Designing Your Outdoors Square Courtyard
  • Courtyard furniture
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Round dining table
  • square dining table set
  • Stacking chairs
  • Teak outdoor furniture

Designing Your Outdoors Square Courtyard

Indermeet Gill

Choosing the Perfect Dining Set

Square is cozy but it can be tricky too. When you're designing a square courtyard, the shape of your dining table plays a crucial role in both aesthetics and functionality. Our designer's top picks are square and round tables, and for good reason!

Square vs. Round: Seating Capacity

Let's talk about how many people you can comfortably seat at each.

  • A 5-foot square table can often accommodate 8 chairs, making it a great choice if you love hosting larger gatherings.
  • In contrast, a 5-foot round table is usually more comfortable with 5 chairs.

If you size up, a 6-foot round or square table can both comfortably seat 8 chairs, though this heavily depends on the specific chairs you choose (more on that in our next blog!).

Teak or Metal: Your Style, Your Choice

Whether you lean towards the natural warmth of teak or the sleek, modern lines of metal, both materials are excellent for outdoor furniture.

  • Teak offers a classic, enduring look. It's incredibly durable and weathers beautifully to a distinguished silver-gray patina over time. It's low-maintenance and adds a sense of timeless elegance.
  • Metal (like aluminum or wrought iron) brings a contemporary vibe. It's often lighter, easier to move, and can be customized with various finishes and colors. Metal can also make a smaller space feel more open.

Ultimately, your choice depends on your personal taste and the overall aesthetic you want to achieve. Functionality, comfort, and aesthetics are all important factors.

The Golden Rule: Measure and Visualize!

Our designer can't stress this enough: always measure before you buy! It's easy to fall in love with a piece of furniture, but if it doesn't fit your space properly, it'll just cause headaches.

You need to ensure there's ample room to pull chairs out comfortably without hitting walls or extending beyond your patio boundaries. A good rule of thumb is to allow at least 24-30 inches behind each chair for movement.

Here's a pro tip for visualizing: tape out the dimensions of the furniture on your courtyard floor, or even use cardboard boxes to mimic the footprint. This gives you a tangible sense of how much space the furniture will occupy, helping you make the best decision for your square oasis.

Ready to start taping and transforming your courtyard? Get more ideas from McGill Teak