The Versatility of the Garden Stool (+ my faves)

I took a good look around my home recently and realized that I have at least 6 garden stools that float throughout my home to help me decorate my spaces.  So, I wanted to share with you the versatility of this great piece, the garden stool, that can be a huge tool in helping you decorate your own home.  It used to be that when we thought of the garden stool we thought of, well…the garden, and using this versatile piece outside only.  Well, that is certainly no longer the case!  The garden stool can be used in multiple ways in and out of your home and in ways you may have never even thought of before.  They can be beautiful yet functional and can even save you money in the long run if you end up using one the way I did to balance out an awkward space vs. buying a new piece of furniture to make said space work.  But first, let me share how I do use at least one garden stool outside, and for the way it was originally intended.

Tip Time:  I love the lattice pattern this garden stool sports (similar here) that reminds me of the outdoors, along with the fact that it has cut outs on either side for gripping so that it can be easily moved around my outdoor space (similar with cut outs here).  I also like that it has a hole in the top and is hollow and open at the bottom so that I can place a live potted plant on it, which will be great for water drainage (my potted succulent is artificial at this point in the season but that will change to something live as the season progresses into summer).  These are certainly features to look for if you are going to be using one outside and make sure as well that it is made of a material such as aluminum, ceramic, or concrete so that it will hold up to the elements.

Get the Look

Now, lets move on to the indoors…of course we all know that a garden stool can be used next to a chair but this one I found at HomeGoods (I’ve linked similar ones here & here) is multipurpose because it has the cutout down below that holds my son’s books next to his reading chair so now it also becomes a shelf for books or anything else you might want to display inside of the cutout, therefore proving again just how versatile the garden stool can be (I give more advice about how to style shelves and console tables here)!

Get the Look

And this next way I have used a garden stool in my home literally helped me save some serious coins.  This is a long, awkward wall and I have struggled since we moved into our home almost 3 years ago to make this wall feel balanced.  We found this console table at a shop in Ft. Worth, TX that sells unique, one of kind pieces and couldn’t pass it up when we were hunting for a large piece for this wall.  The only problem I had again was making things feel balance because this piece wasn’t quite long enough to fill up the wall but was too short to leave the right side empty/open.  And to put another chair there (mirroring the left side) felt too cluttered and so in comes the garden stool to save the day and make this space work!  By adding the garden stool to the right side of the console and adding some of my favorite books, and a ginger jar, it now looks and feels completely balanced.

One of the other things I liked about adding this garden stool here was that it {kind of} helps to hide the electrical outlet that stared at me every time I walked by, causing my OCD to flair up a bit, lol!  Now that I’ve covered the outlet, I can walk past this spot with ease every time;)

Get the Look

I have also managed to use a garden stool in our guest bath.  You know how tricky it can be to pull a towel off of the towel bar while you are still in the shower, all the while fearing you may rip the towel bar right out of the wall, right?  Well here again…enter the almighty garden stool to save the day by lovingly displaying and holding my guest bath towels for my guests.  I love that this tree stump (found here) brings nature and warmth into a space that would otherwise feel cold due to all of the hard surfaces in the bathroom.  It also brings in a little bit of texture and a whole lot of character and functionality to this space.  

Get the Look

And last but certainly not least, I use this patterned filigree garden stool in my guest room for a landing spot for a purse or a small duffle.  Using one here also helped me to visually fill in a little bit of awkward, empty space so it was the perfect solution for my design dilemma here rather than acquiring a new piece to fit this space.  I also talk about design dilemmas here while offering help on how to style your shelves and console tables.

Get the Look

And as promised, here is a roundup of some of my favorite garden stools for this season…

1. Faux Fur Stool | 2. Wave Garden Stool | 3. Blue Garden Stool | 4. Scalloped Garden Stool | 5. Martini Two Toned Garden Stool | 6. Ceramic Trellis Garden Stool | 7. Natural Tree Stump Garden Stool | 8. White Geo Patterned Garden Stool | 9. Vince Metal Clad Stool | 10. Deco Accent Stool | 11. Sachen Drink Stool | 12. Round Teak Stool

I hope you have been able to see how you can use this versatile piece of furniture (or maybe it’s an accessory?) in multiple ways in your home.  The garden stool can be both pretty and functional for holding your favorite items or to help balance out a space like I used it for in my guest room and living space.  As always, thanks again for stopping by to see what is happening this week at ZDesign At Home and if you haven’t yet signed up for my weekly newsletter, please consider doing so to stay up to date with all the latest from the blog!

Xoxo, Bree

*Affiliate links have been used throughout this post and where items are no longer available, a similar item has been linked for shopping purposes