Thomashlynshome #8: Bringing safety to the Balcony with Legates Invisible Grilles

"Sometimes, you just need to step outside, get some fresh air, and remind yourself of who you are and who you want to be."

 

It took our family a while to get used to living with ample outdoor spaces at home as we were new to having a balcony, what more a spacious balcony. We didn't know what to do with these outdoor spaces or how to style it. But now, we are enjoying the space as it brings us much tranquility. Hubby and I often find each other looking out into the green. It's pretty calming and rejuvenating.

On fine weather, we would go for a relaxing alfresco dining at the balcony. It's usually breakfast and dinner as it can get super hot in the afternoon. Our dining table, from Comfort Design Furniture, is made from aluminum  Plastic ‘wood’ called Aluminium Epoxy. It gives a sleek woody look and it's weather resistant. We had to customize the size of the table as most of the outdoor dining tables are either too small or too large. So happy that this piece fits the space so nicely!

Besides being an outdoor dining area, it's also Emma's water play area. Just give her a bath tub or a container filled with water and she would be happy to play by herself for quite some time. She also loves taking a stroll at the balcony, checking out the pool and road, when she needs a breather. Given the amount of time and freedom Emma has at the balcony, we just have to make the space as safe as we could.

It's lovely to have an open to sky and grilles-free balcony but the practical us prefer a sheltered and safe space. So, we installed an awning and invisible grilles. 

The invisible grilles, from Legates, are one of the best investment we have for the house. It keeps our view of the lush greenery while providing security and protection to the balcony. It would be super dangerous to have children hanging around at the balcony without the invisible grilles!

It can get quite confusing when it comes to choosing invisible grilles. These days, you can even get invisible grilles from small curtain shops. How do we choose our invisible grilles? 

I was naive to call up quite a handful of shops to check out their pricing. In the end, they all gave me an estimated price and asked for a site visit. I found out that while pricing plays an important role, it's the quality of the invisible grilles and after-sales service that really matters. Since we probably won't be changing the invisible grilles in the near future, we thought it would be more reliable to get from a reputable shop like Legates. At least, the shop will still be around if there needs any repair or maintenance. 

When we visited Legates, I was impressed by their transparency. They presented grilles made from different materials and countries. After much consideration, we went for the ones made in Korea. It costs slightly more than others, but I'm sure it would worth every cents. 

To make the space even more cooling, we also installed a Acorn Fantasia DC356 Ceiling fan. The ceiling fan is powerful and could even cool part of the living room. The wind can be strong so we couldn't put up any fancy lights so the ceiling fan also acts as the main light for the balcony.

That's all about our outdoor spaces for now!

Our roof terrace, where this spiral staircase leads to, still needs more designing. It's pretty much untouched and very bare up there!