I'm a pro at finding space-saving garden furniture that makes the most of every inch in a small garden – these are the 12 designs I recommend
From folding designs to multifunctional ones, these 12 pieces will actually save you space
Many of us don’t have a lot of outdoor space to work with, whether that’s a small garden or even just a balcony. That means that every piece of furniture that you include in that space needs to work a lot harder than if it were a garden that’s on the larger side. That’s why I’ve searched high and low in order to find the best space-saving outdoor furniture to make shopping for your small outdoor space easier.
As Ideal Home’s Room Decor Editor, I see and test out a lot of furniture, both for indoors and outdoors, and I have very high standards for each of the categories. Those standards are even higher when it comes to small spaces, as those pieces of furniture need to be clever, practical, yet stylish in order to be considered the best garden furniture for compact spaces and earn their spot in your small garden ideas.
But the 12 pieces of outdoor furniture below have truly impressed me. Including everything from designs that can be folded away when not in use to pieces that serve more than one purpose, I’d happily include them in my own small outdoor space and would recommend them to anyone with a small balcony or garden.
Whether it’s Wayfair’s clever balcony table that folds flat, made from steel and available in an array of bold colours, or the bestselling John Lewis Platform set which doubles as a dining and a lounging set thanks to the height-adjustable table, they’re all pretty genius.
Space-saving outdoor tables
Multipurpose outdoor furniture
Folding outdoor furniture
Which one of these small outdoor space-friendly pieces of furniture do you have your eye on?
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Sara Hesikova has been Room Decor Editor at Ideal Home since June 2024, starting at the title as a News Writer in July 2023. She is now also the Ideal Home Certified Expert on Furniture, and so far has tried over 300 different sofas.
Graduating from London College of Fashion with a bachelor’s degree in fashion journalism in 2016, she got her start in niche fashion and lifestyle magazines like Glass and Alvar as a writer and editor before making the leap into interiors, working with the likes of 91 Magazine and copywriting for luxury bed linen brand Yves Delorme among others.