How to Create an Inviting Outdoor Seating Area

Joanne Bernstein Garden Design

What Types of Outdoor Seating Should You Include?

If you have the room, it’s good to include more than one place to sit, Claudia de Yong of Claudia de Yong Garden Design suggests. “Think about how you [might] use different spaces, from dining areas to relaxation [spots] to seats to enjoy different aspects and views,” she says. “It’s lovely to have multiple [options].”

Of course, the size and shape of your yard will determine how much seating you can include, but good design advice will open up opportunities you may not have considered. “Larger [yards] can support permanent seating areas, [but] all types of seating help to extend hours spent outdoors,” de Yong says. “Seating outdoors is much like your indoor furniture and allows you to have functional pieces that can be both stylish and comfortable.”

A dining space — with as large a table as your space will allow — and a living room-style area where you could watch TV or simply socialize are the two key seating areas, says Julia Shipton BALMA Building Services.

Work with a landscape designer near you

Chris Snook

What Should You Use for the Seating Itself?

There are lots of ways to add creative outdoor seating, in addition to buying outdoor furniture. De Yong shares some favorite ideas. “A tree seat that wraps around the trunk is a lovely idea and means you can enjoy the garden from all the way around, as well as creating a focal point,” she says, adding that a seat like this could be made from wood, metal or willow.

“You could make use of a retaining wall to integrate built-in seating, cultivate a canopy using an arbor or arches to sit under and enjoy scented plants and climbers, or create a sunken area with in-built or moveable seating in the form of swing seats and loungers,” she says. “Large logs make great natural seating when used in wildlife-style gardens.”

Shop for outdoor furniture on Houzz

Simon Orchard of Simon Orchard Garden Design suggests doubling up when creating new landscape features so they can incorporate additional seating. “If you’re creating a raised pond, why not make the top about [15½ inches] to [17½ inches] off the ground, so the edge can double up as a seat?” he says. “Add a coping stone about [12 inches] wide to make it comfortable.

“Similarly, if installing a hot tub, semi-sink it into the ground to create an edge at seating height that you can just swing your legs over to get into the tub,” he says.

The same thinking can also be applied to raised beds, as seen in this hardwood floating bench, one of Orchard’s projects. “It has simple lines, and the warm tones of the wood contrast nicely with the dark gray of the rendered walls,” he says. “Also, because it’s floating, there’s the opportunity to create a planting bed underneath it with shade-tolerant plants.”

Hamilton Cody Garden Design

How Do You Pick a Good Spot for Outdoor Seating?

“To enjoy the best of the sun, choose an east-facing spot for your morning coffee and, for [evening drinks], a west-facing spot with no large trees or buildings in the way as these will block the sun as it gets lower in the sky,” Orchard says.

“When looking to position a table and chairs for eating outside, ensure the area is easy to walk on and level for table and chair legs,” de Yong says. “Hard paving is best rather than gravel — and it’s always nice to be able to move a table and chairs onto a grassed area during the summer months.”

Orchard and de Yong both add that it’s helpful to keep any dining seating close to the house where possible to save time going backward and forward with everything you need for dinner — and then everything you’ve forgotten.

Positive Garden

What Are Good Seating Options for Small Yards?

In a petite plot, you can still create a surprisingly good array of seating options — but every inch of space needs to be well thought out. Doubling up and creating flexible options are key here. “Capitalize on a corner if space is limited; the garden will also feel less cluttered,” de Yong says, adding that a corner-style sofa or a built-in banquette will work.

“You can also use movable or foldable furniture, which helps maximize limited space,” she says. “Bistro sets, for instance, can be great for smaller [yards], terraces or courtyards, as they’re generally smaller and lighter in construction.”

“Consider seating that serves a secondary purpose,” Orchard says. “For example, simple log seats which, when not in use, you could use to arrange container plants in front and on top of for a tiered planting display.”

CCS Architecture

What Are Common Outdoor Seating Mistakes?

“A good outdoor space requires an appropriate furniture-to-greenery ratio,” Shipton says. In other words, beware of filling a small plot with too much furniture or with pieces that are too large for the scale of your yard.

De Yong also underlines the importance of dimensions, saying that people often don’t allow for the correct height from the ground or depth for seating. “Don’t forget to measure garden furniture, especially if space is limited,” she cautions.

“Built-in seats can look great, but if you want to lounge, they may not be that comfortable unless you have cushions custom-made,” Orchard adds. “Benches built onto retaining walls will likely have vertical backrests. “Again, this can be uncomfortable to sit against without cushions. Think about building an angled backrest — about 10 or 15 degrees off vertical will be enough to make it a more comfortable experience,” he says.

How Should You Think About Shade?

A sunny spot sounds nice, but think about that summer heat. “If you want to be able to sit outside in summer without getting burnt to a crisp, then being able to place your seating in a shady spot is paramount,” Orchard says.

“Tall hedges, shrubs and trees might provide all the shade you need,” he says. “If the foliage of a shrub or tree is quite low to the ground, consider raising the crown by cutting off lower branches, giving you enough head space for sitting underneath. But beware of big trees that are frequented by pigeons and crows. Before you know it, your nice new sofa might be covered in bird droppings.”

Pictured here are umbrella-shaped trees over a dining area in one of de Yong’s projects. “It works so well, allowing the right amount of shade during the summer while also creating height with the trees and added interest all year round,” she says.

In terms of man-made shade, there are a few options to consider, including sail shades, large umbrellas and pergolas. “Sail shades can be removed and stored when not in use and [umbrellas] can be folded down and moved — although their bases can be extremely heavy,” Orchard says.

“Pergolas are going to be a permanent fixture but can be an invaluable addition to a [landscape], and there are lots of options to choose from depending on budget,” he says. “Some of the aluminum pergolas have tilting and retracting roofs, as well as pull-down side panels, so you can sit outside in all weather.”

Browse outdoor umbrellas

Waterlily Interiors

What’s the Best Solution for Cushion Storage?

Cushion storage is one of those things that’s easily overlooked, but without a solution, your new comfy seating may quickly be ruined by the elements.

“The bigger your sofa, the more storage space you’re going to need, which can be a problem, especially in smaller [yards] where space is at a premium,” Orchard says. Sheds can be used to store cushions, he says, or you might consider adding a cushion storage box next to the house or in another unused portion of the yard. Shipton suggests outdoor ottomans for cushion storage, which come in various sizes and can be covered in waterproof fabric. De Yong likes a lift-up bench seat with storage inside.

Orchard advises tying the materials and colors for your cushion storage in with the landscape design. “You may have horizontal slatted cedar fences or anthracite grey door and window frames — you could echo that in the cushion storage box,” he says.

25 Stylish Ways to Improve Your Outdoor Storage