– oldest item furniture that has become accessible to humans. A wooden snag, simply hewn a little with a stone ax and brought into a cave - this is the great-great-ancestor of all modern furniture, closer to which are wooden benches, which have not lost their relevance and demand - neither in the house, nor, especially, in landscape design.
Garden benches made of wood: choosing a style
It may seem only at first glance that the bench is far from being the most important element in landscape design, real professionals say that it begins with the bench and ends there garden design. Otherwise, what is all this effort and work for, if no one can enjoy and appreciate it?
That is why it is important to place the bench correctly, choosing a place from which the most beautiful and attractive view opens, and the bench itself can become an elegant accent that complements the beauty of the garden.
A comfortable bench in the garden will become a place where you can hide from the hustle and bustle, admire nature, read a book or listen to music, dream, or just relax. At the same time, wooden benches for a summer residence are a powerful and effective “weapon” landscape design, they can be used for zoning a site, marking boundaries, etc.
At the same time, garden benches differ in their functional purpose:
- front doors - they are installed at porch, at the entrance of the house. These are wooden decorative benches, richly decorated with carvings, they become a favorite place for photo sessions
- dining rooms - they are usually placed near B-B-Q, on terraces, in places where the family likes to dine outdoors
- garden - small benches, next to flower beds, flower garden or plot, it’s good to sit on them and relax while working in the garden. Usually it is very simple in shape, without decorations or aesthetic delights.
- relaxation - usually they are “hidden” in the most secluded corner of the site, away from strangers and even your own eyes, where the whole environment is conducive to relaxation. The main criterion is comfort, and you don’t have to be modest with the size - you can climb onto such a bench with your feet and even lie down
To make the bench comfortable, you should adhere to the following dimensions:
- optimal height– about 40-50 cm, while the legs will rest comfortably on the ground and rest
- seat width - about 50-55 cm. The seat is made with a slight inward slope - 5-12 cm, so it is more convenient to lean on
- back height – 35-50 cm
- backrest tilt - within 15-45 degrees
- if armrests (hand rests) are installed, then the optimal height for them is 15-20 cm, measured from the seat
Advice! When choosing material for a bench, preference should be given to wood that is especially resistant to moisture and decay - oak, larch, hazel, cherry. But teak is considered to be the “champion” in terms of strength; its wood contains natural resins that protect it from rot and insects (bark beetles, termites).
The choice of the shape and type of bench depends on both your preferences and the style in which the garden is decorated.
For country style, a bench that is as simple in shape as possible, natural in color or painted in a discreet brown shade, is suitable. For the Provence style - a slightly antique bench, quite modest in terms of decoration, painted in blue , white , violet or blue color.
- The bench must be periodically painted (opened with varnish). It is best to do this at the beginning of the season, before thoroughly cleaning the wood from any remnants of old paint.
- V hot weather the bench should be placed in the shade - not only you, but also the tree will be comfortable there - ultraviolet radiation negatively affects the quality of wood
- regularly check the fastening elements (bolts, screws, nails), if necessary, fasten them all the way, do not allow the structure to loosen
- If you notice traces of rot on one board, replace it immediately, do not let it spread further
One of the attributes of a garden or recreation area on suburban area– a bench, sitting on which you can read a book alone or, conversely, spend a few fun hours with friends. How to make an ordinary bench comfortable and at the same time turn into an element garden decor? The solution is simple - a DIY bench for your dacha. Only your own exclusive creation will fully satisfy your personal aesthetic needs.
Before you start sketching or drawing a product, you need to think about its installation location. The material of manufacture also depends on this. For example, it looks good in an old garden with large branchy trees. wooden bench in a forged frame (as an option - a product made of logs on a stone base), and in a young garden - a light, even openwork bench in a romantic style.
Small bench white stands out in contrast against the dark green hedge
If you place it in a quiet secluded corner, near or surrounded by flowering flower beds, it will become a wonderful place of solitude and relaxation, where you can spend a few pleasant minutes alone after working out in the garden beds.
Old Brick wall, a bench made of grayed wood and flowers look mysterious and romantic
Often benches are an integral part of verandas, gazebos, summer areas for a picnic. In this case, there should be several products aged in uniform style. One example is garden table with two benches on the sides, where on a summer evening you can have a family tea party or play board games.
Deliberately rough and comfortable wooden structure– a table, two benches and an armchair
It is better to install the bench in such a way that it offers a view not of the neighbor’s fence or garage, but of a pond, flower garden, or. The surrounding picture should please the eye, and not remind you that you need to refuel your car or renew the paint on the gazebo. It is also appropriate to place benches on the playground, by the pool, near the front entrance to the house.
A bench by the pond surrounded by flowers and greenery is a great place for relaxation and reflection.
One of the best places is in the garden, near the beds. It is better if the bench stands in the shade, for example, under the spreading crown of a tree or under a canopy, as it is intended for resting from physical labor– digging, weeding, watering or harvesting.
Relaxing in the shade flowering bush– a real pleasure
You can think about a decorative frame: a garden bench made by yourself looks good surrounded by low flowering bushes, specially arranged flower beds, on a small hill or on a platform made of natural stone or.
Preparatory work is half the battle
First you need to take a piece of paper and make a sketch or drawing of the proposed product. Even at this stage, questions may arise: what is the optimal height or how many legs should the bench have? Exist general standards which should be followed when drawing up the diagram:
- 400 mm – 500 mm – seat height;
- 500 mm – 550 mm – seat width;
- 350 mm – 500 mm – back height.
If you plan to create a product with a backrest, you should determine for yourself how the backrest will be attached to the seat. Depending on whether the bench is portable or not, the legs are planned: for a non-portable product, they are firmly fixed in the ground.
It’s easy to fix the legs of the bench: you need to dig holes the right size and fill them out cement mortar, lowering wooden parts there
From the drawing you can estimate how much material is needed for the job. Typically, a product of this kind requires a minimum of financial investments: there is always a lot at the dacha wooden blanks, remaining from the construction of a house or bathhouse, fasteners (screws, nails, bolts, staples), paint and varnish compositions for wood processing.
If you collect the leftovers wooden products and blanks from all over the countryside, you can come up with an unusual model
Found in the back room and necessary tool. If the main material for production is wood, you should prepare: a plane, a saw, a jigsaw, a hammer, sandpaper, tape measure and pencil.
Making Benches: Six Easy Projects
You can never go wrong by choosing wood for work - a material that is soft, pliable in processing and at the same time durable, capable of serving for decades. You can create elements from wood various shapes and size, figured inserts, voluminous and miniature details.
Project No. 1 – a simple bench with a backrest
If you have difficulty drawing up a sketch, you can use a ready-made drawing of a garden bench.
All parts are cut according to the dimensions in the drawing
This bench is traditional for city parks; similar specimens can be found at river stations, near theaters or shopping centers– in places where you have to spend some time waiting. The advantage of this option is the ease of preparation of parts and speed of assembly. To work, you will need thick beams for support (3 large and 3 smaller), bars or boards for the seat and back.
The color of the parts can be changed using impregnation or varnish of a darker shade
This model is portable - it can always be rearranged to another, more comfortable spot. To ensure that it always stands level and does not wobble, when installing supports it is necessary to ensure the exact location of the parts - even a slight discrepancy will cause the product to skew.
At the end of the work - and this applies to any wood product located outdoors - all wooden parts must be treated with a special anti-mold impregnation or coated with varnish, which also contains protective components. Treated wood is resistant to moisture, lasts longer and looks like new for a long time.
Project No. 2 – classic style bench
This option is more thorough than the previous one. A bench with a rectangular seat and the same back looks great against the background of a house built from any material - wood, brick, stone.
Assembly diagram of the armrests and backrest of the bench in classic style
For variety, you can change the color, choose a shade closer country houses. The back of such a bench is a real find for those who like to imagine and translate their ideas into wood. Straight vertical bars can be replaced with slats arranged crosswise.
Several people can easily fit on this bench
The upper horizontal crossbar would look good if covered with elegant carvings or colored designs. Armrests and legs can also be figured - but it all depends on the desire and skill of the master. It only takes a few evenings to make such a bench for your dacha, but you can enjoy relaxing on it for more than one year.
Project No. 3 – table with benches
A garden set for relaxing with the whole family consists of a comfortable table and two fixed benches.
A convenient and practical table with a couple of benches will be useful in any country house
All large parts (table, benches) are assembled separately, and then assembled into a single whole using 4 lower bars - 2 on each side.
Assembly diagram of the entire kit
The table is a tabletop with legs mounted crosswise.
Table assembly diagram
The benches are assembled easily, from bars or boards of various lengths.
Bench assembly diagram
On last stage First, the benches are fixed - to give the structure stability, then - the table, exactly in the middle.
Initial assembly - connecting benches
Simple in appearance, but comfortable table will become a gathering place for family and friends in the evenings - for communication, evening tea, and relaxation.
This table with benches can be placed directly on the lawn
You can download more detailed drawings and photos of this project.
Project No. 5 – video master class
Variety of materials, shapes and styles
Wood is a traditional, “warm” material for making benches, which is why products made from it are so different. Instead of machine-processed bars, you can take natural material with natural shapes - and before us is not just a bench, but a real masterpiece.
The original bench is made from large pieces of sawn and processed logs
It turns out that there are also stone benches, but they are valued not for functionality, but for aesthetics. You only want to sit on a stone piece in the warm season, but you can admire it all the time.
A small stone bench fits harmoniously into the floral landscape
They look refined and elegant, but only a professional blacksmith can create a garden bench with his own hands from metal.
A wrought-iron bench among the riotous colors looks more than appropriate
Combined benches and benches, built of stone and wood or decorated with textile items - capes, pillows, look interesting.
Small pillows in pink and white, neatly laid out on a bench, make the garden corner cozy and homey.
That's all for today. We hope you found something useful. If you have any questions or suggestions, you are welcome to comment.
Garden design is a modern, rapidly developing field that enjoys ample high level popularity. One of the indispensable attributes of relaxing in the garden is, of course, a bench. It contributes not only to the decoration of your garden, but also to a comfortable pastime in it. After all, a garden is also a kind of home, and you want it to be pleasant to be in it. To do this, you need to think in detail about where exactly to place garden benches. Most often, benches are located somewhere in a beautiful place.
For example, under the thick spreading branches of a tree. Or perhaps from some place in your garden there is an amazing view of the sea, river, lake, mountains or beautiful natural views. When choosing this approach, be guided by your preferences and how exactly you want to spend time in your garden. It is also possible to install benches near hedges or surrounded by some bushes. This will create the effect of comfort and security. The last aspect is important for many.
If you decide to install benches in the summer, choose cool weather. shady place, where you can hide from the heat, and in the fall, on the contrary, you can choose open place to enjoy the warm rays of the autumn sun. The placement of benches in the garden or on a summer cottage is entirely a matter of your preferences, because their purpose is to give convenience and comfort primarily to you.
Material selection
Garden benches are, of course, a compositional element. They must fit into the garden design or summer cottage, emphasize the originality of the design. They must contain beauty, originality and practicality.
In view of all this, attention should be paid not only to appearance, but also on the material from which they are made and on the level of its quality.
Types of benches
Today, several groups of benches are popular:
- stationary - made of wood, metal and natural stone;
- folding - plastic.
Natural materials, of course, are very popular. You can create truly works of art from them. Carved, forged benches, as well as benches made of combined materials, look very impressive.
Wooden benches are very practical and will easily fit into the design of your garden, as they are made from natural material. The advantage of wood is that such benches are not only beautiful and have many design solutions, but also proper care and processing will last you quite a long time.
But, like all natural things, wood is susceptible to external and mechanical stress, corrosion and weather conditions. Therefore, wooden benches require special care. Metal benches are considered the most durable and practical. They also come in a variety of designs. This bench will serve you for decades. They are perfect for a modern style garden.
How to make a bench with your own hands
Also, many have wondered how to make a bench with their own hands. This is not only an opportunity to save money and realize all your preferences and design solutions. You can create a plan yourself or use the services of specialized agencies. Here are a few such projects.
This bench is simple and convenient. It’s quite easy to create it, just follow the parameters indicated in the drawing and you will succeed. To work, you will need thick beams for support, bars or boards for the seat and back.
Here, of course, you will have to put in more effort and time, but the bench will look more solid and solid. The decor can be varied. Show your imagination and make your garden bench unique!
Garden benches are, first of all, an opportunity to relax comfortably, enjoying nature and the surrounding views in the company of friends or loved ones. Creating comfort with their help is easy and simple. Thanks to a variety of techniques, materials and elements, you have the opportunity to make your garden cozy, beautiful and functional.
Photos of various garden benches
And the point is not even that it is very convenient and functional, but that the garden bench has always been almost the main element of decoration personal plot. In order for the bench to fit perfectly into the overall appearance of the garden and at the same time retain its functionality, it would not be amiss to take a closer look at this piece of “garden interior”.
Garden bench materials
Modern benches are made from both classic materials- wood, stone, wrought iron, marble, and more modern ones - plastic, synthetic fiber. Often benches can be made simultaneously from two or more materials - stone and iron, wood and glass, forged steel and wood. The style in which this item is made depends on this. This means that it is necessary to select a bench for the garden taking into account its stylistic features. For example, a bench made of stone or forged steel and wood will fit perfectly into a garden designed in a classic style, and a bench made of plastic will look great on the lawn in front of a cottage in a modern style.
But still, the most popular material used to make a garden bench is wood. In particular, teak is most often used. Teak wood has always been used in shipbuilding because it is very resistant to moisture. On fresh air appears on teak furniture gray plaque, which can be easily removed with a soft brush. In addition, teak furniture must be treated with teak oil, which comes with the furniture - this way the furniture will last for many years.
Manufacturers garden furniture often they do not limit themselves to the production of just benches, but produce entire ensembles of garden furniture. In addition to benches, it includes a table, chairs, swings, chests for storing pillows - and all this, made in the same style, will be an amazing decoration for any garden.
Where to put a garden bench
If you plan to place only single benches in the garden, then you should definitely place one bench at the porch - this will be a wonderful sign of hospitality, and if you place another bench somewhere in the depths of the garden, under a spreading tree, then this place will become a wonderful corner for solitude and rest in silence.
Of course, the bench plays first functional role. Therefore, it is worth special attention fit its dimensions. For example, if a bench is installed in a part of the garden where family barbecue gatherings take place, then the bench there should be long, or several small benches, so that all family members and guests can sit comfortably. But if you reject truly functional purpose benches, then you should pay attention to psychological aspects its use.
According to psychologists, sitting together on a bench can reconcile quarreling spouses and establish friendship with a pleasant interlocutor. And the secret of this is that when people sit on a bench, their gaze covers the same landscape, they breathe the same air, their thoughts and feelings gradually begin to flow in the same direction.
Garden benches - photo
But as for the shape of the bench, now there are many of them and you can choose any one to suit your taste. Let's say there is a huge spreading tree with a wide trunk growing in the garden. You can install a round bench around it so that those sitting have their backs to the tree trunk. But if you build a beautiful round flower bed or a small fountain, then a round bench will fit perfectly there, only those sitting will already be facing the center of the composition. Round benches are very convenient because they can accommodate many people without taking up much space.
Anyone who has installed a bench, or even several, in their garden can say with confidence that they have received another unique room, cozy corner your home, where it is always pleasant to relax and spend time with loved ones. The only difference is that this corner is open air.
DIY bench around a tree
A bench with several seats can be a logical end to a flower bed or surround a tree in the garden. A couple of days of work - and the new vacation spot is ready!
To work, you will need patterns for decorative parts; you can use our option or develop the form yourself. The presented bench is suitable for trees with a trunk up to 45-50 cm thick!
Template for decorative strips based on a 5 x 5 cm grid. Draw the cells on the wood and then draw a smooth line.
- The shortest seat board is made with a special recess so that the inclined backrests fit exactly against it. To do this, attach two slats to the part, which has already been sawn off at both ends with a 60° bevel, as a guide for marking. The rail placed on top should be the size of the back, the second rail serves only as a support.
- Starting from the back corner, mark the thickness of the back (3.5 cm).
- Since the angle of the backrest is 100°, it is necessary to check the notch with the angle of the part.
- Using a carpenter's square, mark a 100° angle as shown in the photo. Then use a hacksaw to cut out a complex “wedge”.
- A board with two slats will serve as a template for mounting the seats.
- To ensure that all six seats are the same, refer to the template.
- For decorative strips, you will need a grid template that can be used to process all six planks.
- Make the holes with a Forstner drill.
- Round the edges with the top bit.
- Mount the backrest.
- Coat the parts with a protective wood primer and paint them with enamel.
Garden bench - photo ideas
Among the small architectural forms The most common are benches and benches. Can be made from any materials or combinations thereof: wood, metal, stone, concrete, plastic, glass.
They are everywhere: streets and city squares, parks and squares, sports and educational establishments, public institutions and living quarters. Practically required element landscape design, plot of a private house or cottage.
The easiest material to process and affordable is wood. Do-it-yourself wooden benches provide an opportunity to save money, demonstrate your craftsmanship at home and be a creator.
Wooden benches: economy option
Make wooden benches using existing “blanks”. It is enough to process it a little and assemble a strong and functional structure - with a seat, back and legs.
Moreover, such “modules” are inexpensive, sometimes purchased for “pennies.” We are talking about pallets, or pallets.
But not everyone is suitable for arranging garden furniture. You should not use products made from off-grade or unedged boards. In the first case, large knots may fall out, in the second, the “aesthetic” qualities suffer.
There are cases where the board fastening step is clearly not suitable for a bench.
The pallet is a wonderful donor for a bench
A pallet, as in the photo, would be better. With a corner chamfer removed along the contour.
The width of the pallet is large for bench seating. It needs to be trimmed, the remainder can be used to construct the backrest.
If the width of the backrest is not enough, then the bench will have to be made from two pallets.
The seats and backrest are part of the structure. Need legs. Let's make pallets from the board itself.
- the bench may not be stable
Rigidity is ensured by the seat, and the mounting area of the legs is quite small. Usually a lower ligament is added so that they do not “spread apart”. A simpler option is to use another pallet (or rather part of it) as a base.
or two. Do-it-yourself benches and benches made of wood in detail and clearly.
Fixing the backrest, as can be seen from the examples, can be done using a pair of slats, a board, a rope or rope. The assembled bench, its surface is cleaned, sanded, varnished or painted.
You can not cut the pallets to width and make a garden sofa.
There are examples of using pallet boards for the manufacture of other products from the class of small architectural forms. Flowerpots are also taken in the photo.
It is not necessary to waste time disassembling pallets, but it is better to buy standard lumber.
Simple bench shapes: board and timber
There are designs and execution options - from the simplest to specimens with wood carvings, worthy of being called real works of applied art.
The easiest option for making is a wooden bench without a back.
The drawing shows a do-it-yourself wooden bench, made entirely of boards with a thickness of 75 mm.
Bench made of boards and timber
Each element consists of two parts.
The seat with beveled ends is assembled from two boards. If the bench stands on open area or outside a heated room, it is better to provide a gap. It will allow water to drain and compensate for wood swelling.
The leg consists of two glued elements. For reliability end connection a pin (dowel) is inserted. Two short support beams and seat fastenings are attached to the leg. The legs and beams are connected with grooves, fixed with glue and self-tapping screws. IN assembled form the leg and beam are attached to the seat board with two pairs of screws and dowels, holes are drilled for them in advance.
Assembly order
1. Cut out the workpiece;
2. Process the ends and clean the surfaces for gluing;
3. Glue the legs together;
4. Beams are attached to them;
5. Assembling the shop;
6. Sanded and coated with varnish (or paint).
Images and drawings of a bench made of 30 mm boards with a support beam.
Bench made of 30 mm boards with a support beam
There are already shaped elements in the form of legs with radius cutouts. You can make the work easier and make them rectangular. The drawing is not a dogma - it can be taken as a basis and changed in the direction of simplification or in the direction of complication. They do the same with sizes - make the bench wider, shorter, etc.
What is the difference between this option and the previous one?
One long support beam is used instead of four short ones; it also serves as a stiffening rib for the base - the legs and the entire structure are more stable. The connection between the legs and the beam goes through a tongue and groove, and the tenon is much easier to cut out. That is, this form is a little easier to manufacture, more stable and provides more opportunities for experimentation.
Below are some options similar design, but in a different version.
For example, in the minimalist style - there are not even protruding edges. Splicing according to the tongue-and-groove principle is used to connect the legs and the seat.
In this model, they simplified the task as much as possible - they even abandoned cutting out grooves and tenons. In this case, it is better to make the connection between the legs and the beam using confirmats rather than self-tapping screws (they have a larger contact area). For strength, they usually add a pair of dowels on each side, set with glue. Hidden mount the seats are made on a dowel, the open seats are made on a self-tapping screw.
If the bench is not very long, then the beam can be placed at the bottom. In this design, it serves solely as a stiffener.
In the photo below you can see an unusual case of using a dowel - it attaches the beam to the legs not with a hidden installation, but with an open one.
In this bench, a block was used to “help” the board.
Legs with crossbars and two oblique supports for sitting are made from it. All fastenings are made on confirmations, and the bars of the legs are connected to each other using grooves.
Here also a block is used for the base. Thanks to large thickness seat boards, it does not require additional support. The lower beam serves as a stiffener.
Making a small bench with a back is not much more difficult. The principle of installation and fastening is similar to simple benches: grooves, tenons, dowels, glue, screws and confirmations.
You can take a design with “solid” board legs as a basis. Move them a little from the center to the edge so that the ends of the seat and legs are in the same plane. Attach vertical beams to the legs and screw the backrest to them.
Bench with carved back
For a model whose base is made of a block, making the back is even easier. Two pairs of legs: front - for seat support, rear (high) - for fastening load-bearing beam, seats and backrests.
These were lightweight and “mobile” designs of benches and benches made of wood, which could be used with equal success in an open area, under a canopy or indoors. There are more massive forms aimed at “stationary” placement.
Benches: large format
Making a wooden bench with your own hands for a summer residence involves using any form of material. Including those that are used in the construction of wooden houses.
For example, timber. For reference: timber is classified as such if the aspect ratio is no more than 1:2, and the smaller side has a size of 100 mm or more. Reducing the size transfers such lumber to the “block” category.
It is not easy to assemble a bench like the one in this photo with your own hands, but it is possible.
Assembling the legs is not difficult at all. The only difference from a board and a block is that more powerful fasteners will be required. For example, such self-tapping bolts for wood.
You will have to widen the hole under their head (but confirmations also require this) and place a washer.
Installation and installation of the seat is much more difficult.
To “bundle” the beams together, three metal pins are needed, with a length almost the width of the seat, and two - the width of the bench, taking into account the legs. It’s difficult to find these on sale - you’ll have to make them from round reinforcement (stainless steel). The gap between the beams can be maintained using wooden plates from boards strung on studs. The thickness of the plates should be the same as the three supporting vertical beams that support the seat in the center of the bench.
And this specimen is made of even more powerful timber (150×100). Its assembly is much simpler. Two seat beams are attached from below through short cross beams, which are then mounted to the T-shaped legs.
Another easy-to-follow example using a large-format board. Load-bearing capacity The materials are such that the use of reinforcing beams is not required - the seat is attached to the ends of the short legs. The author of the project knows well that the toughest geometric figure- triangle. Therefore, both the configuration of the lower part of the supports and their connection with each other with bolts has the shape of an equilateral triangle.
If possible, order two non-standard wooden beams, then making such a bench with your own hands will not be difficult: you will need to “add” four short timbers (100×100) for the legs and two timbers (100×50) for the back.
Timber bench
But if this is not possible, then instead of a non-standard beam you can use a couple of standard ones.
Such garden bench He already uses logs from wood with his own hands.
The most difficult thing in this option is to do with an ax (or adze) longitudinal groove and a tenon for connecting logs. For reliable fixation, you will need a couple more dowels on each side (this is the same dowel, but only thicker and longer). The seat and back can be made of boards (as in the photo) or timber. Do-it-yourself benches and benches made of wood - ideas and solutions.
And this version of the bench is already more complicated.
But not really. The main difficulty is making the back, or rather the notch on it. All fastenings of parts of the structure to each other are carried out using dowels.
Basically, like this wooden fastener quite durable - log houses with a couple of floors (including wooden churches) were previously built without a single nail.
And a very simple option: two logs with a groove and half a log sawn lengthwise.
Bench simplicity perfection
Wooden bench
In conclusion, here are a couple of examples of how you can make a bench from wood, not purchased wood, but found in a nearby planting or forest. Benches and benches made of wood with your own hands from auxiliary materials.
In this example, only the seat is made of boards, everything else is made of natural material, which had to be selected in thickness and adjusted to size.
To make the seat of such a bench, you need professional tool, so you'll have to either order longitudinal sawing logs, or (which is easier) take an unedged board as a blank.
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