From the inside
A good start to the day
Start the day in peace and quiet - no matter what the weather's like - on your own glazed balcony.
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Room with a view
Two years ago the Eriksfält and Blekingsborg tenants’ associations chose to extend and glaze in all 651 balconies on their properties. We visited two of the residents to hear how they use their balconies.
“It wasn’t easy finding an apartment to match all our tastes,” explains Jörgen Magnusson, when he meets us outside his block in central Malmö. “Together, my partner and I have eight (!) children, which means there were a lot of different opinions to accommodate when it was time to move. This apartment was the first one where we all felt that everything was right.” It’s not hard to understand why, as the family lives on the 11th floor, with magnificent views across Malmö. The floorspace is 128 m2, split across two levels – but added to that are three balconies, measuring 10 m2 each! “In the summer, we spend almost all the time on the balcony outside the kitchen,” says Jörgen. “This is where we eat, talk, read, and I also like to sit here with my computer.”
So what do you do on the other balconies? “Well, the south-facing balcony is often very warm, so we usually open it up and sunbathe. One of my sons also used the balcony as a bedroom in the summer. Because we have roller blinds, we were able to make the temperature inside fine for sleeping – even when it was really hot outside. The balcony on the upper floor is mostly used as a home gym. That’s where my daughter has an exercise bike and a rowing machine. We’re over the moon with our apartment, and the balconies play a huge part in that,” concludes Jörgen. Göta Pettersson lives just a couple of blocks from Jörgen. She has lived in the area since it was built in 1958. “When we moved here, we just had a small balcony, with barely enough space for a table and a couple of chairs. The refurbishment gave me much more space – now there’s plenty of room for people to sit. I love my balcony. I like to sit here playing patience, drinking coffee with my friends and watching the world go by. It’s wonderful!”