How to fill my shelves without resorting to poncery?

[wendylovesbob]

Our new house has a smallish balcony off the sitting room, about 7x2 meters - not really big enough to be useful but we have a couple of chairs and a table, the old swing chair, the rat cage, a trunk for beach stuff etc. I have been trying to make it look niceish, not just a dumping ground.

I bought a set of black, metal, Ikea shelves. I thought they might be useful - and they look sort of balconyish. Anyway. I have nothing to put on them. They are empty and silly.

Anything I put on them looks poncey.

I tried just plants but it looked like the potplant corner in Tescos.

I have a few terracota pots and stuff but it looks too try-hard. Like a "display shelf".

I am a dickhead. Help me.

I so need an Auricula Theatre.

I can't put books outside .

No, definitely meters, not feet.

Mamathula, please don't drink the wine before climbing out of the window!

That auricula theatre makes me think of the zen garden in Plants vs Zombies.

Dead birds under arty glass cloches of course durrrrr.

Its outside! Doh.

You must have plants. Not artfully placed naff ole spider plants, more <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=gb.fotolibra.com/images/thumbnails/350747-cuttings-of-herbs-growing-in-a-tin-can.jpeg&imgrefurl=www.fotolibra.com/gallery/660112/tins-of-soup/like/&usg=__gBthU5GdmQw4grR5bbWTCOfgQcM=&h=144&w=96&sz=11&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=3MTBH31FOdRYSM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=76&ei=D1WCTdajLYqahQeBium8BA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgrowing%2Bherbs%2Bin%2Btin%2Bcans%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D583%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=608&vpy=117&dur=359&hovh=115&hovw=76&tx=82&ty=96&oei=D1WCTdajLYqahQeBium8BA&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tin cans and recycled containers mish mash mixture with veg seedlings and stuff inside eg chillis, herbs, salad leaves

Wheelybug!

I already knew what an auricula theatre was.

Get you to an auction.I went yesterday,looking for a table,and came home with a Victorian rosewood box,a framed pencil drawing and a pair of vases.The whole lot was under £50.

Other than that,how about a weather station?

Sorry, hadn't read the whole thread properly so didn't see that it was outside. Agree re plants, but yes you must avoid the B&Q garden section aesthetic. Taffetas's tips are great e.g. mix of different plants and containers, casual rather than carefully chosen and placed. Outside-safe fairy lights are cute too.