My trips to see the latest and greatest design this year confirmed one thing to me about outdoor furniture right now. Wide stripes are in.
This isn't an entirely new trend, in fact, some of the best outdoor furniture we've seen over the last few years has featured bold 'deckchair' stripes. "Who doesn’t love a stripe?" asks Tim Walters of George Spencer Designs. "Deck chair stripes in bright colors are a mainstay of outdoor furniture, a reminder of holidays spent on the beach."
However, I'm going to pitch the popularity of the stripe for outdoor furniture at another source of inspiration — I think it might be the Soho House effect, especially for more urban garden settings. Soho House's properties, often with outdoor areas that featured sun loungers and chairs with signature wide stripes, bring a touch of modern elevation to the stripe idea, which you don't necessarily relate to the classic deckchair.
This roof terrace by Studio Ashby is one of my favorite garden designs, mostly down to its use of striped fabrics.
I think the success of the wide stripe in the garden is down to the effect is has against the wilder elements of your space. While, yes, some gardens are strictly linear in their design hardscaping design anyway, its the contrast between the straight lines and the organic irregularity of plants that creates the dynamic that makes stripes pop in outdoor areas.
Then, throw in an exciting accent of color, which we don't always see a lot of in garden furniture like outdoor sofas, which have long been limited to just gray or beige, and you've got a design that's working much harder to elevate your yard.
Whatever the reason, it's the one thing you'll find connecting all the coolest backyards right now, so I've sought out the best examples of it for 2025, so you know where to shop the look.
If you want to try the trend on a smaller scale, something like an outdoor ottoman is a great choice. This one from Habitat's outdoor range doesn't just get the look perfectly, but it's also currently on sale, too.
This armless sofa might be my biggest outdoor furniture crush this year. It comes in corner configurations too, but I love this low two-seater as a versatile option for a small garden.
The coolest take on striped furniture this year embraces the high contrast color trend — think hues that don't always, necessarily, feel harmonious but bring a modern cool, as with this designer piece.
With a slightly more traditional wrought iron frame, but modern striped seat cushions in this fun bright green, this Neptune piece balances the two schools of outdoor furniture design to great effect, for a country style garden with a contemporary twist.
Perfect if you need extra seats for outdoor that are easy to store without taking up too much space, this director's chair comes in a few colorways, and there's a version with a backrest, too.
If you're looking for comfort and bang for your buck, don't disregard the humble deckchair. Surprisingly comfortable for a more lounge-y outdoor seating option, they're also a great way to introduce pattern in textiles, whether you choose one like this from H&M, or go bespoke with your fabric selection.
Want to dress up an existing outdoor sofa in this new style? Habitat has some great value outdoor cushions that can be used to upgrade an existing garden couch. These look good enough that you might be happy to have them inside too, saving the dilemma on how to store outdoor cushions out of season.
Editorial director Sarah Spiteri owns a few pieces from Rowen & Wren's Sudbury selection, all with beautiful striped cushions. They're solid, hardy, heavy pieces that stand apart for their quality and robustness — Sarah bought them as she didn't want to have to cover them up in winter, and spend all season looking at furniture covers out her patio doors.
Cool, contemporary and surprisingly good value given the brand and the size, I'm very into this outdoor sofa design from Ferm Living. I own a couple of the brand's outdoor chairs, and they've held up well to the British weather, even through winter, so I can vouch that this metal-framed design will probably do well for your space also.
These stripes aren't, admittedly, going to be everyone's thing. They have big main character energy, and sometimes you just want something that plays a more supporting role.
But, it's not the only big outdoor furniture trend for 2025, so there's plenty more inspiration out there if you're looking for a more pared back look.
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