A balcony garden is no stranger to urban apartments. If you are living in a big city where a backyard is not an option, you likely rely on nearby parks for your daily dose of greenery. Wishing to have a little nature inside of your own home is a very common wish, but it can be quite a challenge setting up a garden in a small apartment. If your urban apartment has a balcony, you can use it to create a unique garden that is rich in plants and therefore rich in the color green! Get inspired by these incredible green balcony gardens that show off the true impact of plants!

Urban Meets Natural

A balcony garden, once it’s fully blooming, can obscure much of your small outdoors. The shield created by greenery establishes a more intimate and secure space, giving you privacy among the big apartment complexes.

A Japanese styled balcony garden creates a sacred space within the small area, keeping things simple and stunningly unique. The plants have a thoughtful placement, keeping out of the way but leaving their impact on the space.

A minimalist balcony garden is a great addition to any modern apartment that wishes to feature a few natural elements as well. If you want to keep the space open and roomy, arrange the potted plants near the railing!

A balcony garden doesn’t necessarily mean that you can only have a small amount of plants. You can absolutely have an abundance of greens beautifying your tiny outdoor area! The trick is to make use of the vertical space by hanging some of the plants on the wall!

In metropolitan areas, where the gray buildings are taking over, stepping onto a vividly green balcony feels very refreshing! The more plants that are added to the balcony, the greater the contrast with the colors of the city.

When we’re decorating a really small space it’s important to think outside the box and utilize every inch of room we can find. This urban balcony has a beautiful green garden that extends even beyond the railing!

Green is a very cheerful color with a strong sense of familiarity. This is easily the consequence of it being a great representative of nature itself. Having a variety of potted plants on the balcony will fill it with that recognizable charming green vibrancy!

A balcony garden is not just a method of bringing nature into an urban area, it’s also a great way to create an oasis within the city, an organic sanctuary that provides you with peace and serenity without having to drive out of the city for it.

A simple way to create a blooming green balcony garden is to utilize wooden planter boxes! They are convenient and beautiful, don’t take up much space and have a very clean look!

Modern Way of Gardening

A large and elegant balcony overlooking the city can really benefit from having big bushy plants neatly placed all over it. The merging of urban scenery and natural elements creates one of the most stunning balcony gardens!

Perhaps the most modern way to set up a balcony garden is one where the plants are completely integrated in the space. Every nook and cranny has a flash of green, transporting you away from the city’s hustle and bustle within seconds of stepping into the charming balcony garden!

Place a tiny wooden table and a matching chair in the center of your balcony, then create the urban garden around it! Such a natural and carefully curated space, with many elements that make the garden as authentic as any backyard, can almost make you forget that you are in the middle of the city!

Some people mistakenly think that balcony gardens are disorganized and in a state of disarray. Let this beautiful balcony, whose garden radiates elegance and symmetry, be an example of a great practice!

Even the greenest urban balconies can do with some color! It doesn’t have to dominate the space, but it can make it seem even more alive! If you are seeking to create a colorful outdoor garden, match the blooming florals with uniquely decorated planters!

The plants can create a wall around the balcony, securing the space’s privacy and creating a cozy ambiance. This way the balcony garden doesn’t only have a decorative purpose, but a functional one as well!

A narrow balcony may seem like a challenging space to turn into a garden, but the placement of the plants is everything! When they are placed near the wall and the railing, the space between turns into a really beautiful green corridor!

A tiny balcony is made noticeable by an incredible green garden that is almost completely hiding the balcony itself! This is a really fresh and organic element that shakes up the street’s architecture and makes it appear more grounded.

Within the busy city ambiance we can quickly start wishing for a peaceful space where we feel just a little detached from the gray pavements and the everyday frenzy. A tiny balcony garden is a great way to create a serene and natural space within an urban setting.

Oasis Within the Big City

Just because a garden is created on a balcony it doesn’t mean it has to be monotonous. There are many ways to create dynamic within the small space! You can start by placing some of the planters above the ground and simultaneously prevent the small balcony garden to become too cluttered!

If you can’t get enough of green, you can add an extra green element to your urban balcony garden and enhance the power of the energetic color on your tiny outdoor space!

Here’s another narrow balcony, this one with a slightly more random placement of the planters, creating a raw and natural look, channeling the view one might have onto a real, wild backyard!

A modern balcony is a wonderful hangout place! To keep the space elegant and tidy, create the garden with raised planters with a matte look. They are a sophisticated piece that will add to your cultivated balcony.

It’s hard to ignore the captivating green in any space, but if you want to enhance its charm even more, decorate the balcony in soft beige tones that will totally make that green garden pop!

A mixture of plants hanging on the balcony railing and those set on the floor creates a balanced balcony garden that places all attention on the plants, but allows room for comfort as well!

When you want to have a balcony garden but don’t want it to be in the way, place the plants near the edge of the balcony to create a trim around the outdoor area. If they are planted into the floor it opens up the space even more, giving you a great view of the wonderful city below!

Somebody that swears by minimalism, and wishes to stay true to it even in their balcony garden, can easily prioritize quality over quantity within their plant selection. Choose the plants that capture attention but don’t take over the whole space!

A small balcony that has beautiful green plants all around it and a cute table set for two in the center is an adorable place to hang out and a true paradise for anyone who wishes to enjoy a blooming green garden while living in an urban apartment!

You're reading Urban Oasis: Balcony Gardens That Prove Green Is Always In Style, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

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The driveway may be a part of the home’s outdoors, but it’s equally as important as any interior. The looks of your driveway are a reflection on your entire home and normally the first impression that a house makes on its guests or those who pass by it. Contemporary homes can pride themselves on their clean lines, minimal style and use of neutral colors. They reflect those features in their driveways! Take a look at these 30 homes that show off their top-notch modern driveway!

Sleek and Open

When a driveway is empty it’s easy to see it as open, but when the cars get parked much of the spaciousness goes away. Think ahead and make sure your modern home gets a driveway it deserves – one that has an abundance of space and a sleek look!

Openness and spaciousness are two of the greatest features a modern driveway can have. They create a deluxe appearance, clearly showing off plenty of room for more than just one vehicle.

A house with an elegant exterior needs a driveway that matches that style and contributes its own charm! Adding greenery to the driveway doesn’t tamper with its modern look, but it does bring an organic twist to it!

Neutral shades are a clear indication of contemporary decor and concrete is the best choice when we’re seeking to bring neutrals into the outdoors. This driveway is as vast as it is gray, beautifully balanced by concrete and stone.

In a way, the driveway is a physical extension of a house. It extends deep into the outdoors, creating what feels like long a platform intended for your cars. It has a beautiful sleek look and can serve as a front yard as well.

This modern driveway capitalizes on clean lines, creating a breathtaking outdoor space that feels harmonious together with the simplistic house, contrasted only by the bright green grass right next to it.

This home combines the design of a cute suburban house with modern features such as tall windows and vast checkered driveway. The driveway stands out with the gray look and visibly contrasts the brick built house.

A luxurious villa best benefits from a driveway that serves several purposes at once; it doesn’t only lead into a parking garage but to a several entrances and the rest of the front yard as well!

Who wouldn’t want to be welcomed by a big and bright driveway surrounded by palm trees every time they come home! This modern driveway truly embodies paradise!

A driveway is an entryway onto your property so it has a job of making a good first impression! It should have a tasteful look, one that makes people feel the warmth of your hospitality!

Synchronicity is very important if you are trying to create an exterior that leaves people in awe. Make sure your modern driveway sends the message of being a part of the house, of belonging to the home in a manner that can’t be ignored!

Fresh Design

A driveway is the first impression your home makes and if you have sworn your house to modern decor, the driveway should reflect that – preferably through design ideas that feel current and fresh!

Minimalism is something that never looks boring, despite the lack of decorative items. Take this minimalist driveway as an example. It has a sophisticated look that feels very welcoming and doesn’t make your eyes wander anywhere else!

A driveway with stone pavers has a noticeable look that separates it from the concrete road. The appearance of this driveway is rather simplistic, although the copper undertones in the color palette give it a unique dynamic.

The pictured driveway belongs to none other than Kendall Jenner, so let this young homeowner show you what a beautiful addition potted plants can be to a contemporary driveway!

Combining two different materials within a driveway is a really smart way to assure dynamic in the outdoors, as well as balance the eye-catching look of a modern home with a wooden exterior.

A driveway that isn’t paved and has a raw, natural look can be a great contribution to a significantly modern home. The house’s modern design will be balanced by the driveway’s natural look, creating a fresh and unique ambiance!

The slight gray hue of this driveway is just enough to catch your eye! It’s leading up to a white contemporary house that absolutely dominates the space, but a little neutral shade is always a welcoming feature!

Here’s a driveway that truly represents elegance and simplicity, without seeming boring or unimportant. The pavers have a dynamic pattern but appear subtle in their diversity. The house is the element that stands out, so this modern driveway has definitely done a great job!

Sometimes the thing that gives the driveway a charming look isn’t even a part of the driveway itself. In this case, the colorful and tidy garden gives the modern driveway a component of warmth and allure that it would otherwise lack.

This breathtaking villa has a lot of warm tones in its exterior and it feels absolutely harmonious for the big and magnificent driveway to match those tones with its stone pavers!

A minimalist driveway will not overshadow the modern house but will instead contribute to making it the centerpiece of the space.

Modern Simplicity

Modern homes are often decorated with simplicity in mind. While the design may be dynamic and “outside the box”, the general decor remains minimalistic. This concept is absolutely magnificent and it has made its way into the world of modern driveways as well!

A dynamic concrete driveway with a few stripes of greenery and thin lights is a great choice for a house with an incredible modern architecture. It’s wide and spacious, truly defining the space!

A house with a monochrome exterior requires a driveway that blends in! The gray concrete is a fantastic choice that brings the industrial component to the outdoors and seals the modern look!

A modern wooden house that is situated in the nature calls for a driveway that embodies the nature’s charm and beauty. This driveway is truly innovative, built with stones and pebbles, marvelously adding an organic component to the wooden home.

Long driveways create a special atmosphere, blessing your home with a spectacular entrance that feels like a whole experience of its own. The rough look of the gravel is perfect for modern homes in rural areas. This modern farmhouse has an exterior in soft color tones and the dark gravel driveway is a great way to contrast it!

An elegant driveway with a smooth surface is ideal for a luxurious house in bright white tones that calls for clean lines and a cultivated ambiance. The simple driveway ends with wooden garage doors that are also the focal point of the home.

A lot of contemporary houses have incredibly dynamic exteriors, ones that capture all focus and attention. When matched with a neutral asphalt driveway the outdoor area of the home gets a balanced look!

Even a modern driveway can have nature as a big part of it. It can be built around a full grown tree, benefiting from its shade for years to come! When nature meets modern, the design becomes organic and eco-conscious!

A modern gray house with a driveway that perfectly matches its color is an ideal representation of modern minimalism within suburban homes.

Everything about this driveways says simplicity and elegance, beautifully capturing the popular decor philosophy that praises minimalism not only indoors, but outdoors as well!

You're reading 30 Homes That Show Off Their Top-Notch Modern Driveway, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

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