Daydreaming: Outdoor Beds

By Kate Riley March 3, 2016

It’s going to rain for a week straight starting tomorrow. I have no complaints we need the water out here on the west coast, but I am anxiously awaiting warmer weather and long summer nights spent lingering outdoors.

Taking a nap outdoors feels like such a luxury. Actually, taking any kind of nap feels like a luxury :)  But one stolen outdoors is extra special, I insist on one whenever I go someplace warm on vacation, I affiliate an outdoor nap with ultimate relaxation.

We have a large sofa in our courtyard but it’s hard to catch zzzs there since the space is pelted with afternoon sun in the summer. My neighbors have an outdoor bed I envy, it’s a carved wood bed that has weathered over time, and she dresses it in exotic textiles and colorful pillows every summer. Their yard is so inviting, I await my annual invitation to share sangria just so I can lounge on that outdoor bed. My neighbor tells me she’s fallen asleep on it countless times on summer evenings while her husband strums his guitar in an adjacent chair. Isn’t that the most romantic lovely thought?

We saw a lot of outdoor beds on our trip to Fiji, destination resorts with views excel in the lure of the outdoor bed. Enclosure + mattress + pillows = bliss.

 outdoor bed resort zihuatanejo

jetsetter

Mimic the look at home with the same combination using tall greenery or walls to add privacy.

 outdoor bed bright pillows

  design love fest

outdoor bed hgtv

hgtv

I love these beds below with their striped cushions, how clever to squeeze a market umbrella in between for sun protection.

 outdoor bed striped cushion

 sara ruffin costello

Here’s an idea for creating an outdoor bed: pull a bed frame outside, add three lounge chair cushions, and build a cabana with sheers to surround it.

 outdoor rattan bed

 

Remember the pallet craze from a few years ago? Here’s an example of how you can use them to make a base, also take note of canopy made with timber, frame connectors, and canvas.

 pallet bed with canopy

vt wonen

This outdoor bed tucked under an arbor brings the inside out, complete with all white bedding and a crystal chandelier.

 romantic outdoor bed

style me pretty

There’s always the option of a hanging daybed if you have the structural support for it.

 hanging daybed

via my scandinavian home

 hanging daybed from chain

lonny

 hanging outdoor bed house beautiful

house beautiful

 

I found a tutorial for building an outdoor swinging daybed at Run to Radiance blog.

 outdoor swinging bed diy

 

I love this glam rope swing daybed in blue tones, doesn’t this look like the ultimate destination for an afternoon snooze?

 elegant rope swing bed

If DIY is not your thing, take a look at these two affordable options, the bamboo daybed and the marrakech sunbed, both look to me like you could tuck them anywhere in your yard for an outdoor nap.

 budget outdoor beds

What’s your fondest memory of taking a nap outdoors? Someplace you’ve visited in your past, or on vacation? Do you also set up a place to nap outdoors during good weather ?

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13 comments

  1. Oh my word don’t these look inviting? When I get my summer house(!) somewhere hot I’ll be putting one of these in. Until then I have to satisfy my need on holiday. Great post.

  2. Love your post! My husband and I actually sleep outside when weather permits. We have two extra wide cushioned chaise lounges that we push together and cover with fitted sheets and light down comforters. We live in Palm Springs, CA and when the days get warmer but the nights are in the 70’s, we love grabbing the pillows off our bed and heading outside. The lounges are under a patio cover and bugs like mosquitos are not an issue here in the desert. We consider it a real treat to be able to do this and there is nothing quite like waking for a moment in the middle of the night and seeing palm trees silhouetted against an incredibly starry sky. Your post has given me inspiration for a future project, thanks!

  3. I have THE most lovely memory of my mom taking me to the beach when we lived in Michigan. The weather was so lovely, really warm but there were clouds so that the sun wasn’t beating down on us. I fell asleep right there on my blanket on the sand, and my favorite was waking up next to the lake. Waking up to that lovely breeze, the lake, sea gulls… It was the best nap I ever took!

  4. To be honest, most of these have me thinking about what a drag out would be to keep hauling the mattress and cushions in and out for rainy weather. That would maybe happen two times a year. And then there will be birddroppings and leaves on the canopy and mold on the cushions from the few times you were to tired to bring them back in…
    My favourite memory would be falling asleep on a slate I propped against the wall, to read to my mom while she gardened after school. I just closed my eyes for a minute in the autumn sun. I don’t know why but I never felt so relaxed after a nap again.

    • Ha!! Me too! What a hassle. Although I would love a swinging bed. An older cousin hung a double bed in the middle of her bedroom in her rental house while she was in college. I look back and realize it was a wretched falling down house but to my 16 year old eyes, it all looked divine.

  5. I grew up in Georgia. My sister and I used to spread blankets and towels out on the grass and take naps outside when we were kids. I also remember stretching out on towels to dry off after swimming and dozing off in the sun. But now I live in Wisconsin and summer = mosquitos so I don’t really ever sleep outside now!
    How do they keep those outside spaces looking so nice? It seems like a maintenance nightmare. I don’t even keep cushions on our outdoor chairs anymore…

  6. Hi Kate, as much as I love the idea, I am with Dalia in relation to dust, mould, bird droppings, etc. We have an outdoor table under a pergola area, and it becomes covered in dust after only a day or so. Is there something I am missing?

    • Ha no Carole, that comes with anything placed outdoors, dust, debris, spiders… it varies by region but it should be expected!

  7. Why wait for a hot place, I’d like to build one for my attic as an alternate bed. Though I do have four perfect oak trees that would make a nice hideaway bed/reading area. Wish it was summer so many ideas….

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