14 ways to style your outdoor living room—practical furnishing ideas!

1. Divide your terrace into functional areas

This single-family home’s terrace is bordered by Japanese-inspired flower beds mixing ornamental grasses with colorful flowers of varying heights. This sheltered, elongated terrace features two seating areas. At one end, there’s a dining table and grill. Round metal chairs from Ellos are ideal for enjoying the morning sun. The larch deck is left to weather naturally.

2. A greenhouse for relaxation

Chili peppers and tomatoes thrive in this single-family home’s greenhouse. It’s lovely to relax among the plants in a Parolan Rottinki hanging chair. A round niinimatto sets apart the swinging area. The easy-care, mud-colored tile floor hides sand and soil stains well.

3. Don’t forget sun protection

Furnished with cohesive lounge-style pieces, this terrace serves as the home’s second living room. The teak-framed Rib modular sofa from Anker Denmark fits the proportions of the glazed terrace perfectly. The water-repellent, UV-protected sofa cushions are from Anker Denmark as well, and the table is also teak. Visor’s balcony blinds provide reliable shade from intense sunlight.

4. Napping in a meadow

Reclaimed wood is ideal for eye-catching, long-lasting terrace furniture, like this resident-built sun lounger. A thick rope holds a tray as a creative detail. The boards are treated with iron vitriol, which naturally grays and preserves the wood.

5. Build it yourself for a perfect fit

This terrace wall provides a well-lit spot for homemade plant shelves. The resident also built a narrow wooden corner sofa with a charming curved backrest. The seat cushions have moisture-repellent covers. The home’s exterior siding is spruce planks treated with iron vitriol for a naturally gray finish.

6. Connect with nature

A rattan hanging chair is a popular choice for covered terraces, perfect for enjoying the scenery as you swing. The seating area includes stackable Hee metal chairs from Hay, a cushioned rattan sofa, and a wooden folding table. The terrace is built with pressure-treated wood.

7. An open lounge area

For this wooden single-family home, a black minimalist dining set was selected to match the building’s color. The lightweight metal chairs feature poly rattan backs and seats. The furniture is from Jysk. A light jute rug helps the dark set pop against the black wall.

8. Save space with a bench

Mika and Kati Hopiavuori’s summer cottage terrace features a seating area formed by two L-shaped wooden benches. Their narrow design saves space on a small terrace. Ecofurn’s Finnish-made benches are made of pine. The consistent color palette of the cottage and furniture adds to the sense of harmony.

9. The sky as your ceiling

This fully glazed balcony is meant for enjoying the sea view. Being narrow, it’s better suited as a lounge than a dining area. There’s still enough room to walk past the cushioned poly rattan chairs. Heat-tolerant plants help soften the balcony’s elongated shape. The furniture is from Isku.

10. An unobstructed view with glass

This terrace, enclosed by glass railings, offers a view straight from a classic Finnish film. One side features a dining set, while the sofa set is made of slender, woven terrace chairs made of poly rattan. Black sun loungers complete the look. The terrace is built from pressure-treated wood.

11. Gifts from the forest

Logs cut from the property’s trees serve as handy, weatherproof seating around a lakeside fire pit. They also double as surfaces for trays. You can find freestanding fire bowls, for instance, from Opa & Muurikka.

12. A living room with a view

For this vacation home in Spain, the terrace acts as a second living room for the family. The wooden-framed sofas feature poly rattan armrests and water-repellent covers. Similar sofas are available from Cane-line. At the center of the lounge area is Eric Kuster’s driftwood table.

13. Lightweight is convenient

Lightweight rattan furniture is easy to move indoors to protect from rain. The materials and color palette of the sofa set on this narrow terrace coordinate well with the decking and black grid windows. Using both a low and a tall metal table gives a more open feel than a single wide coffee table. The furniture is from Lsoy-koti.

14. A raised sun deck

This 1970s apartment building’s balcony faces the sea. A raised platform at one end shapes the narrow space perfectly for two Adirondack sun chairs. The sea breeze won’t topple summer flowers grown in sturdy pots. An old rattan bench offers a handy spot for small, lightweight planters.