The Many Uses of the Typical Patio Backless Bench

Lynn, a mom and a mother of three, sent us this question: “We just moved into a new home with a huge backyard, and I intend to make the most of this space. I would love to add some seating, like maybe an outdoor bench. Are there other ways that I creatively use it, aside from just being an outdoor  furniture piece to rest your bottom on?”

A patio backless bench creates an inviting yard seat.  Arrange them in such a way to take advantage of the sun or shade, while providing spaces where groups of people can gather. Make better use of a yard’s features and garden areas and design for outdoor living by considering the style and material of the bench.  Select from classic and durable stone or wrought-iron benches, country-style wicker love seats, and bench swings; tropical rattan or bamboo benches with backrests; or casual, backless picnic benches.

Before anything else, choose features to use a focal points for your backyard benches. For example, a pond, fountain, table, fire pit, flower bed, shade tree or sunny spot with a view of the children’s play area. Measure any areas where fit is a concern, like in between two trees. Measure a patio or other group seating area to help decide how many benches you will need.

• Look into benches that do double-duty. Put a storage bench like the Deluxe Sauna Bench by All Things Cedar near the back door for gardening supplies. There are even compost benches. Planter benches create a pleasing effect with seating and flowering plants or herbs.

• Consider a backyard bench swing. These include gliders with their iron frames and porch swings. Many free-standing models come with an awning that helps reduce the risk of sunburn. Bench swings and gliders are available in metal, wood, wicker and recycled materials.

• Creating a seating group with backyard benches. Create a seating group with backyard benches. Consider how many people you will need to seat, like the number of people in your family and the number of guests that you typically expect. Put a group of benches like the Cambridge 2-Seater Backless Bench by Anderson Teak around a fire pit or fountain for informal family gatherings.

• Put a love seat in a sheltered area of the garden. This is the most romantic use of a backyard bench. Choose a simple one like the Bench X60 by Vifah Modern Patio and put it in a spot with a view of the stars.

Make sure that you leave room between the benches in a group. This will allow you to expand the seating with chairs for larger gatherings. In cooler climates, benches made of stone, metal or concrete get too cold for seating comfort. Cushions made from fade-resistant fabric make for great accessories.

Have your benches delivered if possible, as many styles are heavy. Ask if the product arrives fully assembled. Also, check weight limits of outdoor furniture to reduce risk of injury. For instance, do not allow too many people at a time on a bench swing.

Decorating With Modern Wicker Patio Furniture

Many homes feature modern wicker patio furniture. Aside from the fact that it is inexpensive and durable, it also lends itself to many decorating styles. Indeed, you can find wicker furniture in homes on the beaches of the East Coast as well as in homes that strive to recreate British Colonial décor. Wicker is a natural choice for many rooms of the house, because it not only looks lovely in its natural state, but it can also be painted and adorned with colorful blankets and pillows to completely change the look of your outdoor space.

Decorating your patio, porch or garden with patio furniture is pretty easy, for as long as you have a plan or vision on what you want your space to look like and you follow through with it. Still, many homeowners find themselves at a loss on how and where to get started. If you are one of them, do not get frustrated just yet. Read on and learn from these tips.

1. Decide how you would like to use the wicker furniture in your space. For example. Many decorating styles, including beach and British Colonial, use wicker furniture as a key element. Once you have made a decision about the decorating style, you will not have such a hard time choosing pieces that complement the wicker furniture.

2. Consider painting your picker furniture. Many pieces of wicker furniture are painted already (usually with white – like the Club 6 Chair by Lebello) but you can pull different decorative elements together in your space by adding a painted trim to your wicker piece.

3. Buy smaller furniture pieces made from wicker. Look for items like wicker trunks (the Lexington Wicker Large Storage Box by Tortuga Outdoor is one fine choice) or a wicker footstool (like the All-Weather Wicker Ottoman with 1 pc. Rave Cherry Cushion by Outdoor Greatroom Company). If you have opted to paint the trim on some of the larger wicker furniture pieces, consider painting these items completely one color.

4. Add an element of comfort to your wicker couch by investing in an abundance of throw pillows of various sizes. If you are painting your wicker furniture, look for pillows with patterns that feature your paint colors to pull the decorative elements in the room together. Then choose a few pillows in contrasting colors to add a bit of visual interest through contrast.

5. Remember the smaller details in your decorating scheme by incorporating pictures and mirrors with wicker frames into your room.

6. Break up the wicker-only look of the space by buying larger pieces of furniture that complement wicker. For example, British Colonial style decorating uses a lot of wicker, but it also incorporates heavy mahogany tables or dressers.

7. Shop for accessories like handmade quilts or cotton afghans at local flea markets or country fairs. These accessories add color to your wicker if you opt not to paint it and bring an inviting and homey look to the room as well.

Creative Ideas for a Patio Bench Made From Thick Wood

If you are thinking about putting in some seating on your patio or in your garden, the wooden bench is one of the most simple and straightforward options available. Wooden benches provide a pleasant and comforting  touch to your landscape and blend well with other furniture choices. Here are some fine styles of a  popular patio bench made from thick wood.

Mason 3-Seater Backless Bench by Anderson Teak

The Mason 3-Seater Backless Bench by Anderson Teak can be used for seating at a rectangular dining table or in an area where a bench with a back would be too tall. It is made with kiln dried first grade plantation grown teakwood and marine grade brass and stainless steel fittings.

Kitana Bench by Jordan Manufacturing Company

Made of eucalyptus wood , the Kitana Bench by Jordan Manufacturing Company is an outdoor bench with straight slats for the back and seat. Perfect for outdoor relaxation, it comes with a natural oil base finish. It is easy to clean and maintain.

60″ Skipper Bench by Royal Teak Collection

The 60″ Skipper Bench by Royal Teak Collection is a sturdy outdoor bench suitable for both commercial and residential use. Made from A-grade teak, this heavy duty bench offers great comfort with its beautiful cross back.

There are so many options for decorating your wooden bench  for when you want a wooden bench that is out of the ordinary. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Rolling Bench

A rolling wood bench has a seat that’s wrapped with wooden slats on rollers. These slats can be turned using a handle, so the dry slats on the bottom of the bench are moved to the top. This is ideal when you live in a wet climate and prefer to avoid sitting on a damp wooden bench that can take hours to dry.

Planters

Install a rectangular wooden planted on each end of your bench and grow mounded flowers in them. This will give your patio a splash of color and greenery without giving up any seating space. Choose flower that will not overwhelm the planters or trail out over the seating area. This gives the bench a natural, organic look.

Tree Surround

If you have a mature shade tree in your garden, build a bench that surrounds the trunk. This gives your yard and the tree some visual interest, and gives shaded seating in the middle of your garden. The open seating that goes around the trunk makes it easy to people to sit on the bench at once. You can paint or stain the bench to match any color scheme.

Half a Log

A rough, rustic bench can be made from splitting a log down in the middle and mounting it on legs. The rounded, bottom part can be left as is with the bark intact, while the top, flat part can be sanded down and varnished smooth. This is a good choice in a garden with slightly overgrown, wild quality.

Ideas for Painting Your 3 Seater Patio Bench

Much more than a simple comfortable seat for a rest after a long walk through the park, a 3 seater patio bench can serve as a canvas to reflect local pride, enliven an unused hallway or add flowers to a garden. Wooden benches are usually extremely sturdy and will need little more than a quick sanding and a fresh coat of color to make it both useful and attractive. Below are three painting ideas to inspire you and get your started.

Community Spirit Benches

Make a community project out of painting, using plain benches like the Del-Amo 3-Seater Bench by Anderson Teak. See if a local school, youth group, public library, or any non-profit organization will help sponsor the event. If you can, enlist local media  to help publicize the effort and its results. A theme or contest for the best designs is a way to control artistic exuberance and end up with a cohesive community look. You can have scout troops paint local history themes, farm animals or indigenous flowers on the benches. A community center or high school center can tackle uplifting quotes or sports themes. Everyone involved takes pride in ownership and a reason to protect the benches from damage or graffiti and the community ultimately gets attractive benches.

Botanical Bench

A wooden garden bench like the 6-Inch Cedar Keyway Garden Bench by Creekvine Designs could use a facelift. You can disguise it with flowers. Sand the rough edges, wipe it down and apply one or two base coats of color. Try a creamy ivory to make pale flowers pop or a vivid lime for larger, more exotic blooms. Cover a pale, pretty bench in wildflowers and heritage roses with the help of tracing paper and garden catalog cutouts. Use a stencil of a giant flower or free-sketch hibiscus blossoms for a bright bench. When the base coat is dry, transfer or draw the flower designs on the seat of the bench. With the stems or vines winding down the legs. Paint the seat first, then the legs and edges. Seal with a clear protective coat when dry, and tuck the bench into a flowery corner of the garden.

Boot Bench in the Mud Room

A simple bench like the Savannah Backless 5ft Bench by Arbora Teak gives the perfect place to tug on or take off rain or snow boots in a hallway or back mud room. You can paint the bench to match or complement existing décor: a shiny lacquered bench in a modern black and white hallway; a red, white, and blue bench in an American colonial house; a quirky design of dogs, cats and umbrellas raining all over the bench in a kid-friendly interior. Highlight a sense of humor by painting the bench bright yellow with large black letters saying “Keep of the Bench” stenciled across the seat back. You can also let the youngest in the family paint parts of the bench with their own designs, and let them put their autograph before you seal it with a coat of protective lacquer.

Decorate Your Garden with a 2 Seater Patio Bench

A 2 seater patio bench is a great place for two people to meet as they take in the view of the outdoors. It can serve as a centerpiece for a small garden, or a lovely accent in a larger one. Whether you have a cozy kitchen garden or a sprawling Renaissance-style retreat, putting these benches in well-chosen locations will create inviting places to relax and enjoy the natural world.

Under a tree. We naturally tend to sit with our backs to a tree, wall or other barrier when possible, which gives feelings of security. Put a bench right under a towering oak or other large tree, and plant shrubs behind the bench, along with flowers and grass, tapering them outward around the bench to create a partial border. You will love relaxing in this shady nook.

Below a rock garden. If you have a rock garden set on a slope, or another hillside garden, put a bench like the Teak Crown Bench by Vifah Modern Patio at the base, preferably in a spot where the hill partly wraps around the bench. Add shrubs on the sides of the bench, along with other plants, to create a distinct space that offers feelings of comfort and shelter.

Meditation room. At the end of a long path through rows of trees, shrubbery or flower beds, create a small room enclosed by trees, shrubs or any ivy-covered wall. Be sure that people can’t see the entrance to this room from the start of the path; instead, let the path meander. Put a bench against the back wall for a quiet meditation spot. Sparingly put accents and use a modest color palette.

Bench with a view. If your backyard overlooks a beautiful vista, take advantage of your vantage point by putting a bench like Anchor All-Weather Wicker Outdoor Bench by Alfresco Home in a prime location for watching the sunrise or sunset, or just gazing out over the horizon. Create a small patio in that spot and put a table by the bench so you can sip drinks as you enjoy the view.

Bird watching spot. Create a hidden spot where you can watch birds and other wildlife. Tuck the bench into a sheltered spot near the bird feeder or meadow frequented by wildlife, so you can peer through tree branches or high grasses to watch the animals. Create a pathway leading to the spot that does not cross through the animals’ habitat, so the pathway is as unobtrusive as possible.

By a pond. Put a bench like the Curve Love Seat by Anderson Teak alongside  a pond for another type of tranquil retreat. People enjoy lingering by ponds, and you will want to have a comfortable place to sit and enjoy the calming waters. This is also a great place to observe animals, particularly if you are in a place near wildlife.

Awakening your senses. A garden should awaken all of your senses, and not only your sight. Putting a bench under a fragrant flowering tree, letting branches grow close enough that they gently brush you as you sit down, or growing edible plants like strawberries beside it will give you a more fulfilling experience.

Which of these Contemporary Patio Benches is Best for You?

The type of bench you select for your home or business depends on the setting, your design preferences and your storage needs. You can find contemporary patio benches in a wide variety of styles for indoor or outdoor use, made from resin, wood or stone. Upholstered benches are common in many styles of bedroom décor, as well as in foyers. Check out the most popular styles of benches and choose the best one for your space, needs and budget.

English Garden Bench

A traditional English garden bench like Classic Three-Seater Bench by Royal Teak Collection is made from wood and has a very structured design with tight slats along the seat and open slats along the back. English garden benches also have armrests on either side for added comfort. You can find English garden benches that are painted or stained to coordinate with the décor in your garden or yard.

Backless Outdoor Bench

You can find backless benches in a variety of styles to fit any outdoor space. These benches have neither backs nor armrests and are the easiest kind of bench to make. Otherwise known as deck benches, you will see simple structures around the perimeter of a porch or deck, under a tree or standing alone in a garden. Most have slatted seats like the Mason 3-Seater Backless Bench by Anderson Teak, but you can also find solid wooden or stone seats attached to legs or a frame.

Storage Bench

Storage benches may be backless or, in the style of an English garden bench, have a back and armrests. Most often, the seats are attached to the base of the bench with hinges, but you may also find storage benches with seats, or bench tops that are completely removable. There are even styles that come with shelves underneath like the Sauna Bench by All Things Cedar. You will find benches made from wood and often upholstered, while most of them are primarily made from plastic, resin or treated wood.

Bedroom Bench

A bedroom bench is most often backless and placed at the foot of the bed for convenience, additional seating, and as part of the décor. Bedroom benches may have storage, or not, and are mostly covered in fabric to coordinate with the style of the room.

Rustic Stone Bench

Rustic garden benches may be made with two boulders bracing a seat made from wooden slats or a thick slice of slate. You are most likely to see benches made from stone in a wooded or park-like setting.

Concrete Bench

Concrete benches may be decorated or plainly functional and are usually seen in a city park, business setting or government building. The concrete is practical as it needs little to no upkeep, is extremely durable, and will last for more than one lifetime.

While some can very well make your own bench, there are those who would opt to just buy them. Whatever bench style that takes your fancy, make sure that you only buy from a trusted maker or retailer to ensure quality.