Balcony and loggia design: making a narrow space useful in a Riga flat

What to do with a balcony or loggia: ideas

Good balcony design starts with a plain question: what will you actually do out here every week? Possible uses are a lounge corner, a reading spot, a small workspace and a small dining spot. Storage is another option.

Pick one main use. In a narrow space, a lounge seat, a desk and a cupboard usually get in each other's way.

In a project by Valerija Gelfere, the green kitchen flat, the loggia was turned into a lounge corner with bean bags and shelving, shown in the photo above.

How to plan a narrow balcony or loggia

Width decides everything here. Measure first, and mark where the balcony door and window casements swing, because that shows how much room you really have. Then draw the furniture on a plan, and only then go shopping. What usually helps:

• shallow furniture along the long wall, so you can still walk through;
• a folding table or drop-down shelf that opens only when needed;
• a storage bench: seat and cupboard in one;
• shelves set higher on the wall, which keeps the floor clear;
• one colour for walls and ceiling, so the narrow space does not break into stripes;
• a wall light and sockets planned before the finishes go on.

Loggia glazing in Riga: why it comes first

Loggia glazing is the first decision, because it usually settles whether you can use the space in autumn and which finishes will suit it at all. Choose furniture and colours afterwards.

LSM reported in July 2023 that Riga had simplified its procedure for glazing loggias. It covered standard buildings of series 103, 104, 119, 464, 467 and 602, in groups 2 and 3. That concerns loggias, not balconies. If you use the standard sketch from the territorial plan, no construction documents are needed.

For an individual solution, a certified architect prepares a facade sketch, and it goes into BIS with an explanatory note for approval by the city development department. Variants must not be mixed on one facade. Before the work, a certified specialist assesses the technical condition.

This is the position as of July 2023, not verified since, so check the current procedure with the Riga City Construction Board (Rīgas būvvalde).

Do you need the other owners' consent to glaze a loggia?

On 28 December 2025 LV portāls answered a resident of a block due for renovation, where the loggias were to be opened up and glazed. It said a technical survey report covering the loggias is needed, and if the existing report does not cover them, a new report or a supplement. It also said the consent of a majority of the flat owners is needed. That answer was about that case and is not a general rule for one owner glazing one loggia. It is also for information only and is not a ruling on your building.

Ask the building manager whether the survey report already covers the loggias before you sign with a contractor. Whether any of this applies to your loggia is a question for the Riga City Construction Board (Rīgas būvvalde).

Loggia insulation: warm or cold?

A cold loggia is glazed but not insulated. A warm one is insulated so that you can spend time there in winter too. Glass alone usually does not make it warm, so it is better to decide before the finishes. On a cold loggia, materials that cope with damp and frost are the usual choice; a warm one can be finished more like a room.

A concrete slab stays cold, and condensation can form where insulation is only partial. One source says balconies start to leak when the waterproofing fails or was never laid, and that the surface needs a fall so water can drain. That is not a Latvian standard, so ask a specialist about your own loggia.

No direct source could be found on moving a radiator to a loggia or heating one: ask the Riga City Construction Board (Rīgas būvvalde) and a certified specialist. No standard slab load could be found either: that takes a structural engineer's calculation.

Can you join a loggia to a room?

No direct source could be found on removing a loggia wall or threshold, so whether it is allowed remains an open question. Before you plan such a room, ask the Riga City Construction Board (Rīgas būvvalde) and a certified specialist.

The nearest analogy is adding an adjacent room. On 4 December 2025 Riga municipality answered a question in LV portāls about adding a neighbour's room to a flat. If no load-bearing wall is touched, you need an architect's plan and a notification in BIS (vienkāršota atjaunošana). An opening in a load-bearing wall takes an architect, a structural engineer and a vienkāršota pārbūve and, if the building is divided into flats, the consent of 50% + 1 of the owners. The cadastral file is updated afterwards. That is about rooms, not loggias, so read it only as a picture of the process.

Balconies and loggias in the historic centre

No specific rule on loggia glazing in the historic centre could be found. On a monument, the heritage authority must approve the solution; elsewhere in the centre, ask the Riga City Construction Board (Rīgas būvvalde).

How Valerija Gelfere helps with loggia design

Valerija Gelfere has worked in Riga since 2020. For a loggia she draws a 2D plan with the furniture and shows it in 3D from all angles, so you see at once whether the desk, shelves and door clash. A material collage settles the colours and finishes before you buy anything.

A loggia project costs from 5 €/m², with no minimum area. Valerija carries out neither glazing nor renovation; she recommends painters, tilers and electricians she has worked with.