02 Apr 10 Garden Seating Ideas To Transform The Way You Use Your Outdoor Space
Garden designer, Katie Moyes, shares 10 of her favourite garden seating ideas
The images in this blog are a mix of our own designs interspersed with some of the inspiring spots we’ve stumbled upon. Each one is uniquely special and illustrates a different way of using your outdoor space. As well as showing you some gorgeous, pictures of garden seating ideas, Katie also shares, her top tips on designing and creating your perfect outdoor seating area.
Here are 10 garden seating ideas
- Place a simple bench in your front garden.
- A small patio with bistro set can be full of charm.
- Create an outdoor dining area.
- Invest in comfy sofas and add blankets and cushions.
- Build a pretty arbour and train climbing plants over it.
- Surround a fire pit with rustic logs for seating.
- Use a timber seat as a resting point part way down the garden.
- Make a child friendly seating area with tiny chairs.
- Upcycle old kitchen chairs with brightly coloured paints.
- Create a stargazing area with reclining chairs and clear views of the sky
Scroll down for tips on designing and styling your outdoor seating area and for inspirational pictures of real life gardens.
A small courtyard garden becomes a tranquil haven when furnished with stylish sofas and adorned with lush planting
How To Design An Outdoor Seating Area
We all know that being able to sit down and relax is key to enjoying your garden. But creating that ideal spot is more than just plopping down a chair! It’s a whole vibe!
How do you want your outdoor space to make you feel? Energised? Refreshed? Calm? Contented? Good garden design is as much about emotions as it is about aesthetics. So how does garden seating tie in with that?
Well, we’re not talking about furniture choices here, we’re talking about creating the right ambience around that furniture.
Choosing The Right Spot For Sitting
First think about where your seating area will sit in relation to your property and other garden features. Layout is everything.
Be imaginative. Garden seating doesn’t need to be in the back garden, and it doesn’t have to be adjacent to the house. Dare to be different.
Do you want to see and be seen? Or are seclusion and privacy important to you? If privacy a consideration, you could invest in a pergola or place your seating area in a corner of the garden that feels less exposed.
Would you prefer to be near your indoor living areas and enjoy the same view as you have from inside your home? Or are you happy to wander down the garden for a fresh perspective of your property?
Sunshine or shade? Take note of how the sun travels around your garden and place your seating area accordingly. Do you want to enjoy the evening sunshine? Or are you a breakfast in the garden kind of person?
Is there a beautiful view you’d like to optimise? Or do you want to be distracted from looking at neighbouring properties?
How do you want to journey to this seating area? Meandering along a winding path? Stepping directly outside your door? Walking through a beautiful tunnel of scented plants?
Remember – there are no rules about how many seats you can have in your garden. Why not have a patio for al-fresco eating, a small secluded area for intimate chats AND a bench where you can rest a while and enjoy the view.
Garden design for a newbuild property where having more than one seating area allows the homeowners to move around the garden with the sun. Paths, Stepping stones, and a winding play path offer an interesting array of journeys around the space.
How Big Does Your Outdoor Seating Area Need To Be?
If you already have furniture in mind, you can use the measurements to figure out roughly how much space you’ll need. Don’t forget to factor in that you and your guests may need to walk around chairs and tables before they can sit down. And that at some point in the future you may want to change-up your furniture choices.
Read our a handy guide to patio sizes here.
Colour and styling can truly enhance the appeal of a garden seating area
Ideas For Styling Your Garden Seating Area
Just a few more things to think about before we show you ten of our favourite garden seating ideas.
- Use existing garden features to add enjoyment to your garden seating area. A shady tree, a hedge or fence for screening, a wonderful view
- Outdoor dining is made all the more compelling when you have a stylish patio with ambient lighting for evening use.
- Make the most of existing trees for shade.
- Cozy sofas with extra cushions and blankets are just as great for lively chats with friends as they are for relaxing with a good book.
- Careful planting and/or adding a water feature will set the mood.
- Love being outside? An outdoor cinema screen could truly enhance your lifestyle
- Add lighting to enable you to use your outdoor seating at any time of the day or night.
- Don’t forget to include somewhere to rest your drinks and snacks. A small side table perhaps? Or what about a sturdy log to give a rustic, outdoorsy vibe.
- Using different garden seating ideas in different parts of the garden to make zones that allow you to use your outdoor space in a variety of ways.
Our Gallery Of Garden Seating Ideas
A generously sized patio directly adjacent to this home provides the perfect place for comfy seating where the homeowners can enjoy a glass of wine as the sun sets
The gentle sound of moving water coupled with generous planting lends this outdoor seating a relaxing vibe
A garden designer’s garden where a simple bench is bathed by the scent of glorious roses
Rosie and Rhetta enjoy this relaxing seating area where an ivy-covered wall helps to keep the area cool on warm days and warm on cool days
Ambient lighting in this award-winning courtyard garden means the space can be enjoyed long into the evening
A bespoke built pergola with a living roof shelters this garden seating area from all weathers
This luxurious garden sofa offers views over the surrounding countryside and is screened from the utilitarian gate by a stylish partition
Spotted in Scotland. An inscribed bench is embraced by herbaceous planting and provides the perfect resting place for ice-cream eaters
East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden in Norfolk where a set of sturdy wooden garden seats encircles a coffee table for relaxing afternoons spent in good company.
For al-fresco dining it’s useful to have the outdoor kitchen right next to the seating area. In this garden, a louvred canopy ensures the diners’ comfort whilst the cooking area is positioned so that the chef can be part of the party.
An intimate seating area beside a calming water feature. The ideal spot for a breakfast of croissants, fruit and very good coffee
A fine example of two very different, but equally attractive, seating areas in the same garden. The sofa seating beneath the pergola is positioned so that it cannot be overlooked by neighbours, and neither can adjoining properties be seen by anyone relaxing in this space
Bringing Your Garden Seating Ideas To Life
If you are overwhelmed by garden seating ideas, are unsure what will work best with your lifestyle or don’t know how to go about designing an outdoor relaxation area, Katie at Tapestry Design Studios would be happy to help.
Katie offers garden design consultations and/or a bespoke garden design service and has all the qualifications and experience to help you create your dream garden.
Call or email Katie to discuss your ideas and start bringing your garden seating plans to life.
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