Most Outdoor Banquettes Are Built-in and a Big Commitment — This Stylish Sofa Achieves the Same Thing, but Can Be Bought 'Off the Shelf'

I've always been drawn to the conversational nature of banquette seating in restaurants and pubs. The kind that envelops you and encourages you to stick around, just a little bit longer. Design-wise, it's a useful way to zone and anchor a space — rather than seating that floats around.

The problem with translating this kind of seating in your home, though, is that it's usually a custom job. And for outdoor banquette seats, that typically means truckloads of concrete or expensive timber frames. But that doesn't have to be the case. I recently came across this Handmade Garden Lounge Sofa Hoop by House Doctor (available at Westwing), and I couldn't help but draw parallels with its banquette-like silhouette.

Yes, at £1,399, it's certainly not the cheapest outdoor sofa out there, but for an 'off the shelf' outdoor banquette, it's more approachable than a bespoke build (and the faff of hiring a builder). Plus, it's got none of the commitment of concrete — you can continuously move it around your garden, and even bring it inside if you like.

Space is a luxury, I know, and this sofa is just over two meters long. So if you can't fit it in, don't worry — there is also a Handmade Garden Armchair Hoop that measures 70cm wide, 82cm high, and 68cm deep.

But there are other ways to fake an outdoor banquette seat. Look for structured sofas that wrap a corner, or, ideally, sit in a U-shape, to mimic that conversational layout. To help, I've found some other alternatives you can shop 'off the shelf', below.

Stylish Alternatives to Shop

Interested in more garden space optimization? You have to see this 'shape-shifting' outdoor sofa set that moulds to whatever you need.

For more product inspiration, sign up for Livingetc's newsletter.