These are some favorite garden art chairs I photographed on garden tours. Most of them are simple ideas, but, as you’ll see, by adding a distinct colour of paint or turning the chair into a planter, they become wonderful focal points in the garden.
There are lots more garden idea galleries including creative garden paths and ways to dress up fences.
Garden Art Chair Gallery
It’s a simple idea, but a good one. Old wooden and metal kitchen chairs are super handy in the garden. Paint them to stand out and use them to hold flower planters or other garden art.
I gathered these ideas at home garden tours—my favorite way to find inspiration for my own garden.
Lead Paint Check
Older furniture painted in the 1970s or earlier may contain lead. If you do not know that status of your painted item, find out using a lead test kit (Amazon). If there is lead, follow your government’s safety instructions.
1Succulent Chair Planter
I love this chair. If you look closely, you can see the planter was created with chicken wire and some coir lining. Succulents are ideal because of their shallow roots.
Related: Gallery of Garden Art Easels
If you are in the United States, Succulents Box has lots of succulents and air plants by mail order and subscription boxes.
Related: Gallery of Garden Shed Ideas
2Old Blue Kitchen Chair
3Broken Chair Legs? Put it on a Fence!
4Face Plant(er)!
Related: How to Make Hypertufa Pots (Recipe + Tutorials)
5Red Chair with Watering Can
Related: Watering Can Garden Art Project
6Rustic Branch Chair
7Turquoise Kitchen Chair in Garden
8White Chairs with Purple & Pink Flowers
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9Rustic Bench with Creeping Jenny
*Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is considered invasive in some areas of North America.
10Traditional Chunky White Metal
I don’t know if I’d call these garden art, but they’re small and uncomfortable so designating them as art is the only option left!
These were a staple in gardens for years and then seemed to disappear. For years I thought they were hideous but now I get a little nostalgic when I see them.
Related: Gallery of Watering Can Garden Art Ideas
11Lime Green Wooden High Chair
12Wood Chair With Cutout For Flower Pot
This idea is very popular right now: cut out the seat of an old chair to hold the rim of a flower pot.
Related: Gallery of Doors and Windows in the Garden
13Wooden Yellow Chair
This milky yellow color is a favorite of mine. I love how it contrasts with purple and red flowers.
Related: What to do with broken bird baths
14Rustic Twig Bench
Not exactly a chair, but this wood bench adds a rustic, cottage look to the garden.
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15Red Adirondack Chairs
I know some people love these chairs (“They’re so comfortable!”) but when I see them all I can think of is how hard it is to get in or out of them. That said, I love how you can use them to add bold color to the garden like the red ones shown here.
Related: Gallery of Arbors, Trellises, Obelisks, and More
16Red Metal Vanity Chair
These old-fashioned metal chairs are not exactly comfortable but again, with the right paint color, they make good garden art.
Related: 25+ Creative Ideas to Dress Up Your Garden Fence
16Made in the Shade
Related: Colorful Plants for Shade Gardens
17Blue Schoolhouse Chair
Related: 16 DIY Succulent Projects
This photo is actually from my old garden, taken approximately 15 years ago. I’d never seen a chair in a garden at that time but I didn’t have room for it in the house (and didn’t want to get rid of it) so it somehow found its way to the garden and stayed there. The birds and squirrels enjoyed it.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
