Balcony tapchan

How did we turn the concrete “bathtub”, i.e. our balcony, into a pleasant place for relaxing and socialising?

The presence of trees, a pleasant view, sunshine from the south and the west: A perfect invitation to spend time on the balcony, especially in the spring and autumn. But the balcony, sized 120x200cm, seemed like a concrete bathtub. If you sit on a chair, it’s not comfortable. A single recliner would take up the whole space. It would be great to sit on the floor, but it’s cold and you can’t see out.

And then we found out about the brilliant Central-Asian invention: tapchan, a raised platform with mattresses and pillows, used for resting, dining and socialising.

http://thebigsofascentralasia.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-words-to-express-...

We used fir wood to make four mini-platforms and four rails, two on the balcony wall and two below the window.

If all the mini-platforms are on the lower rails, you get a nice tapchan for socialising, resting, even working outside.

Alternatively, you can raise some platforms onto the higher rails and get a table with benches.