Creating a Cozy Outdoor Seating Area

On a lazy fall afternoon, it's likely you'll find me sitting out on my back porch with my laptop in my lap where it almost always is, sipping a glass of lemonade, rocking on my porch rocker while my family plays in the yard or swings on the porch swing beside me, living the perfect picture of suburbia. I do so love my life. One of the things that allows this picture-perfect portrait with my family is our cozy outdoor seating area, with a covered porch, power outlets, and lighting.

My best friend has a screened in porch of which I am envious, with storage benches that double for storing things and sitting, cushions, and a nice shaded view of the pool, safe from skeeters and other stinging bugs. There's a ceiling fan and light in the porch, and at night, there are even fancy string lights around the edges.

You don't have to have a fancy porch or a screened in seating area to have a cozy outdoor seating area for yourself and your visitors and family though. Let's look at a few ways to create a cozy outdoor seating area.

Cozy Outdoor Seating Area on the Front Porch

If you have a front porch, a seating area is easy enough to create. If, however, like me, you only have a landing on your porch, you can create your own outdoor seating area by the side of your house, on a sidewalk landing. I have a wooden bench that runs along the front wall of my house for sitting that is fully shaded in the early evenings.

We like to sit on this bench in the evenings and watch the cars go by and wave at the neighbors. It makes for a nice place to rest after taking a leisurely stroll too, before going back inside where the demands of the day come to face you again.

Cozy Outdoor Seating Area in the Front Yard

If you don't have room near your front door or along the front part of your house, you might consider creating a sitting area outdoors by a tree in your front yard. I have a rounded bench that goes around the base of my front yard tree and then two whicker chairs that sit on either side of the bench. This way, we have seating for about four adults, all under the shade of the tree but still out in the yard where we can commune with nature and the neighbors.

Cozy Outdoor Seating Area on the Back Porch

A back porch is the best area for an outdoor seating area in my opinion, because you have some privacy and a little bit of a break from the world around you by your house or your fenced yard. The porch itself provides solid ground for the furniture to sit upon, and if you're lucky, you have a covered porch or screened porch to keep out the worst of the elements. When purchasing furniture for this type of an outdoor seating area, you simply want to buy outdoor patio furniture, and decorate the porch similarly to how you would decorate a room in your house.

Cozy Outdoor Backyard Seating Area Without a Porch

If you aren't fortunate enough to have a porch or your porch isn't covered, you might find yourself limited on creating a seating area. However, seating areas don't have to be on a porch. You can create a seating area along a fence that provides a wind break or create an outdoor seating area under a tree.

Types of Furniture for Outdoor Seating

Metal furniture is durable and will stand up to the elements, but it's not often the most comfortable for seating. I prefer whicker or wooden furniture, and if properly cared for, wooden furniture that is treated and prepared for using outside can last for years.

If you want something less expensive and light enough to stack and carry and store during bad weather or when not in use, whicker makes the perfect outdoor seating area furniture choice. You can buy weatherproof cushions to color and adorn the furniture and change the cushions to match with the season.

A good idea to add to your outdoor seating area furniture is a small table to put beside the seating for setting drinks, books, computers, magazines, etc, on when outdoors. My porch swing comes with attached flat tables on the arms of the swing.

Patio furniture can also be used on a porch, patio or under your favorite tree by simply moving it where you want it and creating a seating area wherever you are comfortable, though umbrellas often have to be removed when creating a seating area under a tree.

If concerned about theft, buying heavy metal furniture is an option, and then you can run a chain and lock through the legs of the furniture once you have your seating area created, and lock it all together or chain it to a tree, porch post, or a permanent object.

The options for an outdoor seating area are endless, and you can make it as cozy as you choose or as big as you choose, adding an entire outdoor 'room' onto your house. Lazy summer evenings and crisp fall afternoons spent outdoors rejuvenate the heart and soul and fresh air and sunshine never hurts!