Whether you’re a gardening guru or more of a leave-it-to-the-landscapers type, garden furniture is integral to deriving enjoyment out of your outdoor space. Yet selecting outdoor furniture can be the antithesis of kicking back, especially if you’re not sure what style best suits your vision. To help you cultivate a gorgeous garden, we’re spotlighting six dreamy landscapes punctuated with vintage-inspired garden furniture. Discover if Hollywood Regency, boho chic, or something else entirely is just the thing to turn your basic backyard into an enchanted garden retreat!
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Regency Dreams
Channel elegance in the grass (or on the patio) with Hollywood Regency-style garden furniture. Primarily composed of leggy wrought iron pieces, Hollywood Regency garden furniture often bears figural motifs like bamboo fretwork, grotto-inspired shell designs, or curly-cue vine trelliswork. Thanks to its elegant silhouette, Regency furniture can complement a traditionally manicured garden, but can just as easily take up residence in a MCM yard or a Palm Beach estate. Hollywood Regency furniture is also a natural partner to chinoiserie, so consider adding in a colorful ceramic drum stool—or a pair—to function as an outdoor coffee table.
Provincial Perfection
Whether your yard is perfectly coiffed or wildly untamed, garden furniture with a French bent can lend a tone of casual sophistication. For more formal seating areas, try arranging cushioned lounging chairs around a tin-topped or marble coffee table. If the mood still feels a bit stark for your tastes, try piling on an assemblage of pillow. French grain sack pillows or seersucker stripe pillows are perfect for curating a softer tone. A classic picnic table may feel a bit out of left-field, but in a whitewashed finish it can actually be the epitome of chic. Decking it out in hurricane lanterns or woven trays can help further establish it as a thoughtful and intentional piece.
Mid-Century Mavericks
If your home’s architecture leans more modern, it can be difficult to divorce your landscape from the style. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of Mid-Century Modern garden furniture available to enhance a garden with angular architecture. Consider a patio set with a Danish Modern or Atomic-inspired silhouette. Either is perfect for complementing boxy planters or geometric walkways. Modern patio furniture is readily available in high-wattage hues, but don’t discount the power of a bright white set. It can lend your yard an unexpectedly dreamy aura.
Modern Block Party
Modern garden furniture sometimes gets a rap as being blocky—the exact antithesis of the shapes found in nature, the botanically-inclined are likely to point out. When done up in a patterned fabric, however, modern patio furniture transforms into something more palatable. If modern outdoor furniture feels complementary to your landscape, don’t fight it. Simply consider outfitting it in textiles with movement. (Bonus points for sourcing one that speaks to more verdant inspirations.) Cushion colors that complement your backyard will help as well. Brights are perfect for more retro-inspired digs, while blue and white or black and white are classic combos that will reign supreme just about anywhere.
A New Take on Tradition
In truth, sometimes you can’t beat tradition. If you’re a fan of open-air originals like lion statuary and wicker chairs, embrace your passions with neoteric versions of these garden mainstays. Wicker and Neoclassical architecture aren’t just for grand conservatory-style gardens, of course. When rendered in new weather-wicking materials, these pieces effortlessly sync with modern landscapes. Partner them with of-the-moment architecture by opting for classic finishes in shades that are naturally found outdoors. Spring for unpainted wicker and planters in stone or verdigris finishes.
Bohemian Bloom-Scape
Those who take a laissez-faire approach to gardening will appreciate garden furniture that evokes a relaxed bohemian aura. To cue up your own bohemian wonderland, gravitate toward finishes with a good deal of patina. Be it a Victorian wrought iron garden bench or a hanging wicker chair, a burnished finish possesses just the right amount of come-undone elegance. To keep things looking cohesive, select cushion colors that reflect the colors blooming in your garden. Rattan, be it a set of garden stools or a tray, is also a great way to tie back to natural surrounds.
Lead photo courtesy of Catherine M. Austin
