Key Takeaways:
Designing a yard for entertaining starts long before the first pool party or BBQ. When you prioritize entertaining and hosting in your design from the start, you end up with a space you can enjoy with all the people you love.
— Design With Intention. Every great entertaining yard starts with purpose. Think about how guests will arrive, move, and gather, and shape the space around those moments.
— Create Zones for Connection. Layer areas for dining, lounging, and conversation so there’s a place for every kind of gathering—from quiet dinners to big celebrations.
— Build for Real Use. Plan lighting, shade, and seating as integral design elements, not extras. The details that make a yard beautiful should also make it comfortable when it’s full of people.
How to Design Luxury Outdoor Seating That Actually Fits Your Space
Seating is one of the most important elements in your outdoor space, and it’s so easy to get it wrong. So here’s everything you need to remember when designing your perfect outdoor space.
When you envision yourself using your yard, what do you see? Do you see yourself curled up on a nice lounge, chaise lounge by the pool reading a book? Do you see yourself having fun and serious conversation with your friends around a fire pit? Or maybe you see yourselves having a dinner party with a lot of friends and family. All of these might seem like different activities, but the one thing they have in common is that they need the right seating choices to make them possible.
Seating is an essential and often overlooked part of the yard. Here’s everything you need to know about luxury seating for your exterior.
Keep scrolling for tips on designing your outdoor seating.
And click below to read our latest blog post for design tips to help you create an exterior that makes it possible to entertain in your yard.
PS: One of the biggest regrets we hear from clients is that they wish they had reached out sooner. This is the perfect time to reach out if you want to be able to enjoy your new yard next year. Click here to book a free design consultation call with our team to get started.
Start With the Space You Actually Have
The first tip, and one I often see overlooked, is accepting the realities of the square footage you have. There are so many times when we are trying to shoehorn different seating arrangements into spaces that really can’t accommodate them.
Chaises are a big piece of furniture. They have a minimum width of about nine feet so you can comfortably walk in front of them. If you want to have multiple chaises, you need a pretty large pad to make that possible.
For a fire pit, especially a sunken fire pit, remember that the sunken element and the steps going down into the pit will take up a fair amount of square footage as well. You want to allow for the distance between the fire pit and the bench seating so it’s not too hot or too far away.
Understanding the scale and the amount of square footage you have to work with helps you make the right decisions and prevents you from forcing in something that just doesn’t belong.
Quantity Should Follow Lifestyle, Not Aesthetics
The next very important decision is quantity. Some items are chosen simply because they’re aesthetically beautiful. There’s nothing more luxurious than seeing a pool layout with daybeds spaced evenly, three or four along the pool. It’s incredibly resort-like.
But when you think about your lifestyle and how many you actually need, consider:
– How many people live in your home?
– How many guests do you have regularly?
– Will all those daybeds actually be used?
Sometimes, only one ever gets used, and the others become places to collect dust.
This applies to dining spaces as well. For bars—built-in bars or swim-up bars—think about how many seats are actually useful. If you have a family of six, a four-seat bar will never really be used because you can’t sit together.
Calculating the number of people who will realistically be in the space at any given time helps you make the right choices.
Choose Materials That Work With Your Climate and How You Live
Material choices matter on two fronts: color and fabric.
Color Considerations
Almost all clients right now gravitate toward neutrals—beige, pale gray, white, or a black-and-white palette. Black cushions look great and hide dirt, but if you live in the southern half of the U.S., be aware: black cushions absorb heat and can be very hot to the touch.
In desert climates like Arizona, this becomes even more extreme.
Fabric Considerations
Always choose an outdoor-rated fabric. The industry standard is Sunbrella.
Reasons designers love Sunbrella:
– Custom sizes and shapes available
– Huge selection of colors and patterns
– Easy to clean—hose off or machine wash
– Durable, even in neutral tones
Even neutrals hold up beautifully over time when they’re made from high-quality outdoor fabrics.
Make Seating Decisions Based on How You Actually Use Your Space
This is the most important tip, and one that’s so often overlooked.
There are many times, in outdoor and interior design, where we dream big and imagine that a new space will change our lifestyle completely. We think we’ll host dinner parties, larger gatherings, or entertain every weekend.
But the most successful designs reflect how you actually live.
Ask yourself:
– Do you like to host large groups?
– Do you prefer small, intimate gatherings?
– Do you want a quiet space to read?
– Do you spend most time by the pool?
If you’re not someone who hosts large groups, creating oversized seating areas won’t change that. On the other hand, if you constantly feel like your home is overflowing with guests, designing for more seating—even in a smaller yard—makes sense.
How you live now is how you’ll live in your ideal space. Designing around that creates the most effortless outdoor living experience.
How Thoughtful Seating Shapes a Space
Outdoor seating shapes how you experience your yard, no matter how you use your outdoor space. Whether it’s a quiet morning by the pool, a small gathering with friends, or an evening around the fire.
When the scale is right and materials are chosen intentionally, the entire space feels effortless. And when your seating is designed based on the way you actually use your space, in stead of based on how you think or hope you’ll use your yard, you end up with an outdoor space that’s comfortable, functional, and naturally luxurious.
Want to see more of our favorite seating spaces? Check out the portfolio on our website—it’s full of inspiration. Click here to check out more yards designed by Foxterra.
Our team can help you design seating that feels considered and fits the way you live. Click below to book a free design consultation and start shaping a yard that works beautifully for you.
Not ready for a call yet? Download our free Exterior Design Inspiration Guide to get clear on your aesthetic and explore seating layouts that support your lifestyle.
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How We Designed a Backyard That Feels Like a Private Resort
This isn’t just a yard. It’s a private resort. In this video, the Foxterra Design team takes you inside one of our most ambitious projects yet: a luxury backyard with the full resort experience. From a sunken seating area and floating daybeds to oversized stone boulders with water features, swings at the bar, and even a full pickleball and soccer court, every detail was designed to elevate outdoor living.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I choose the right outdoor seating for my space?
A: Start by understanding the scale of your yard. Chaises, fire pits, and dining areas all require specific square footage. Designing within the realities of your space leads to better layouts and more comfortable outdoor living.
Q: How many seats do I actually need in my outdoor area?
A: Think about how many people live in your home and how many guests you host regularly. Luxury outdoor seating isn’t about quantity—it’s about choosing the right pieces that fit your lifestyle.
Q: What materials should I use for outdoor cushions and seating?
A: Choose outdoor-rated fabrics like Sunbrella for durability and easy cleaning. Be mindful of color: darker cushions look beautiful but can run hot in warm climates.
Q: How do I design outdoor seating that fits my lifestyle?
A: The best designs are grounded in how you really live. Whether you prefer quiet mornings by the pool or large gatherings, choose seating that reflects your actual habits—not an imagined future lifestyle.
Behind The Blog
Justin Fox
Founder & Creative Director
Founder Justin Fox grew up with a passion for landscaping. After 15+ years building luxury yards and pools as a licensed contractor, he saw the limits of the design/build model. Homes get detailed, architect-led plans, so why shouldn’t yards? In 2019 he convinced brother Nate Fox to join him and launched Foxterra Design to focus on immersive, luxury outdoor spaces.
Today, Foxterra creates resort-style residential environments for clients worldwide, pairing rigorous planning with bold imagination. Their work has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, in Architectural Digest, and other leading design outlets.
Nate Fox
Designer
Nate Fox helps shape Foxterra’s creative vision, blending architectural detail with a designer’s eye for proportion and flow. His work redefines the backyard as an extension of modern luxury living.
For this story, Nate focuses on how thoughtful seating decisions shape the way a yard is used, from scale and spacing to materials and comfort. His perspective highlights how the right seating plan supports flow, everyday routines, and the way you naturally gather and spend time outside.
