Would you love to make your small garden more user friendly but you’re not sure what kind of furniture will suit your space? In this article, I’ll give you some tips for choosing the best furniture for your garden as well as some space-saving furniture ideas.
Tips for choosing furniture for small gardens
Before you buy anything for your garden make sure you know exactly what you want. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How much space do you have?
- What will you be using the furniture for?
- How many people do you need to accommodate?
- Would you be leaving the furniture outside or packing it away to save space?
Once you’ve determined exactly what you need for your garden, consider the following tips to make sure the furniture works for you:
1. Match the furniture design and colour to your garden space
It is best to choose furniture with a similar design and pattern to already existing furniture in your garden. If you don’t have anything, choose something with a neutral colour like brown and add other colours by using colourful cushions or plant pots.
2. Select furniture with fine frames
Furniture with a fine frame will create the illusion of more space. If you have blocky furniture it might make your limited space feel even more cramped.
3. Select smaller pieces of furniture that you can easily move around
Instead of going for something built-in or very large pieces of furniture, consider smaller pieces that you can easily move around to create more space when necessary.
4. Know how much space you have
It is a great idea to measure your space before you buy furniture. This way you can measure the furniture to make sure your space won’t get too cramped.
5. Choose foldable furniture
It’s best to choose furniture that can easily be folded up. This way you can fold and store it to create more space in your garden. It’s also much easier to protect foldable furniture against weather damage.
Now that you know what to look for, let’s give you some ideas of what can work in a small garden.
Furniture options for small gardens
For areas with limited space consider one of the following furniture options:
Bench
Benches are always a great choice for any garden. They come in a variety of materials making it easy to choose a design that works for you. Just make sure you buy a quality product since most benches will be left out in the rain.
Benches make a striking focal point for your garden and can be placed against walls or fences to save space; credit: Shutterstock
To save space you can place your bench against a wall with a group of plant pots around it. It will fit right into your garden without taking up any walking space.
Fold up table and chair sets
Fold up table and chair sets are another handy addition to small gardens. They can be placed along the wall or folded up and stored out of the way when you don’t need them. This also makes it easier to protect them against weather damage.
Foldable chairs are a must for every garden; credit: Shutterstock
They come in a variety of materials and several different designs which makes finding a unique set for your garden quite easy. You can also use the chairs without the table if you don’t have enough space in your garden.
Sun loungers
If your main purpose is to lounge in the sun, consider getting a sun lounger. They can often be folded up for easy storage and placed in a corner to avoid filling up your space.
If you’ll be moving the lounger a lot it’s better to get a foldable one; credit: Shutterstock
Many loungers have wheels which makes it easy to move them into the sunshine.
Space-saving rattan furniture
If you like the look of rattan furniture but you just don’t have space for it, consider getting a space-saving rattan furniture set.
Credit: Shutterstock
Synthetic rattan furniture is weatherproof which makes it ideal for any outdoor situation. You can buy compact sets where the chairs push right underneath the table, making it ideal for a small garden. It will only take as much space as the size of the square table.
Day bed
If you have a garden with very little privacy, consider getting a cocoon day bed. These day beds have a canopy that can close for added privacy, allowing you to lounge around without worrying that your neighbours are watching.
It’s easy to chill out in a rattan day bed; credit: Shutterstock
You can place your day bed in a sunny corner of your small garden if you like the sun. It is also easy to decorate around it with planted pots to help your furniture blend in.
Garden bar
If your furniture will mostly be used for outdoor cocktails with friends, consider getting a garden bar set. There are quite a few compact sets available that will allow you to fit them into your limited space. Some bars even come with a built-in ice bucket.
Built-in bars are ideal for smaller spaces. Credit: Shutterstock
Consider choosing chairs that fit right under the bar area to save space when they aren’t in use.
Furniture sets with built-In storage
If you have a small garden, storage will always be a problem. If you’re going to add furniture, you might as well make the furniture work for you. Some rattan furniture sets have built-in storage underneath them.
Credit: Hayneedle.com
You can use this space to store cushions, garden tools and empty pots. All that extra storage space should free up some space in your garden.
Corner sofa sets
If you need to seat quite a few people regularly or if you like lounging in your garden while reading a book, then a corner sofa might just be the way to go.
Credit: Hartstores
Corner sofas don’t take up that much space since they can seat quite a few people while being pushed against the wall in a corner. If you can get one with storage space underneath it’s even better.
FAQs
How do you make a small garden look nice?
Small gardens need careful planning. Get furniture that takes up as little space as possible, make use of any vertical space for growing plants, create walkways and different levels with raised bed gardening to give the illusion of space.
It is also better to grow large plants in the background and smaller plants in front. You can also use hanging baskets to create more growing space in your garden.
Credit: Shutterstock
How can I add height to a small garden?
Make use of trees with a single stem in the background of your garden. This will create a hedge effect at a higher level. You can also use raised beds or mounds to grow plants at higher levels. If you have an open wall you can add a trellis and grow vines on it to create more depth in your garden.
How do you layout a small garden?
In small gardens, it’s always a good idea to think vertically. Use whatever space you have available by building trellises or using hanging baskets. You can also use raised beds to create structure and depth in your garden. If you can, select compact plant varieties and make use of container planting where you need more height in your garden.
Read more: Garden furniture ideas for a small patio
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