Balcony Day Dreaming

Ever since Jon and I moved out of my in-laws house in 2012, I've longed for an deck/outdoor space to enjoy a meal or cup of coffee in. In our last apartment (we rented the first floor of a 2 family home), there was a small yard but the only place sturdy enough to sit with a chair was in our driveway-not exactly my dream locale.

When we were deciding wether or not to move forward with our new place, Jon asked what my favorite feature of the apartment was and I immediately said, "the deck". Given how updated and different our new place is from our old, he was taken aback by my response (he was most excited for the open concept, updated kitchen #surprise).

Since moving in on Jan 22 (the day before the 2016 Snowpocalypse), I've been back and forth to Ikea weekly picking up new furniture and accents for the new place-happily we are almost done!

You may have seen this Instagram post where I shared my new favorite tome/magazine. For $7.99 it costs less than many high end fashion mags, but it has the feel of a coffee table book and features gorgeous shots of real homes using Ikea products. On my last trip to the store, I decided that I would also pick up another one of these books titled, "Step In. Step Out.", and I did just last night!

This book details over 29 outdoor spaces, both large and small, and I am feeling SUPER inspired to dress up our little balcony for the warmer months. I'm so excited for Sunday morning pancakes on the balcony in our pjs or Tuesday night dinners with a glass of wine after work-you can bet that you'll see such meals chronicled on Instagram immediately!

I've decided to go with a "French Bistro" theme for the balcony (cue Jon rolling his eyes), which could not be more different from our "Modern Bachelor" indoor aesthetic. Keep reading for the pieces I'm planning to dress up the balcony with-all of which are super afforable!

If you have any suggestions, I'm open to hear them!! Also, does anyone have a good crepe recipe??

You can also follow some of my more elaborate outdoor ideas on this Pinterest board!