Let’s say that the patio is for gathering your family together and socialising, in which case the lawn and the poolside, on the other hand, are for doing the opposite: lying back, slowing down, and letting an afternoon disappear. This is the part of the garden built purely for relaxation, and the furniture should make that as easy and inviting as possible and here are some garden furniture ideas to help you with that.
Lounging out on the grass or beside the water asks something different from your furniture than a dining patio does. It wants to be comfortable enough to drift off in, easy to move as the sun travels, and tough enough to cope with damp grass, sun cream and the odd splash. Here are our favourite ideas for creating a spot you won’t want to leave.
Chase the sun with furniture you can move
The single biggest difference between a lawn or poolside and a fixed patio is that the best light moves through the day. Lightweight, movable loungers let you follow it, repositioning to catch the morning sun by the pool and the late warmth across the lawn. Furniture you can shift in seconds turns the whole garden into a sunbathing spot rather than tying you to one corner.
Our aluminium-framed sun loungers are built for exactly this. Sturdy enough to feel solid, light enough to drag to wherever the sun happens to be.
Make the day bed your destination piece
If one piece defines a lounging area, it’s the day bed. Big enough to stretch out fully, share with someone, or pile with cushions and disappear into for an afternoon. Set one on the lawn or beside the pool and it instantly becomes the spot everyone drifts towards. Add a canopy and you’ve got shade built in, so you can laze without baking.
A day bed works beautifully as a focal point in an open garden, somewhere the eye, and everyone in the household, naturally heads.
Group for company, space out for peace
How you arrange loungers sets the whole tone. Angle a pair together with a small side table between them and you’ve made a sociable spot for two to chat and sunbathe side by side. Line several up facing the pool and you’ve got a relaxed, resort feel for when the family’s all out. Or tuck a single lounger into a quiet corner of the lawn for somewhere to escape with a book.
There’s no wrong answer, it’s about how you like to relax. The flexibility of separate loungers means you can change the layout to suit the day.
Build in shade so lounging stays comfortable
Lounging in full sun is lovely for about twenty minutes. After that, shade is what keeps you out there. A large parasol angled over a cluster of loungers, a day bed with its own canopy, or a shaded nook under a tree gives you somewhere to cool off without going indoors. The trick is to have both sun and shade within easy reach, so you can move between them as the afternoon wears on.
Poolside asks a little more of your furniture
Anything beside the pool lives with water, wet feet and sun cream, so materials matter more here than almost anywhere in the garden. Our all-weather PE rattan over rust-resistant aluminium handles it all: it won’t rust by the water, won’t fade in the relentless sun, and wipes clean when the suncream inevitably ends up on the cushions. Quick-drying frames and removable, washable cushion covers make poolside lounging far less precious and far more enjoyable.
Keep a couple of loungers close to the water’s edge for drying off in the sun, and you’ve got the easy, holiday feel that makes a pool worth having.
Soften the setting with planting
A lounging area surrounded by greenery feels worlds calmer than one sitting on bare grass or hard poolside paving. Tall grasses swaying behind a day bed, pots of lavender beside the loungers, a leafy screen for a touch of privacy, it all turns a functional sunbathing spot into a proper retreat. Let the furniture sit within the planting rather than apart from it, and the whole area feels more like an escape.
Add a single piece that makes you smile
Beyond the loungers, one characterful piece lifts a lounging area from practical to special. A hanging egg chair gently swaying in the shade. A love seat angled to catch the view across the lawn. A portable fire pit to pull the lounging on into the evening once the sun’s gone down. These are the pieces that give the space its personality and keep you out there long after you’d planned to head in.
Think about where it lives off-season
Lounging furniture sees the most use in the height of summer and the least the rest of the year, so it’s worth a thought on storage. Lightweight loungers stack or fold away easily into a shed or garage, while pieces that stay out are best given a breathable cover and have their cushions brought indoors to keep them fresh. A little care over winter means everything’s ready to go the moment the sun returns.
A quick word on materials
Sun, water and damp grass are hard on furniture, which is why what it’s made of matters out here. Our lounging ranges are built on rust-resistant aluminium frames wrapped in all-weather PE rattan, woven to resist fading, cracking and splitting however much sun it sees. It shrugs off poolside splashes, wipes clean easily, and stays looking good summer after summer, so the only thing you have to think about is how long to lie there.
Ready to find your lounging spot?
The only real way to choose a lounger is to lie on it. Come and try our garden furniture range in the showroom, where the team can help you find the loungers, day beds and shaded pieces that suit your space and the way you like to relax. No hard sell, just honest advice from people who know every piece on the floor.
Visit the showroom or get in touch, and we’ll help you create a garden spot you won’t want to leave.
