We’ve identified the top 7 patio seating ideas that are trending right now. If you’re currently planning your backyard design for 2017 or are ready to upgrade the look of your patio and need to make decisions, you’ll find this guide handy.
Create Your Own Patio Alcove with an Arbor Seat
This is by far the hottest new trend for patio seating. Enclosed bench arbors can become little enclaves of privacy, roofed arbors can serve as shady seating spots and pergola arbors can be made more secluded with trained vines. All mentioned designs provide you with a private outdoor escape that even a small patio can incorporate. Preferably, to avoid wind damage, they would need to be anchored to hard surfaces or installed on spikes on soft grounds. They are usually built from pressure-treated pine or red cedar. Let’s see a few examples.
Arbor Seat Design with Lattice Detailing
Practical and attractive design, this covered seat can be placed anywhere on your patio or in the garden. It is sold as a DIY kit that is relatively easy to assemble. It’s a nice outdoor feature that fits in well with most patio styles.
The idea here is that while seating under the solid roof, whether to hide from the sun or from the drizzle, you can still enjoy the views around you thanks to open sides. Explore this Idea.
Also see: 45 Garden Arbor Bench Design Ideas & DIY Kits You Can Build Over Weekend
Gazebo Style Enclosed Seating Idea
Wow. What a great outside seating idea! A place to read, to think or to work on your hobby in the outdoors but in privacy. Fully enclosed, this corner arbor seat can be installed on a patio, in the garden or even on the wooden deck.
With an attractive gazebo style design, it’ll be a charming addition to any backyard. Explore this Idea.
Pergola Arbor Seat Idea
The above seating design offers support for climbing vines and, once it’s all covered in plants, it would turn into a beautiful patio feature. This idea alone makes pergola arbor seats extremely popular … but we have some reservations. It takes a long time to train vines around the lattice work to cover such arbor entirely and it’s easier to say than done. So our personal preferences are with the more enclosed seating designs. Regardless, this is one of the trendiest patio ideas for 2016 and beyond. Explore this Idea.
Wrap Around Tree Seating Is One of the Trendiest Ideas
Circular tree seats are extremely popular now, especially as DIY projects. But you can also buy them, and they come in may different designs. You can get one as a full circle, a half circle or a creative curved design.
Wood Tree Seat with Arms
The above is one of the most classic designs for an outdoor tree seat. Imagine having it in your backyard – it’ll create a stunning focal point. It’s such a beautiful idea for using space around trees. It’s a perfect seating for parties and summer gatherings or just to read a book under a shady tree. Made out of Teak, it looks like an expensive piece of furniture but can be left outdoors all year round in any weather. Explore this Idea.
Half Circle Tree Seat
We love this idea above. What a clever way to incorporate an espaliered fruit tree into the landscape while creating a focal point. Explore this Idea.
Create a Conversation Hub with a Circular Patio Seating
What can be better than a circular seating arrangement? Consider the trendy idea above … you can buy this ready-made piece of outdoor furniture and have an awesome patio seat designed for social gatherings or you can DIY build a larger circular bench based on the above design and place a fire pit in the center. That would be the best patio seating design ever.
Also, with fire safety in mind, consider placing a small bio-fuel fireplace in the center. Then even the design shown on the photo above will do just fine in terms of size. Explore this Idea.
Add a Wooden Love Seat to Romanticize your Backyard
Love seats or double seat garden benches can be placed anywhere on the patio and are some of the trendiest patio seating designs today. We’ve found these 3 really cool ideas …
Treated Pine Sunflower Settee for Two
First, there is this classic wooden love seat design. Have a pleasant evening and share a bottle of wine. What can be a better use for a patio.
It offers comfortable seating for two adults and includes a built-in table ideal for sharing. And the design is very aesthetically pleasing – a perfect addition to a patio landscaped with flowers. We can also see how this design can be good for small hobby projects. Explore this Idea.
Teak Patio Double View Seat
Then, there is this double view love bench. This beautifully crafted seating design will add a touch of elegance to any patio.
This could be the perfect gift for newlyweds and retired folks, as a symbol for or of long lived love. Explore this Idea.
Convertible Double View Rocker Bench
And finally, a convertible outdoor seating design, this contemporary rocker bench seats two people and can be easily changed from a double-view option to a side-by-side version.
This quite unusual idea is sure to add visual interest to your patio. Explore this Idea.
Polywood Patio Seating is Trendy – As It’s Practically Indestructible
Polywood furniture is one of the latest trendy offering on the outdoor seating market. Due to its strength and embedded coloration, it comes in many beautiful colors and with many design features that would be impossible to achieve with just wood. Below are a few great examples of beautiful chairs, loungers and patio table sets made out of polywood.
These designs tend to be more expensive on average and slightly heavier than wood but, considering the benefits of its longevity, it can be a smart choice.
Polywood Long Island Outdoor Dining Chair
This chair design offers much more than just great look and vibrant colors. It’s nearly indestructible and maintenance-free, and is claimed to retain its original beauty for a lifetime. Explore this Idea.
Poly Lumber Patio Dining Set
The above dining set is another great example of indestructible polywood patio seating design. This fresh looking set is “guaranteed not to crack, chip, peel, rot, rust or become infested by bugs or termites”, and is maintenance free.
And notice, you can even have swivel rocker dining chairs with the polywood option. Explore this Idea.
Poly Lumber Patio Conversation Set
What a beautiful casual table and chairs set for a patio. We love the color and the fact that all 4 chairs are swivel rockers. Another great maintenance-free design that deserves your attention. Explore this Idea.
Polywood Patio Chaise Lounge
Patio seating doesn’t have to be boring. Bright colors are perfect by the pool, and these chaise loungers look so refreshing in comparison to common white plastic designs. Definitely a more exciting idea for a backyard pool. Explore this Idea.
Polywood Classic Adirondack Chairs Set
Wow. Who can refuse these awesome seating designs shown below?! Each Adirondack patio set comes with 4 chairs and a conversation table.
This is as good as it gets – popular Adirondack chairs that are also maintenance free. Plus, they fold for easy storage and transporting. And … they are made in the USA!
The yellow always looks great with the greenery and is perfect for a patio.
For a festive patio idea, go with this red and orange seating set.
The shades of blue offer a more subtle color idea.
You can also mix and match for a fun seating idea. Explore these Designs.
Creative Wood Swings are the Hottest Patio Seating Designs
We’ve noticed that in 2016 swing designs moved into new territories – in addition to just porch swings, there are now pergola swings, gazebo swings and arbor swings that are getting very popular. This trend should continue well into 2017.
Pergola Swing Idea
Everyone loves to have a swing seat but when installed as a part of the pergola arbor, it can easily become a stunning central feature of your patio.
The above Bella Arbor swing is a treated pine wood design and is shown unstained. You can stain it to match your patio decor. Explore this Swing.
Double Seat Design
What a beautiful seating design idea (see above). Enclosed with trellises, this arbor can be covered with flowers and vines, and one day could make a heavenly place to relax. Made in the US, the Imperial Arbor swing is a 9 by 6 feet outdoor structure that is large enough to accommodate optional seat and swing.
A garden path to heaven?
It doesn’t have to be installed in the garden – you can set it up right on your patio. Explore this Swing.
Gazebo Swing Idea
This could be the ultimate patio seating design (see above). A gazebo swing offers shade and a more enclosed feel under the roof.
Shown is a full fledged 8′ x 10′ oval gazebo with a face-to-face double swing, with an optional cedar shingles roof. Explore this Swing.
Campfire Swing Idea
The above design has been making rounds on the Internet lately. It’s a great idea for a creative DIY project but also a costly one as you need to buy 5 suspended seats. But who can refuse the chance to swing around a fire pit. DIY Tutorial.
Rocking Chairs is a Sure Patio Seating Trend for 2016 and Beyond
What cool patio can be without a wooden rocking chair? Rocker chairs are some of the favorite items that are often passed from generation to generation as they never get old, and we’ve picked three outdoor designs that stand to last a long time if not even forever.
Polywood Rocker Design
This Long Island outdoor rocking chair (above) is made in Polywood, a sturdy wood like material that will withstand any weather conditions and is maintenance free. Shown in white but available in 12 rainbow colors. Explore this Idea.
Treated Pine Rocker
The beautifully crafted Sunflower rocker above is made with treated pine. Treated pine wood will last for a long time if re-stained periodically. This very cute design would be a great addition to a traditional patio. Explore this Idea.
Redwood Outdoor Rocker
The design above is from a company called Forever Redwood. The name says it all about the wood used. What’s cool about this chair is that it can be ordered with many custom options, including extra wide sizes and adjusted seat depth. Explore this Idea.
For more interesting ideas, please visit our Patio Furniture Finds section, and for a more sophisticated backyard enclave option, check out the Greenhouse She Shed trend.
