Welcome back to Make It Nice, Defector’s best interior design advice column. Today we have a balcony makeover, thoughts on washable rugs, and a plea to please, please not use contact paper on your countertops!
Jessica asks:
By NYC standards my balcony is HUGE (11′ x 5′) but I can’t seem to make the layout quite work. The two most important things to me are being able to lounge comfortably, and also have a table/chairs for two.
I have a small couch with ottomans and also a gravity chair. Neither are super comfortable to be honest. I like being able to easily move the couch around—at one point I had it against the door instead of under the window—but it’s not quite big enough all around to really relax in. The gravity chair is pretty swagless, which I wouldn’t mind except it’s also not as comfortable as it looked on the website.
I also end up with a lot of dead space in the middle (currently filled by the gravity chair, but I’m thinking of getting rid of the whole setup). Is there an obvious seating arrangement that I’m missing? Should I consider two lounge chairs instead of the couch?
The door next to the couch isn’t used—the actual entrance is the sliding glass door next to the table.
You’re so lucky to have this outdoor space in NYC! I love the folding dining set and think you should keep that, but get rid of all the other seating and start over. You can definitely fit a L-shaped sectional here. I love this one from IKEA and had one for many years when I lived in an apartment with outdoor space. I think you can fit four pieces: two corner sections and two singles with these seat pads and these back cushions. I tried all of IKEA’s cushions, and the ones I’m linking to are the most comfortable ones they have. I prefer the lighter of the two color choices and found that it was very easy to take these off and throw them in the washing machine when they got too dirty.
Here’s a quick mockup of how this could look on your balcony:
It’s definitely tight, but there are a few inches being wasted in this model because the placeholder table is a bit bigger than yours, and the room planner won’t let me push the sofa all the way against the wall. Measure to double check but I’m pretty sure you can fit the four seats in here. Then you can really lounge!
Jill asks:
Thank you for opening my eyes to rugs! I’ve bought two because of this column and they really do make a difference. I’m always seeing Instagram ads for washable rugs. Are those any good?
I like washable rugs for entryways, kitchens, and other high-traffic areas, but I wouldn’t put one in a living room or bedroom. They’re not soft enough and can sometimes feel plasticky—not something you’d want your bare feet to touch.
I’ve owned two washable entry rugs, one from Ruggable and one from Rugs USA, both were fine. The Ruggable one definitely felt more like a rug. Both were relatively small and easy to wash. I liked that I could have the coziness of a rug in the entryway without stressing about it getting dirty.
Revival makes high-end washable rugs that actually look and feel like real rugs. These are going to be more expensive than Ruggable, but they’re suitable for cozier spaces like a kid’s bedroom or play room because they’re actually woven and have some texture.
One thing to consider about washable rugs is that many of them won’t fit in a standard-sized home washing machine. Anything larger than, say, a 4 x 6 will likely require a trip to the laundromat. This is fine, of course, but it does add a step.
Cory asks:
My wife and I have been saving up for a kitchen renovation. The plan is to replace all the appliances, paint the cabinets, add an island and replace the horrible countertops. We are about 5 years out from doing this. The countertops are scratched up and dented and they’re this really awful beige color.
We hate these countertops and we’ve been toying with the idea of using some sort of contact paper or vinyl wrap to cover them up until we can replace them. We’ve also discussed replacing the countertops now, since the layout of the kitchen isn’t going to change other than the addition of the island. I realize this all sounds crazy but the countertops are really ruining the vibe. What would you do?
I would not use vinyl or contact paper to cover the countertops! Those vinyl wraps are a pain in the ass to apply and they’re not durable at all. I also don’t recommend replacing the countertops now—mostly because you’ll need to account for the currently nonexistent island. You could, I suppose, buy enough material to cover the future island and just store it until you’re ready to tackle the rest of the project. I would only recommend doing this if you have a really solid idea of what your finished product will be: cabinet paint color, island size, and, of course, ideal countertop color and finish.
As a third option, you could look into covering your current countertop with another laminate sheet. This Youtube video offers a helpful walkthrough. An 8×4 foot laminate sheet would run you about $75 at Home Depot, plus another $50-60 in materials. Depending on how much countertop you have, this could be a more durable and cost-effective way to cover up the current eyesore while you save for the larger renovation. This would be a pretty advanced DIY project so it might be worth it to price it out with a local handyman. You gotta think about how much you’re willing to spend on a temporary solution. If it were me, I’d just wait it out.
Want my help? Email makeitnice@defector.com or leave a comment below.