It’s a common fact that having sturdy and high-quality balcony railings installed in our homes is very important as it provides numerous benefits not only to the structure itself but also to the people inhabiting it. Aside from beautifying the house’s exteriors, it also offers protection from outside elements that may harm the house or people in it. However, the production and installation processes are not to be taken lightly. Coming up with the best style that fits your railings without compromising their durability and longevity would require an intensive amount of research, consultation, and planning, especially in your budget. You might be having second thoughts about having to customize your own Art Deco balcony railings but are worried that it might be inexpensive. Worry no more since we’re here to assist in giving you more reasons why you need to avail the Art Deco railings while considering the affordable options that you can receive.
Source: Architectural Digest
Exploring the Art Deco Style
This concept became one of the most influential home design trends in the 20th century and was popularized by French architects and designers. While its entire design is a bit difficult to simplify into a single and unified idea due to the several characteristics it embodies, the distinct details can be distinguished through the recognizable elements such as the prominent use of geometric formations and utilization of materials made of marble or metal. There are countless innovations released as of the present as many had their various takes on the aforementioned interior design style. Although the traditional take on the Art Deco style isn’t widely applied anymore, modern designers have infused technological elements to improve give an upgrade to the concept. It is a fact to this day that the style can be adapted to suit any house interior structure without neglecting the essence of the elements that come with it. You also have the freedom to add contemporary details to have a touch of your personality to the concept.
But the design itself isn’t limited to the interior only. Your balcony railings can be personalized to complement the materials used to exhibit the style on the outside. Since it mainly utilizes industrial materials that are reinforced with Greek or Roman details, you have to make sure that it is customized with exceptional quality that is far different from the traditional or classic design because tendencies are, you will be met with several replacements and fixtures as soon as the condition of the components begins to deteriorate.
Source: Pinterest
Modernizing Art Deco Balcony Railings
Most designers would probably suggest you change the entire interior design to a more modern or contemporary style like the minimalist or rustic so that your railings would flawlessly match but there’s good news for you! If you want to maintain the Art Deco architectural design of your home, there is an option of having the steel or aluminum railing panels to suit the bold and sleek details. This can also be added with ornamental top rail with circular or zigzag patterns for a visually appealing design.
On the other hand, some houses follow the opposite of Art Deco, the Art Moderne which is known for horizontal details that highlight movements of elements. It’s a bit challenging to have balconies that incorporate such styles due to the curved edges. If that’s the case, we recommend that you integrate modular pre-assembled panels to approach the curves easily or you may also have to bend both the top and bottom rails and attach individual balusters for support. For additional assistance, we have listed below more choices you might want to note that can suit Art Deco homes best:
- Glass Railings – Either in the form of glass balusters or full panels, these are perfect instead of opting for the traditional balusters because of the way it fits the curved edges well. Fitting panels to these curved edges would require you to cut the panels shorter until it perfectly fits. Compared to the classic balusters, glass balusters are more durable and easily fits the edges better.
- Cable Railings – These are better alternatives to balusters with tensely stretched steel cables and similar to glass railings, these are suitable for Art Deco-styled houses due to their industrial look that exudes a formal and sophisticated aesthetic.
- Traditional Curved Railings – It is expected that it would appropriately match the curved edges of most porches and decks as both the top and bottom parts of the railing itself is already customized to match the curve without having to specifically measure the area where it is planned to be installed. The downside, however, is that producing these types of railings requires extensive work, and if the materials are not easy to bend, it will be needing the assistance of specialized cutting machines that could cut without breaking the material.
Out of the choices above, the most affordable option would be the glass or cable railings because their minimalist feature is advantageous as it allows them to suit any type of design whether curved or not. On top of that, these do not need high maintenance like replacing their coating or paint as it only needs minimal cleaning.
Source: Balcony Store
Final thoughts
Perhaps you may be wondering about whatever option is left available for houses that have prominent curves in their structure. For this, you may begin by cutting railing panels short to fit the corners of the areas or following shapes with edges that can match the curves. As straight railing panels often do not match curved Art Deco architectural styles, you will have to resort to customizing railing panels which would mean additional money to spend. Steel is one of the affordable materials out there that’s sturdy enough to be cut and would not require a piece of specialized cutting machinery to customize its size. This would also imply that you have to leave other elements such as exterior railing lights to give way to this type of railing system since you cannot attach wires on steel railings.
But of course, all of this is better planned with the help of professionals who are indeed very knowledgeable and could give information that you need to know before finalizing the type of railings that will be installed on your balcony. You may visit www.creativemetalmd.com and schedule a consultation to have a gist of what goes on with the conceptualization and construction of your railings that could match your Art Deco home.
