

According to Balcony Boss, another benefit of Juliet balconies is the fact that if you can't add a full balcony to your apartment because of space then you can always consider adding a Juliet balcony. However, there are some (rather obvious) cons when it comes to Juliet balconies, but luckily for us, these cons don't erase the fact that they have many benefits. Street Easy mentions some disadvantages that you may encounter if you have a Juliet balcony, but these disadvantages depend on the style of yours. Sometimes the style of your balcony can make it difficult to put plants on it, which is easier to do with regular balconies. Street Easy also talks about how a Juliet balcony can be small to the point where you can't even stand in it.

Rent Alpaca agrees with us that Juliet balconies aren't so bad, as they mentioned what you can use a Juliet balcony for. For one, they suggested putting a few small chairs and a small table on yours where you can invite a friend or a date *wink* over! And if you are a bike owner, then the outlet also suggests that you could wisely use the space for bike storage; who could say no to a free and safe parking space?

Since you should consider the space element before you try to use a Juliet balcony, we made sure to look for other ways to utilize it. For one, you can use your Juliet balcony to hang some plants that can fit in the space you are working with. The perfect way to use the room you have is to depend on hanging or climbing plants, which will be easier to cultivate in a small area (and the balcony railing will help).

You should also consider growing an herb garden on your Juliet balcony; you won't face any obstacles with one since it's safe to keep it in small places. See? You could use your Juliet balcony it after all.

Juliet balconies come in different styles and each one adheres to a certain appearance. Balcony Boss talks about one of the options we should consider when buying one: the traditional Juliet balcony, whose railings are mostly made of wrought iron (but don't forget to paint the railings or at least powder coat them to avoid the iron rusting). Underwood Steel asserts that this style is actually helpful since you can form the iron railings into different shapes and designs. They also increase the amount of air that comes from the outside into the apartment.

Another style to consider is the modern traditional Juliet balcony. We recommend this style if you want to avoid the whole rusting situation altogether since it would be automatically solved by mixing the traditional and modern styles. For this one, you replace the iron railings with stainless steel. However, you might want to avoid this style if you live in an old building. 

For the last style, Balcony Boss introduces the modern Juliet balcony, which uses glass panels instead of railings. Despite the fact that this style would limit your options regarding decorations, you should still consider it if you live in a building with modern style.