There’s really no rule that says outdoor furniture can’t be used indoors or the other way around but there’s definitely something in the design of these furniture pieces that makes them special. It’s actually a whole collection of unique attributes which contribute to this distinction and these outdoor benches welcome us into a world of sculptural beauty and exquisite forms. Each of the designs stands out in a new and innovative way.

The outdoor bench designed by Sitskie Furniture eliminates the discomfort associated with such furniture pieces. Its surface curves to follow the curves of the user’s body. It does that while managing to keep its surface solid and durable. The bench is hand made using solid hardwood and its seat is made of a series of thin slices that seamlessly move to accommodate the user.

A different type of solid beauty is featured by the bench designed by Fernando Mastrangelo. The bench has a sculptural form and its design is inspired by glaciers and rock formations. It’s made of sand and cement and it’s hand-dyed in an ombre pattern that mimics the layers of earth. The body of the bench is an equal mix of organic and minimalist forms, with one side being supported by an artificial boulders that appears to slowly engulf the other half of the bench.

Designed for an office in Beijing, this collection of sculptural benches were the creation of dEEP Architects. They feature organic and fluid forms and they’re made of several thin slices of wood that appear to form domino-like rows. It’s easy to imagine these benches on a large contemporary terrace or patio, with a stunning view behind them.

The DNA bench designed by Leonardo Rossano (True Design) looks like an elegant unfolding ribbon. Its form is actually inspired by the biogenetics branch of biology and is made from a single piece of curved plywood. It creates a series of individual seats and can be rotated as desired. The bench is meant for public spaces and comes in multiple color options including white, light wood and a combination of black and red.

The surface of this brass bench mimics the soft ripples that form on the water surface. The bench was designed by Tokujin Yoshioka and was named Water Block. It represents a new version of a design originally made of glass. This one has a golden brass construction. The brass is first heated in a furnace and then poured into a sand mold. After being polished, the bench gets its defining shimmering golden color.

Nature offers a lot of inspiration when it comes to furniture. Another beautiful example is the outdoor bench designed by Elodie Stephan. It’s a piece inspired by the Dolomites in Italy. The bench has a solid wood surface with simplistic mountains piercing through it. The mountains are actually more similar to pyramids although the color reveals the true inspiration for their design.

It’s very easy to see why this piece of outdoor furniture was named the Pencil Bench. Designed by Boex for D&AD, the bench’s surface is covered with 1,600 pencils that sit in an upright position, with their quirky pink erasers on top. Each of the pencils can be removed for use and then placed back in its spot. The idea is definitely unusual and ingenious.

The Catalano bench was originally designed in 1974. in 2014 a new version of this piece was created to mark the anniversary of the design. Although the bench kept its defining characteristics, this limited edition version was given a contemporary update meant to also make it a little bit more comfortable. The innovation comes in the form of black rope pieces inserted through the openings in the bench’s seat and backrest.

Named Lightwave, the bench designed by After Architecture stands out whether it’s day or night thanks to its sculptural form and embedded lighting. The bench is L-shaped and has a wavy surface made of blocks of wood with bright colors marking the gaps between them. At night, these gaps light up revealing the unique construction of the bench.

Basically any piece of furniture can be better if it also offers some sort of storage. An outdoor bench, for example, could offer storage for things like magazines and newspapers, water bottles and other small things. This is exactly what the Mägi bench does. it’s a piece designed by Jari Nyman and Olli Mustikainen. Its design is optimized to combine seating and storage, featuring a support structure with a jagged form.

The Molletta bench is, as you can see, a giant clothespin. It’s the creation of Michela and Paolo Baldessari and it’s made of cedar wood. It serves both as a piece of furniture and as a sculpture and it can be used both in indoor and outdoor settings. It’s one of the simplest and most ingenious designs we’ve come across so far.

The really ingenious thing about the Agranda Bench is the fact that it can double its size in order to accommodate more people when needed. This makes it particularly useful in small spaces. When in its compact form, the bench is a two-seater. It was designed by RASKL and you can find it with three color and finish options.

Being suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, the Folly bench features a wonderful structure with a fluid and organic form. It was designed by Ron Arad and is made from rotational-moulded polyethylene. It can seat up to 10 people so don’t be fooled by its delicate and sculptural look. Another interesting detail is its rusty color which gives it an almost primitive but very stylish look.

The FallenTree bench is the creation of Benjamin Graindorge. The name it was given is actually very suggestive. The bench was made from an actual oak tree which was carefully carved and transformed into the unique furniture piece you see here. A simple slab of glass was added as a support for the trunk side of the tree. Transparent glass was chosen in order to avoid stealing the focus from the actual bench and its sculptural branches.

Nature has also taken over the design of the bench created by Cradle studio. Called Bench_01, this piece showcases a section of a tree trunk as its seat. The unique form of the trunk and its textured look and color are the focal points of the design. The seat is supported by a sleek steel frame painted white. The bench uses fallen trees and is an example of how waste material can be integrated into extraordinary products.

The uniqueness of wood obtained from tree trunks is also what makes the bench designed by Alcarol special. The bench is in fact made of resin-encased wood and this design strategy allows the material to be preserved and showcases in a wonderful and artistic way. The oak sections come from poles of the Venice canal and they are sliced into three portions to form the top and sides of the bench.

The creations of South Korean artist Byung Hoon Choi are meant to serve as large sculptures which double as outdoor benches. Each of these is cut, carved and polished by hand from a single piece of igneous rock. The artist created two such bench sculptures. One roughly resembles a stick folded in half and the other is an alternating composition of mountains and mushrooms.

This set of outdoor benches and tables is made of concrete after the design created by architect Makoto Fukuda for Escofet. The series was named Grasshopper. In contrast with the heavy nature of concrete, the benches and table feature very slim and sleek forms which allow them to look lightweight and delicate. The curve at one end and then bend over to form a symmetrical piece.