grass covered sofa

On a hot summer day, there is nothing like taking off your shoes or using sandals to expose your toes for a walk through a low garden or lawn. Taking it (literally) to the next level, sod-upholstered couches are a great way to cool down with a book in the backyard. You could build a whole set of literal lawn furniture.

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DIY grass lawn furniture

In Black Rock City, Nevada, this author even saw (and sat in) a grass couch set up in the middle of the desert – perhaps not the most sustainable design solution, but it sure was comfortable (and on very hot and dry days: even better when freshly watered).

astroturf outdoor couch

Note: for most arid climates, it might be a bit more eco-friendly to just use something of the astroturf variety (though it sounds a little scratchy, to be honest). Still, it saves that pesky problem of trying to mow in difficult corners or up vertical green surfaces.

grass ground mound seating
DIY sod couch

Best of all, though, anyone can build a sod sofa for themselves right at home – and perhaps an ottoman, coffee or side table to go with it. Build a pair of benches and you could make the perfect above-but-on-the-ground picnic spot.

Want to try making your own DIY grass couch? Inhabitat has a tutorial, and it’s as simple as you might imagine. You’ll need a base made of brick, stone, cardboard or paper bricks, along with garden soil and sod. It would be really easy to use entirely found and reclaimed materials for this project to create an entire backyard full of spongy grassy furniture.

“Summer is just around the corner, and there’s no better way to enjoy those sweet summer days than to loll around outside in the sunshine. Although there are many different kinds of outdoor furniture that you can put to good use, nothing beats the feeling of cool grass against bare skin, and one of the best ways to enjoy that is with a lounge-able grass couch.”