I Thought Outdoor Egg Chairs Were Dated, but This Garden Designer Proved They Can Look so Elevated With Some Easy Design Tricks
A landscape designer shares the most stylish placement ideas for this comfy and cocooning outdoor furniture piece
Seating is hard to get right in your garden. You need it to be durable, but you want it to be comfortable. And while outdoor egg chairs sound good in theory, I've always found that something about them in reality just never quite sat right (literally). That was, until I saw how the team at Rosebank Landscaping styled them in outdoor spaces.
With its suspended design and rounded, cocooning shape, outdoor egg chairs can absolutely elevate your garden, but, as with all outdoor furniture, the right styling makes all the difference between design-forward and dated. As well as the design itself, certain placement ideas can enhance how relaxing (and used) an egg chair will be, helping to create a serene spot, no matter how big your garden is.
To get to the bottom of it, I spoke to landscape designer Sophie Bertrand, head of design at Rosebank, to learn all of her best tips and tricks when it comes to making outdoor egg chairs look and feel elevated in modern gardens. Here's what she said.
1. Transform an Underused Corner Into a Focal Point
If you have an underused corner that doesn't allow for more traditional outdoor furniture, a suspended egg chair can be a great way to elevate it.
Knowing what to do with empty corners in your garden isn't always so obvious, especially if the space is awkwardly shaped. Since hanging chairs don't require much clear floor space (they're typically suspended), they make for a brilliant outdoor furniture idea for small spaces.
So, get creative with your placement and use an egg to elevate an otherwise underused area. "Challenging areas, tight corners, tapering boundaries, or leftover pockets, can become some of the most characterful parts of a scheme," explains Sophie Bertrand. "In a compact, triangular garden, one can be nestled into a corner to anchor the composition, drawing the eye while giving purpose to an otherwise awkward edge."
The woven design of this outdoor egg chair gives it a natural look, perfect for blending in with its surroundings. It also comes with weatherproof cushions with removable covers, making it stylish and comfortable in equal measure.
Sophie is a landscape architect and head of design at landscaping company Rosebank, which has studios in both London and the Cotswolds. She designs and manages projects from start to finish, using her expertise in plants and technical abilities to deliver high-quality schemes. She has included egg chairs in many of her garden designs.
2. Create a Natural "Pause Point" in Your Garden
Styling your egg chair away from your outdoor dining space can help create a calming oasis to relax in.
If your outdoor area has different zones (such as a garden patio and lawn), an outdoor egg chair can be used to encourage a flow between those spaces. "In larger gardens, a hanging chair can be used to punctuate a journey," Sophie explains. "Placed along the route down to a lower level, it creates a natural pause point — encouraging a slower, more deliberate experience of the space."
This approach lends itself to wellness gardens, too. "Beyond aesthetics, hanging chairs influence how a garden is inhabited, inviting moments of rest, reading, or quiet observation, whether tucked into a corner or encountered along a garden walk," she says.
If you've got the space, Sophie recommends positioning your egg chair as far from your outdoor dining area as possible, creating a private space that's perfect for relaxing. "The enveloping form offers a subtle feeling of shelter without the need for built structures," Sophie explains. "This makes it particularly effective when set slightly apart from main seating areas, where it can function as a quiet, semi-private retreat."
The gray color and round design of this hanging egg chair give it a cool and contemporary look, an ideal choice for urban garden ideas.
3. Treat Them Like a Piece of Sculpture
Egg chairs work wonderfully in modern gardens, but make sure to choose a sleek design.
Hanging egg chairs are a wonderful choice for modern gardens. Their curved silhouette offers a sleek and understated look, whereas more traditional outdoor seating can be bulky. "With their cocoon-like form, hanging chairs read as a piece of outdoor sculpture as much as furniture," says Sophie.
What's more, the elevated design creates the look of continuous flow when in situ. "The suspended design keeps the ground plane open, allowing materials and sightlines to flow uninterrupted, which is key to maintaining clarity in contemporary layouts," Sophie explains.
And, since gardens can often feature lots of straight lines with patios and decking, egg chairs create balance. "The curved geometry provides a counterpoint to the clean, linear language of paving, decking, and walls, helping to balance the overall composition," she adds.
Don't forget to style your egg chair with outdoor cushions that will help to add texture and softness. For a look that's in keeping with the latest outdoor furniture trends, go for a striped pattern in a colorful hue.
Stripes are everywhere right now, so why not bring this fun pattern to your garden? This pink and red colorway feels playful, breaking up the neutral and green tones of gardens.
4. Let The Chair Complement Your Plants
Since the seats on egg chairs don't actually touch the floor, you can get creative with where you place them.
Rather than treating your flower beds and seating options as separate, why not merge them together? In the garden pictured above, the hanging egg chair is nestled within the greenery, creating an immersive space that feels natural and sensitive to its surroundings.
When going for this approach, make sure to choose a freestanding chair. "Freestanding versions allow for flexibility over time," says Sophie. "As planting matures or layouts shift, the chair can be repositioned without disrupting the wider design intent."
This landscaping idea can also help to add privacy to your garden. "Positioned just off the main route and partially enclosed by foliage, the chair feels sheltered and intimate, offering a clear sense of escape without needing built screening," notes Sophie.
Positioning your egg chair among plants, which tend to provide shade, can also be beneficial. "The partially enclosed shape creates a more protected microclimate," she adds. "This makes it ideal for lightly shaded corners, where it can offer a comfortable spot even during brighter parts of the day."
If you're not sure which color to go for with your egg chair, black is a safe choice. It's modern and sleek, and this one feels pretty timeless along with the gray cushions.
With a sleek egg chair and a considered approach to its placement and styling, your garden will be well on its way to looking elevated. But, to make your space even more of a stylish oasis this summer, take a look at the things that make a garden smell expensive.
And for more advice, subscribe to Livingetc's newsletter.
