To create the perfect outdoor seating area, you will want to create clear boundaries of the space, choose the right furniture, and set the mood with plants, lighting, and decor.
The perfect outdoor living space can completely transform your yard or garden and create an intimate and welcoming environment for guests. On a hot summer day, there is nothing more lovely than sitting down in a shady spot outside and sipping on a delicious cup of ice tea, and with a few simple steps, you can create a space that you will gravitate towards time after time.
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Create clear boundaries around your seating area
To choose the ideal space for your outdoor seating area, you will want to utilize pre-existing structures to help you create boundaries around the space. To make this project more budget-friendly, a simple tactic is to use structures that already exist to help you create the perimeter of your area.
Some great options that help you create boundaries are walls of the house, a garage, a garden shed, a fence or rock wall, or even a few special trees. Pick an area like this, and allow one of these existing features to serve as the basic backdrop for your seating area.
Next, you will want to consider the size of your space. Guests will be drawn to beautifully curated spaces in your yard or garden that are open and inviting. As the designer of your outdoor seating area, you get to choose which spaces work best for these purposes.
Perhaps you prefer a wide-open space for large gatherings, or maybe you want something smaller and cozy for long intimate conversations with your significant other. For most of us, a combination of both works best. I like to have one larger space for gatherings, and a smaller secret garden seating area as a place to spend a summer evening.
Choose low maintenance flooring
If you have a nice grassy yard and want to keep the floor of your outdoor seating area natural, that’s totally fine. Just keep in mind that this can be difficult to maintain. Each time you mow, you will have to move around the furniture, and it can be a huge pain.
A better option is to create a patio flooring area that fits your budget, this can also help define the perimeter of your space even further. You can choose to create a border with larger rocks and then fill it in with small round pebbles, or use stone or slabs to tile the floor of the area.
My favorite option is to collect gorgeous flat river stones and arrange them in a lovely way, filling them in with pebbles all around. This creates a one-of-a-kind natural look that will be completely unique to your home.
Choose functional furniture
The furniture you choose in your outdoor seating area is absolutely crucial to curating the perfect space. You will want to go for furniture that is comfortable and practical while still fitting your unique style and aesthetic.
The most important factors to consider when picking out your furniture are budget and durability. Unless you’re an overachiever and plan on picking up your furniture each time you’re done using it, you will want to choose something extremely durable that will stand up to the elements.
Outdoor furniture will continuously be exposed to sun, rain, wind, and all sorts of other factors. The physical make-up of the furniture is very important.
Most furniture that is made for outdoor use will be ready for these external factors, but the quality is important. You’ll end up spending more money in the long run if you choose something cheap that paints or peals after only one season of use.
Some great materials to consider are wood, metal, cement, or even plastic. Wooden furniture looks beautiful outside, but make sure that you have an outdoor coating or stain to protect it. You may have to touch up the protective coating every so often. I usually restrain outdoor wooden furniture each spring to keep it looking brand new.
Another great option is metal. Wrought Iron furniture is beautiful and gives your garden an enchanting old-world look. It’s extremely durable and will last a lifetime. If not properly maintained, it can rust over time. So if you go this route just make sure you are keeping it in good shape.
Plastic obviously will never rust or rot, but it doesn’t stand up to heavy use like some of the other options.
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Make it comfy
Next to functionality and durability, the most important thing when it comes to choosing furniture for your outdoor seating area is comfortable. Ideally, this space will be used frequently and you want to keep it as inviting as possible.
There is nothing sweeter than spending a lovely summer afternoon in the garden reading a good book and sipping on iced tea. So, choose furniture that can be enjoyed for long periods. Outdoor furniture is a bit more firm than a squishy living room couch, but it doesn’t have to be rigid!
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Decorate to your heart’s delight
On to the fun part! Once you have defined your space with flooring and clear borders and picked out some great outdoor furniture it’s time to set the mood with decor.
Invite the garden into your outdoor seating area by planting some beautiful greenery all around the perimeter of your space. You might want to include some large leafy potted plants like palms to give your space a tropical feel, or perhaps some beautiful ferns or ivy to wind their way amongst the stones.
If you’ll be enjoying your space in the evening you could create a fire pit as a centerpiece or add torches and citronella candles for balmy evenings outdoors.
To add even more comfort to your space you can purchase outdoor cushions. Cushions come in all kinds of colors and patterns to fit every aesthetic.
Any personal touches you’d like to add will help make the space your own. I love to hang wind chimes from nearby trees to add a musical element whenever the wind blows. A fountain can also add beautiful background noise to your outdoor space.
This is a place to have fun and express your personal style whatever that might be. Let your artistic side run wild and have fun personalizing your outdoor seating area.