Built-In Seating is a Great Way to Elevate Your Backyard
The art of creating a beautiful landscape design is just as much about function as it is aesthetics. There is a simple yet timeless saying, “Why stand when you can sit?”. While we love taking long, meandering walks through gardens and landscapes, there is something to be said about being able to “take a load off” and simply rest in nature. This is why built-in outdoor seating has become a hallmark of great landscape design. Creating comfortable and attractive outdoor seating is always a top priority for us as landscape designers.
There are countless ways to approach creating outdoor seating within a landscape design. We definitely have our favorites. These include: raised planters, architectural seating, and custom fire pits. These are all wonderful ways to create seating in your backyard and each one has its unique benefits. Let’s dive in deeper to each option so that you can decide what works best for you and your property.
First, we have raised planters. As landscape designers, who love plants and trees, was there any question that we would start here? A raised planter is always a beautiful accent to any landscape design or garden. Raised planters disrupt the flatness of a yard and create an elevated plane that creates a much more dynamic garden. For seating, we like to create a wide cap on our raised planter walls so that guests may sit and enjoy the garden. It gives you an opportunity to view your garden from a completely different angle. Also, we highly recommend considering a shade tree within that raised planter, to make the seat even more comfortable.
Next, we have a category that we will broadly refer to as architectural seating. These are purposefully built items that are specifically created for outdoor seating. These can be sunken seating areas, constructed benches, or even simply formed and poured concrete seat walls. These are generally made to either be focal points of the entire landscape design (such as a roomy, sunken seating area) or attractive accents that complement the overall design (such as a solitary concrete bench in the garden).
Last but not least, we arrive at a custom fire pit. Now this item may not seem to fit with the previous two but we assure you it certainly does. One of the most commonly requested items for us as landscape designers is a custom fire pit. And since we are often gathering with family and friends around the fire, we love creating these fire pits with seating in mind. For that reason, we construct the cap area with plenty of room for guests to sit. We also build them at a height that is still very comfortable for seating. Also, we want to consider guests in chairs putting their feet up on them as well. Even during the warmer months without the fire, you now get the benefit of a beautiful custom bench to enjoy.
When you are incorporating any of these options into your landscape design, it’s important to remember a few key items. First, you will want to consider the overall style of your home/property when designing the outdoor seating option. This will influence the colors/textures/style of finish you use. Next, you will want to consider placement. Remember, most of us want to be close to each other so think twice before building an outdoor seating option that is a long walk from the main hub. Finally, you will want to also consider shade. No one likes sitting in the hot Bakersfield sun if they can avoid it. Therefore, consider shade patterns or tree locations when constructing your outdoor seating.
Want more outdoor seating ideas for your landscape design? Feel free to browse through the many projects catalogued on our website and social media!
