Balcony Surround Ideas
Made-to-measure covering all round
A balcony surround made of fabric closes off the railing on all sides, or only where prying eyes are a nuisance. What matters is how it is divided up: usually each railing bay gets its own balcony privacy screen, and at corners you can choose between one screen per side and one long screen around the corner. Here you will find ideas for the layout, for colour and design, and for the small balcony that should look better with little effort.
How do you design a balcony surround made of fabric? With a made-to-measure balcony privacy screen for each railing bay, fixed without drilling. The ideas at a glance:
- All round in bays: each bay gets its own screen with its own width and height.
- Corners: one separate screen per side, or one long screen around the corner over two or three sides.
- Gate: a separate screen, with cut-outs for hinges and handle.
- One colour all round or bays in two colours: then several balcony privacy screens in different colours.
- Cord in a colour that matches the fabric, or cable ties.
- Small balcony: start with the bay through which most prying eyes come.
- Balcony with a roof: a curtain at the top, the balcony privacy screen below.
Thinking All Round in Bays
A railing almost always consists of several bays between the posts. A balcony surround that fits well all round follows these bays. So we usually divide the covering into individual elements, one element per bay. At corners you decide whether the surround is interrupted there or runs through.
One Screen per Bay
Each element has its own width and height. That way bays of different widths also fit, and you can take down a single screen without releasing the whole surround.
Corner, Option 1: One Screen per Side
At the corner one balcony privacy screen ends, and a new one begins on the next side. You measure each side individually. Each screen can be taken down separately, and you can order each side in a different colour. This also suits offsets where the railing changes direction several times.
Corner, Option 2: One Long Screen Around the Corner
A single balcony privacy screen runs around the corner over two or three sides. You then measure the width as the sum of all sides the screen is to cover. The surround looks as if made from one piece and has no gap at the corner. You decide which option to take. If the layout is complicated, our office team includes a sketch of the arrangement.
The Gate
A balcony gate gets its own element so that it can still be opened. For hinges, handle or lock, we work cut-outs into the fabric. For this we need the dimensions of these parts. The existing fittings on the gate can serve as a fixing point.
Measure per Bay
For each screen you give width and height, and for a screen around the corner the sum of the sides. Where exactly to measure and which tolerance to allow for is explained under Making your own balcony privacy screen and measuring.
Colour and Design
A fabric all round shapes the balcony from the inside and from the street. With a few decisions, you determine whether the surround looks calm or sets accents.
One Colour All Round
All bays in the same shade give a closed, calm picture. Light shades look lighter on a small balcony, while dark shades recede.
Set One Bay Apart
Bays in two colours mean several balcony privacy screens: you order separate screens per colour, for example for the bay in front of the seating area or the gate. A long screen around the corner, on the other hand, has one colour throughout.
Cord or Cable Ties
On request we supply cord in a colour that matches the fabric, so the fixing is hardly noticeable. Cable ties are the plainer choice.
Plain or Striped
The balcony privacy screen comes in four fabrics, plain or striped. A striped fabric sets an accent, a plain fabric looks calmer. Which fabric suits your situation is explained under Balcony privacy screen ideas.
Look at the Colour Beforehand
Our fabrics come in fixed colour collections, and exact RAL shades are not possible. We pick a similar shade from the collection for you. With free fabric swatches you see the colour on your own railing.
Designing a Small Balcony
On a small balcony the surround does not have to go all round. Often one screen at the side through which most prying eyes come is enough, for example towards the street or the neighbour. It is fixed with cable ties or cord, entirely without drilling. How to thread the cord through the eyelets and re-tension it is shown in Fixing a balcony covering.
- Start with one bay: where the view in is greatest.
- Tools: a pair of scissors or side cutters, you need nothing more.
- Removable for the season: release the cord or cable ties, take the screen down, put it back up in spring.
- Light fabric: looks lighter in a tight space than a dark one.
When the Balcony Has a Roof
With a loggia or a covered balcony, the privacy does not end at the railing. Below, the balcony privacy screen closes off the railing, and above it a made-to-measure balcony curtain hangs on a wire rope or a track. It can be pushed to the side when you want the view outside. For larger areas between the house wall and posts there are outdoor curtains. If there is no roof and you want shade from above, read how to fix a shade sail on the balcony. For the ground-level patio without a railing there are separate patio privacy ideas.
What to Clarify First
If you rent, ask your landlord before fixing to the railing, preferably in writing. How to align the screen, fix it at the top, bottom and sides and whether it sits inside or outside is explained step by step under Fixing a privacy screen to the balcony railing.
A balcony surround made of fabric protects from prying eyes and sun, it is not a storm or rain roof. In storms you are better off taking the screen down. What helps in strong wind is explained under Wind protection ideas for patio and balcony.
You will find all pages on privacy for balcony and patio in the balcony privacy guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Last reviewed: 09.11.2026 · Reviewer: Germes-Team
Plan Your Balcony Surround
In the configurator you enter width and height for each bay and choose fabric, colour and fixing. Free fabric swatches show you the colour before you order.