How to light a balcony – 4 ways to transform a small outdoor space with imaginative lighting

Balconies can be tricky to light. You don't want to annoy your neighbors with bright lights that cause light trespass, but at the same time, you need to see what you're doing.

However, when it comes to lighting, balconies have lots of advantages over patios or terraces. The small square footage can actually be a blessing because inexpensive, dim outdoor lighting that would never work in a large garden can work perfectly well in a more modest space.

We delve into the best ways to light up a balcony to create a cozy yet practical outdoor space.

1. Use string lights

It's perhaps a little obvious, but the best way to light most balconies is to use string lights. This creates atmospheric, ambient light, and because balconies are relatively small, this light is practical in a way that it usually isn't in a big garden.

There are lots of ways you can do this. You can drape the lights along the balcony wall, and if you have a railing or balusters it's incredibly easy to wind the lights around them for a relaxed look. If you own the balcony and can work on it, it's an easy DIY project to drill some hooks and hang wire from the walls to make a light wall feature at one or other end of the balcony.

If you can't or don't want to drill, you can recreate this effect with a freestanding trellis, and this can be an easy way of introducing greenery into your balcony too.

Gardens expert Thom Rutter says, 'With a planter trellis like this from Amazon, you can combine your lighting and planting. You can run string lights through the trellis for gentle background lighting and plant the built-in boxes with common balcony plants, like fuchsia, dianthus, and lobelia.'

Thomas Rutter

Thomas is a Content Editor within the Gardens Team at Homes and Gardens. He has worked as a professional gardener in gardens across the UK and in Italy, specializing in productive gardening, and growing food and flowers. Trained in Horticulture at the Garden Museum, London, he has written on gardening and garden history for various publications.

2. Lamps and lanterns

String lights aren't the only solution. Lamps can be one of the best ways to light a balcony. Here, the small size of a balcony is actually an advantage. In most backyards, outdoor lamps are pretty useless. They're quite small and dim, casting a little light a few feet but not providing enough light to see by.

On a balcony, however, lamps are perfect. Soft light covering a few feet will illuminate the whole area without totally overwhelming it with bright light. With the light source hidden behind a shade, frosted glass, or turned down low for a flickering candle effect, lamps are perfect for moody, atmospheric lighting on a balcony.

You have a few options for placement, too. A tall floor lamp is perfect for a corner of a balcony, just like any other room of your home. You can place lamps on the floor of the balcony for low-level light, and small table lamps are a great option for lighting up a small bistro set.

3. Clever use of spotlights

Spotlights can be a great way of lighting up a balcony – you just have to be clever about how you do it.

You can use spotlights to light the walls of your balcony. Just place them a the base of the walls and aim the head of the light at the join where the wall meets the floor. This will spill light up the wall, making for diffuse light across the wall. It's a much more professional effect than an obvious light fixture.

However, you have to get the angle right or the effect won't work. If busy cities, this method can easily cause light pollution - if one of the spotlights goes awry or you mess up the angle on your lights, you could make some potent light pollution and trespass, which is an easy way to start an argument with a neighbor.

4. Candles – but only if you're allowed

Candles are another effective way of lighting a balcony, and they're much more effective in this space than almost any other outdoor area. Because balconies are small, the candlelight is more effective, and because they're relatively closed off from the wind, unlike a patio, candles are easy to light and use on a patio. They offer an inexpensive, rustic feel, bringing atmosphere to any outdoor space.

However, there are a couple of catches. The first is the obvious ongoing cost and admin of buying tealights or pillar candles. The cost is tiny - you can grab 50 tealights at Walmart for under $3, for example - but it is more than running a light on utility power.

Moreover, there could be HOA rules against burning candles on your balcony. Many condos have rules against grilling on a balcony, and the strictest even ban candles. This is a fire safety measure, so you may not be allowed to burn candles.

A more involved solution is to install wall lights, and these can be tricky to fit in shared buildings with balconies. We've covered some of the best outdoor wall lighting ideas to help you light up your walls.