Including a balcony in your custom home design can be exciting, especially if you have always dreamed of having one on the exterior of your home. A conventional balcony has plenty of advantages, but it's important to consider the various types of balconies that are available. One such option is a Juliet balcony, which is something that you may wish to discuss with your custom builder. A Juliet balcony isn't like a conventional balcony. Instead, it essentially just consists of a decorative railing placed outside of a set of double doors on an upper level of your home. In most cases, you cannot walk onto a Juliet balcony, but there are several reasons that you might favor having one.
More Natural Light
Natural light can make any room inviting, which may have you looking for ways to incorporate sources of natural light into your custom home design. A good option is a Juliet balcony, which typically has double doors behind it. Provided that you choose glass doors — something that people often do in this application — you'll have a large amount of light coming into the room through the glass. If you were to choose a window instead of a Juliet balcony, there's a good chance that the window would be smaller because it wouldn't extend all the way to the floor — thus resulting in less natural light flowing into the room.
Exterior Visual Appeal
One of the fun things about working with a custom home builder is that you can incorporate a number of visually appealing elements outside and inside of your home. You may feel that the addition of a couple of Juliet balconies on the front of the house increases its curb appeal. This detail can look more eye-catching if you choose a railing style that appears elsewhere — for example, you may wish to match the railing on your Juliet balcony to the railing on your front porch.
Safety For Children
Some parents worry about their children being able to open second-story windows or doors and perhaps fall out. While locks can prevent this serious issue, a Juliet balcony is also useful in this regard. Even if your child were able to open one of the doors behind the balcony — which might be possible if you forgot to lock it — the railing immediately outside of the doors would prevent the child from going anywhere. Conversely, because a second-story window doesn't have this feature, it could potentially pose a hazard for children who could potentially fall through a screen.