Creative Outdoor Seating
Whether a couch for a crowd or a secluded lounger for one, creative alfresco seating ideas can enhance your outdoor space and create flexibility to the use of your alfresco.
Here are three things to think about where planning your outdoor seating.
1. Incorporate your garden
An alfresco that combines natural aspects of your garden lends itself to timber purpose built outdoor benches. Having a slatted bench built around an established natural tree offers the flexibility of additional sitting space when you are entertaining a crowd, or use as a decorative garden bench during your quieter entertaining periods.
For a more structured approach, that still incorporates your garden, surround your alfresco with raised garden beds that have extra wide walls. This frames your alfresco area and not only provides easy access to your herb garden; you can also use it for seating too.
2. Make the most of extra space
If you have a very wide verandah add tilted shelving to the rail at height, that when lowered it can be used as a seat.
Here you have the option of adding bench style shelving, or individual shelves. Either style can be used as seating when required.
The important thing here is to make sure the cantilever is strong enough to hold an adult, so bring in the experts to do the job and make sure your seating is safe.
Or for a railing-free deck, you could add low built-in benches that function as both an edge barrier and seating.
3. Bring your inside outside
Tables and chairs, traditionally used for indoors, can add a laid-back mood and charm to your alfresco area. If you are the creative type, there’s the repurposing approach of using milk crates, pallet stacks, hay bales and even old tyres. Or you can always go super modern and use plastic cubes, stackable chairs or tapas stools.
If flexible seating options is more your style consider adding a purpose-built storage area to your alfresco. Or, perhaps you can double purpose your into storage boxes into seating.
At the end of the day, your alfresco seating should reflect your lifestyle and the design of your outoor area, whether it be a patio, pergola, deck or outdoor room. And it should be as flexible as you need it to be.
