Bistro Tables on UK Balconies: Fit Data for 30 Common Balcony Sizes

Balcony furniture fails on depth rather than area: a table with chairs facing each other needs around 180cm of clear depth once the space to push back and stand is counted, which is more than the smallest compliant new build balcony provides. Furniture in Fashion did not measure 30 balconies, and no published UK dataset of as built balcony dimensions exists, so this report works from furniture geometry tested against the London Plan private outdoor space standard of 5 square metres with a minimum depth and width of 1.5m. It sets out what fits at each depth band, explains why placing both chairs on the same side facing outwards cuts the depth requirement to around 120cm, and covers the practical issues of wind exposure on upper floors, drainage falls that make rigid four leg tables rock, and door swing. Guidance covers chair choice, folding tables and where to place furniture against the balustrade....