In renovating her Atlanta home, one of the most relaxing pieces of furniture that Leslie Bolden added was a bed swing on the screened-in porch. The spacious porch, with high ceilings, holds a teak table that seats at least eight people, a TV, additional seating and the custom-made hanging bed.
“That is one of the features that we most enjoy in the house,” she said.
If you’re dreaming of a nap on the porch or in your yard, here are options for various budgets.
Hanging beds and daybeds: LowCountry Originals' bed swings are custom built by the Charleston, S.C.-based company, with designs such as a Chippendale-style swing with sides and a back, and others named after South Carolina islands. Options include beds without a back, or with one side open, and they are hung with ropes or chains. The company also has porch beds holding twin to king mattresses and made out of pine or cedar. $875-$1,725, mattresses with Sunbrella fabric sold separately, lcswingbeds.com (also sold through LowCountry Originals store on etsy.com).
Hammocks: Hammocks are an affordable option for porches, pool decks and yards. Even Target's fast-selling Lilly Pulitzer collection included a hammock made using the line's famous Palm Beach-inspired bold prints. You can spend less than $100 for a basic, yet colorful, hammock that you can tie between two trees in your yard, or invest a little more in a hammock with a stand and extra padding. Other options include The Hammock Source's pillowtop hammocks, sold locally through retailers such as Authenteak ($299.99 at authenteak.com).
Swings: Upscale designer-influenced options include the Swingrest, a basket-like lounger, and the Nestrest, a contemporary lounger shaped like a cocoon (dedon.de/en), which are sold locally through Atlanta's Kolo Collection. Other swings that allow you to stretch out include Sears' arch swing, which is the size of a double bed and has an arch-shaped stand with a canopy (Garden Oasis collection, $404.99, sears.com).
Sectionals and daybeds: A bigger budget means you can invest in a daybed or sectional with room for you, your family and guests to snooze. The Jane daybed by Mamagreen (askmamagreen.com), an outdoor furniture company, has a modern stainless steel construction with a sleek canopy ($6,650 at kolocollection.com). Modular sets include Frontgate's Baleares lounger, a tropical-style daybed with a settee, two curved benches and round ottoman that can be pushed together or used separately (starting at $1,995, frontgate.com). Look for deep seats, such as the daybed and sectional in RH's new Marabella collection, made of weathered teak ($1,695-$8,145, rh.com).
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