I'm full of DIY advice today, it would seem.

You could try a pebble/epoxy overlay. Super easy to do, all you'll need is polished round pebble, epoxy, and a trowel.

Or just go with the pebbles (round and polished, of course), for a more organic feel. Think crunch when you walk. You could use paver edging tacked to the concrete to contain the pebbles from falling from the balcony.

PJ

Tx. I did think of that but then there's the weight/safety issue since the balcony is not recessed but completely juts out from the side of the building....

What about a bamboo rug? They sell them in all sorts of sizes. It would not have to cover the entire area. You could stain the concrete for contrast.

I wouldn't worry too much about the weight, if that's something that your interested in. You would only need about 3 cuft of pebble to cover the balcony at a 1" depth, which is about 300lbs. If you went with an epoxy overlay, it would be less than half that.

Cantilevered balcony's are designed to hold a pretty good deal of weight, code requirements ensure it. Think about it, when was the last time you heard about a balcony just falling off the side of the building. If your concerned about it, talk to your property manager, they should be able to tell you the design criteria. I suspect you will be surprised at how much weight they are designed to hold.

PJ

Thanks Susan. A bamboo rug did occur to me....do you know if those things would hold up if kept outdoors 24/7...in rain and snow? Tx!

Again, not forever. You might check around for something designed to go outside. Some of the sisal-looking outdoor rugs are quite attractive, and they stand up to a lot of abuse. And you can clean them with a hose.

Tx. I did look for outdoor bamboo rugs but they pretty much all said they were meant for indoors or else 'not intended to remain in the sun'. Unfortunately I can't have somethng that I keep outdoors sometimes and indoors other times...just no other space inside!

I'll look for sisal.

Tx!

Something like this?

Here is a link that might be useful: Outdoor Rug

Thanks very much for all your help Susan! Yes, something like that would have been perfect. I even found another site where I could have custom-ordered the size, the trim, everything.... but then I remembered.... ;-(

Part of the reason I made sure I got a new apartment that had a balcony was...I like being able to let my two cats out there (I will have a screen enclosure built around the entire balcony....). And one of my cats is ex-feral, and has always had random peeing issues. He likes to pee on plastic bags and...he used to sometimes pee on my outdoor doormat. So I suspect he'd use any type of outdoor rug in this same way. And while it occurred to me that I could hose this rug down, it's just not that easy to do when you live in a 4th floor apartment in the city, nor would I feel like carrying a full size rug in from the balcony to say clean it in my shower....

So....I think I will unfortunately have to forego the rug.

I'll just have to live with my cement balcony floor, for as long as I'm still living here. (It's only supposed to be a temporary rental only...maybe 2 years....)

Tx!