Balcony make-over.

I recently had the idea of making a sofa for my balcony and I'm not regretting that choice for a second. I used to have 2 wooden chairs and a table, which, theoretically was a good idea for eating out on the balcony. But the sofa is a different deal. It's so relaxing to lay there in the morning sun eating your breakfast, sunbathing, drinking a glass of wine in the evening or having an afternoon nap. I'm out there so much more now.
So what about the sofa? It wouldn't take a reader long to know that many of the things I write about on my blog are about DIY, so of course I had to make the sofa by myself! I picked up 3 wooden crates, put one up against the wall and two on the floor and "tada" it was all done. I cut an old mattress in 2 in order to give it the proper bend, and covered it all with a strong light fabric.
What else did my balcony need? Storage space. And what did I do to get it? Recycled DIY of course!
I felt a bit like a crazy woman keeping my eyes out near the bins on the street, but it was worth it. I'd stop my bike in the middle of the road and run over if I saw a beautiful wooden box. Then balancing it all the way home. My husband was making fun of me every time I'd come home with a new box. The result is 5 stacked up wooden boxes that are filled with pots, candles, pegs, seeds, etc. One I've used for the table, and its perfect because it gives me space inside of it for storage, and also a good solid table.
One corner is for the pots which I placed on one of the small wooden crates as well as an old kids wooden chair that I found while searching for boxes.
A bbq made out of a terracotta pot and a grill I found in the same size. Coal in the pot and it's finished. Great for just making a quite steak for 2.
Final touches were pillows, a mat, pots, etc.

The wooden box storage and table.

My balcony wouldn't be complete without Peanut by my side. Here seen in action licking my leg.

Home made ladder (check earlier posts) with can candle holders (also see earlier posts).

Old children's chair with a pot with mixed plants.

Tomatoes and the herb corner. Pots placed on wooden crates.

The wooden box table on a 3euro Ikea rug, Peanut sunbathing on the sofa.

DIY _ recycled paper mache lamp

I made this gorgeous lamp a few months ago. Check out the instructions on how to make one for yourself


The cable I had bought in Sweden wasn't adapt for Italy, so a friend of mine was nice enough to modify it for me and help me assemble it. And I just love it. It gives a lot of character to the room and I just adore having something unique at home that I made. The lightbulb that I've used is a very large clear lightbulb but I'm going to change it for a matte one, or with lower Watt as now its too bright and hot.
This lamp is made out of newspaper using a paper mache technique. The outside has then been painted white and the inside has been painted turquoise. I made some holes on purpose in order to create  a more interesting light.  

The lamp at night time with my dad's painting in the background.