Most outdoor living and entertaining areas include a seating area of some sort. In the North of Scotland we spend a great deal of our year chasing the sun and so it’s important to work out how the sun works in your garden.
It sounds so logical to position the seating area immediately next to the rear of the house for easy access but depending on which direction this faces it may not get any sun at all!
The orientation of your house and garden may mean that that the sun falls in one area in the morning (east-facing) and another in the afternoon (south-facing) and even a third area (west-facing) in the early evening. Deciding where to position your main seating area will rely on these factors, but having worked out where this is going to be, don’t be afraid to have occasional seating areas for morning coffee and that last gasp of sun in the evening, this can create interest and character in even the smallest of garden spaces.
The main seating area is where all the action is going to take place, so it’s important to consider the maximum number you are likely to cater for regularly, what size and shape of table would be best and also suits the space – is it going to be round, oval, rectangle, square…?
What are you going to put the furniture on? The choice of materials is endless: sandstone, limestone, slate, composite stone, wood stone, wooden decking, composite decking, polished concrete and even artificial grass!
Having decided on the main elements, it is equally important to work out how this is all going to fit into the garden as a whole, so that it looks as if it’s meant to be there… .and then work out how you are going to get there of course!
There are some wonderful accessories out there too. From outdoor sofas, fire pits and patio heaters to funky storm lanterns and solar fairy lights… now all we need is the sun!
To help you work out what size of seating area you need, there are some basic measurements that are helpful.
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