Garden Seating

Seating is often the most important aspect of a garden design for our clients. The main request, no matter the size of garden, is to maximise the space for seating. And without a doubt. creating perfect garden seating areas in your design can really help you make the most of your outside space. Whilst gardens should be productive and practical spaces, they should also provide space for recreation, relaxation and enjoyment. Getting that balance right is important, so here are my top tips for designing garden seating areas…

Seats for Socialising

• Seating areas provide designated places for relaxing and socializing. Comfortable seating options such as lounge chairs, sofas, and hammocks provide a cosy retreat where we can unwind after a long day or catch up with family and friends.
• One of the key points is to make sure there is enough seating within a design for all occasions and uses.
• Consider how many people will regularly use the space, as well as the style of seating you would like. This will help you decide on the size of patio required. (Popular rattan sofa style seating, for example, can be quite large, so you will need more space).
• A patio large enough for your outdoor dining table and chairs is key, so you aren’t bumping into chairs or having to step off the patio when moving around the furniture.

Create a Multi-Use Space

• Creating areas of fixed and flexible seating is the best way to turn your garden into a multi-use space.
• Built in benches in walls or raised planting beds are a great way to add year-round seating. So on a warm spring day, you can still enjoy your morning coffee outside, without worrying to get all the seasonal furniture out. Built in benches can also be used as extra seating when you have guests.
• When clients ask for raised beds within their design, I try to incorporate even a small built-in bench, and feedback is often that they are very well used features of the garden.

Making the Most of Your Aspect

• It is important to think about your garden aspect when positioning seating.
• I normally advise clients to have more than one seating area in their garden, no matter the size of garden.
• Clients often want the main patio directly outside the house for practical reasons, however depending on your garden’s aspect, this does not always maximise the use of the space.
• If your main patio is in full sun during the morning but by evening you are in shade, consider a smaller patio further into the garden to catch that evening sun.

Seating Aesthetic

• A well-placed bench or stylish furniture can really finish a space, and enhance the visual character of your garden. With a wide range of styles, colours, and designs available, you can choose furniture that complements your garden’s theme and reflects your personal taste. As with any room in your home, if the furniture is stylish and comfortable you will want to spend more time in it.
• Well placed seating can be used in a decorative way as well as practical. An attractive bench can create a focal point within a design as well as providing a place to pause and view the garden from a different aspect.
• Focal points are particularly useful in small spaces, as they can create the illusion of more space. By using a bench as a focal point you also have the added bonus of an additional seating option.

Spending Time Outside

• We all know that spending time outside is good for us, both mentally and physically. By placing seating areas throughout a design you are creating areas to pause, whether that’s for an evening glass of wine, a place to enjoy the sun, or just to sit and watch the kids play.
• A secluded bench or bistro table and chairs surrounded by planting, provides a calm and relaxing oasis within a larger design.

If you would like to discuss your plans for a garden seating area and you live in the Reading and Newbury area, we’d love to meet and discuss your project in detail – book your free no-obligation garden consultation today.