10 of the best minimalist outdoor furniture collections

The weather’s heating up and I’m sure we’re all glad to see a little sunshine at the moment. Even if I’m spending the majority of the day inside, sunlight can have a profound impact on my mood and I always feel better when it decides to show its face! I’ve been enjoying the play of light on the walls, having lunch outside in my garden and waiting for some seeds to sprout on my windowsills. I love this time of year and you can always rely on nature to show that life goes on and there’ll be small signs of hope, regardless of what’s going on in the world.

If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space, whether it’s a small balcony, compact rooftop terrace or generous garden, you’ll likely be looking to get it back into shape after the winter months. Outdoor spaces should be treated as an extension of the home; an extra living room to relax and unwind away from it all. Surrounding yourself with plants and green views has even shown to soothe wellbeing and boost the mood. So no matter the size, or even if it’s just a little windowsill lined up with herbs, its easier than you think to create a little green sanctuary to escape to.

Here I’ve rounded up 10 of the best minimalist outdoor furniture collections to help spruce up the garden, from classic designer furniture and sustainable chairs made of recycled waste to affordable high-street designs and stackable furniture for small spaces.

Ocean collection by Mater
best for: sustainability
Mater is a conscious and ethical Danish design brand doing really exciting things with waste materials. They’ve teamed up with the only facility in the world that upcycles fishnet waste, based on the western coastline of Denmark, to create an outdoor collection made of ocean waste plastic.  Originally designed in 1955 by Nanna and Joergen Ditzel for their own personal use (Nanna also designed the Trinidad chair), Ocean is a lightweight design with a metal frame and a gently curved, slatted seat made of used fishnet and hard plastic waste.

Available to buy in the UK from Heal’s and the range is currently 15% off, with the Ocean chair priced at £198 (was £234) and the large dining table priced at £431 (was £508) – affiliate links. All images courtesy Mater

Palissade by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for HAY
best for: cool contemporary design 
Designed by French design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec in 2015, the Palissade collection can now be found outside cafes, at museums and in people’s back gardens. Made of powder coated steel, the collection comprises 13 pieces, from a lounge chair and ottoman to a bar stool and bench. Classical in form yet simple in construction, the slatted, geometrical designs are elegant and timeless while modern and light at the same time – they would feel at home in a overgrown floral garden in the countryside as much as at a sleek modern terrace in the city.

Available to purchase from SCP, with a bench priced at £509, an armchair at £245 and a small dining table at £475. All images courtesy HAY

Outdoor furniture by Made.com
best for: affordability
Online retailer Made.com has an impressive range of minimalist outdoor furniture at accessible prices, from sleek sofas for lounging on to extendable dining tables for eating off. Their modern, streamlined Catania range is made of durable polywood and comes in jet black, while their MADE Essentials collection offers a selection of simple, utilitarian designs.

From top to bottom: Catania garden lounge set in black, £599, Catania set of two dining chairs, £129, Alif corner lounge set, currently on offer at £1,049 (was £1,299), MADE Essentials Tice garden extending dining table, £299, Topa dining set, now £549 (was £699), Catania corner dining set, £1,299, MADE Essentials Tice Apperitif set, £129 – affiliate links. All images Made.com

Linear series by Thomas Bentzen for Muuto
best for: pure minimalism
Conceived by Danish designer Thomas Bentzen, Muuto’s Linear range is refined and beautifully simple. The brand’s first-ever minimalist outdoor furniture collection can be recognised by its straight lines and circular, intersecting legs. The tables and benches are made of lacquered steel with a matte, weather resistant powder-coated finish. The Linear series comes in four colours: black, off-white, dark green and burnt orange, as well as a wooden version suitable for indoors.

‘The Linear series was designed from the idea of presenting durable materials in a sophisticated and understated expression for outdoor use with its form language inspired by the notion of meetings – the meetings of lines, the meetings of shapes and the meetings of materials,’ says Bentzen.

Available to purchase at Finnish Design Shop, the bench is priced at £644, the small table is £906 and the larger table is £1,045 – affiliate links. All images courtesy Muuto

Multiple collections from Skagerak
best for: simple, versatile (and sustainable) design 
Danish design brand Skagerak has a wide selection of minimalist outdoor furniture, from more traditional sun loungers, benches and umbrellas to design-led collections by the world renowned architects. Most notably, there’s the Lilium range by BIG Architects, that I’ve written about before – inspired by the port area in Aalborg, the versatile designs pair honest materials with a functional, urban look. The series is made of untreated, FSC-certified teak that will slowly patinate over time. In fact, all of Skagerak’s wood is sustainably sourced and they’re also a B Corp, find out more here.

My favourite in their collection is the Overlap table designed by TAF. Rustic wooden planks contrast with chunky, V-shaped powder-coated steel legs, giving the design a sleek, modern look. It works perfectly with Skagerak’s Mira chairs. Designed by Mia Lagerman, these lightweight chars are made of powder-coated steel and can be stacked to help save space when stored away. I also love the look of the By Your Side Table and the aluminium Fuori trolley – both perfect for serving an alfresco cocktail in style!

The Mira range is available to purchase on Finnish Design Shop, the chair is priced at £226 (was £282) and the table is priced at £711. The Overlap table is priced at £2,862 – affiliate links. The Fuori table is available from Skandium, priced at £249. The By Your Side Table is available from Nest.co.uk, priced at £220.15 (was £259). Images courtesy Skagerak

Indoor-Outdoor Series by Bodil Kjær for Carl Hansen
best for: high-end, timeless design
Danish architect Bodil Kjær first designed the Indoor-Outdoor Series in 1959. Six decades later, in 2019, it was put into production by Carl Hansen & Son and added to their collection of classic designer furniture. The simple, functional pieces were designed as a natural extension to surrounding architecture, playing with scale, balance and form.

‘Back in 1959, when I designed the furniture, there was not a great deal of focus on the aesthetics of outdoor furniture in the USA. Outdoor furniture mainly consisted of free-standing objects totally unrelated to contemporary architecture. I, on the other hand, saw furniture as an architectural element, the size of which should relate to the surrounding spaces. In the same vein, outdoor furniture should relate to the format of buildings. Outdoor spaces basically need furniture of a certain size to achieve a harmonious whole,’ explains Kjær. 

The Indoor-Outdoor series is available to buy from Skandium, the dining chair is priced at £696 and the dining table at £1,392. Images courtesy Carl Hansen & Son

Habitat
best for: high street value for money
Habitat is perhaps the go-to high street store for minimalist outdoor furniture, perfectly balancing trend-led style with comfort. There’s everything from rattan furniture and bistro table sets to simple folding chairs and casual deckchairs.

From top to bottom: Baldwin 4 seater table and 4 metal chairs, £435, Tara rattan side table and 2 chair set, £250, Lobos 8 seater garden table, bench and 4 chairs, £922.50 (was £1,025) – affiliate links. Images courtesy Habitat

Cox & Cox
best for: classic, traditional design
British brand Cox & Cox stocks a wide range of timeless, traditional designs for the urban and country garden, from comfy all-weather bamboo sofas to retro 1950s style string chairs. Accessorise with bulb festoon lights, parasols, outdoor mirrors, zinc planters or an outdoor fire pit. Get 20% off your first order using code intro4221

From top to bottom: Porto dining set, £795, Cape lounge set, £1,450, Malmo lounge set, £875, Indoor Outdoor Grey String Chair, £125. Images courtesy Cox & Cox

Desert chair by Ferm Living
best for: relaxed, effortless style
One of my favourite pieces from Ferm Living’s new Spring/Summer 2020 collection is their new outdoor Desert chair. The simple, modernist-inspired design is made from a tubular powder-coated steel frame with an interchangeable woven seat. The fabric seat is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles and comes in four designs: soil, stripes, shapes or solid cashmere.

Ferm Living have taken the concept one step further and designed a series of hardwearing outdoor cushions and rugs in the same recycled plastic fabric. They say: ‘Not only is it practical, easily cleaned, and suitable for outdoor use, it also feels just as lovely as any other rug that comes your way. Turning plastic bottles into PET-yarn, from which you can weave, has five steps: collecting bottles, crushing bottles and compressing them into compact entities, converting the compressed bottles into small chips, processing chips in carding machines, and finally you have a material you can spin into yarns.’

The Desert chair is available to purchase from Kin and Someday Designs. All images courtesy Ferm Living

Breeze collection by Cane-line
Best for: simple, Scandinavian style
I had a chance to try out Cane-line’s minimalist outdoor furniture last summer and was suitably impressed (sadly it was only a temporary press loan, but you can read my post and see all the snaps here). Danish brand Cane-line work with innovative technologies to create pieces that endure and need minimal maintenance. From sturdy tables in timeless colours, through squishy sofas with quick drying cushions and UV resistant fabric, to handmade accessories to add the finishing touch, Cane-line’s aim is to make your outdoor space comfortable, practical and inviting.

Designed by Strand+Hvass, Cane-line’s Breeze 2 seater sofa has a simple and lightweight expression. The curved, gently angled armrests create a cocooning effect that embraces the sitter, while the removable cushion adds a layer of comfort. It comes in light grey, white grey and black. The collection also includes a high-back chair, a lounge chair, stackable dining chair, side table and sunbed.

Available to purchase from Cane-line, the Breeze 2 seater sofa is priced at £1,080. All images below: Cate St Hill