12 Urban Style Indoor-Outdoor Concrete Pieces

November 21, 2013 by

homemademodern-diy-concrete-planter-with-spigot
HomeMade Modern’s cool DIY Concrete Planter with spigot.

Concrete is the modern urban gardener’s muse. No surprise that for ages architects and designers alike have been drawn to concrete for its simplicity and range of textures. Indoor-outdoor concrete design options are endless. The material looks great raw, enriched with color, standing alone or in combination with other materials. Concrete furniture and accessories bring an urban sensibility to any indoor or outdoor room.

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Concrete outdoor planter benches by Solso at Takeo Kikuchi’s Shibuya, Tokyo store. via Harshforms.

Not Just a Pretty Face
Beyond the style factor, concrete is durable, weather and UV resistant, and it stays cool—making it perfect for outdoor furniture and accents. It’s also porous, so plants thrive in concrete planters. Then add to the mix the lightweight concretes–Thomas Edison’s idea from 1911–some of which use fiber reinforcements for a thinner material that doesn’t sacrifice strength, is easy to assemble, and often light enough that even a child can move it. And if that’s not enough, there’s translucent concrete that emits light.

1. Easy to Lift Heavyweight Design 

DeCastelli-lightweight-concrete-ClapStones-outdoor-seats-and-tables
Claps Stones by De Castelli 

Believe it or not, these sizable and smooth stones, above, are lightweight. That means easy to carry to the rooftop where you can sit on or set your drink on them. Claps Stones are perfect for sleek urban spaces where multi-functional design and ease of transport are valuable assets. Available at 2Modern.

2. Lightweight Concrete Tree Stump Stool

Knotty-Stool-lightweight-Concrete-Tree-Stump-stools-hardgoods
Knotty Stool by Hard Goods

Using a real tree stump for a table or chair is a fun idea, but these hollow-cast concrete stumps add a modern twist. They are smart too–with the optional castors, Knotty Stool lovers can easily reposition the stools or even move them indoors.

3. Puzzle Slab Concrete Tiles

Puzzle-Slabs-concrete-outdoor-tiles-by-IVANKA
Puzzle Slabs, by Ivanka

These chic and witty concrete slab puzzle tiles invite you to play on the patio. Let the games begin.

4. Lightweight Stitched Concrete Pendant Lamps

CemLight-Rainer-Mutsch-concrete-indoor-outdoor-pendant-lights
Cem Light, by Rainer Mutsch

Rainer Mutsch is one of my favorite designers and his durable outdoor pendant lamps set my heart aglow. I love that they hang from the same rope used for sailboats. Crafted from hand-molded fiber-cement shells, they look equally amazing indoors.

5. Stitched Fabric Concrete Stools

indoor-outdoor-Stitched-Concrete-Stools-by-Florian-Schmid
Stitched Concrete Stools by Florian Schmid

These lightweight cool stools stitch together the look of soft fabric with the strength of concrete. Created by folding cement-impregnated fabric supported with a PVC backing, they are weather and UV resistant, and fetching indoors or out.

6. Concrete Homage to Le Corbusier 

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Comfort Without Conformity Chair by Stefan Zwicky

A concrete homage to the iconic Le Corbusier chair, designer Stefan Zwicky took a modern classic then outfitted it for the urban outdoors. Heavy duty design that isn’t easily moved, but whose look is very moving.

7. Concretely Light Your Urban Fire 

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Triangulum Fire Pit, by Hard Goods

The atmosphere of an outdoor fire burns urban with this fire pit made of a durable composite concrete. But I don’t just like it for its looks, it’s also intelligently designed. The fire sits 10 inches off of the ground, above vertical slots that allow drainage and let in air to feed the flames.

8. The Softer Side of Concrete 

soft-look-Concrete-outdoor-pouf-M-Bench-by-Grupo-Bondi
M. Bench, by Grupo Bondi

Playing with the texture of upholstery, this concrete pouf poses as soft furniture, creating fun outdoor or indoor seating.

9. Concrete For the Birds

Modern-Concrete-Birdhouse-by-FMC-Design
Concrete Birdhouse by FMC Design

Hello, birdies. Here is a contemporary concrete and wood abode for our modern feathered friends. What do I love? The magnetic lid be can easily removed for cleaning and the water-based acrylic sealer means you can leave the birdhouse outdoors all year-round.

10. Marriage of Container Gardens and Concrete Furniture

Mobilier-à-Jardiner-5.5-Designers-indoor-outdoor-concrete-table-and-planter
Mobilier à Jardiner, by 5.5 Designers

Take this modular concrete table anywhere you can plant it. Part of a collection incorporating planters of varying sizes and configurations, this table enjoys a happy marriage with its seamless planter partner.

11. DIY Concrete Planter From Repurposed Cabinet
Watch episode 16 of HomeMade-Modern.com where Ben shows how to make the concrete planter (top of post) using an old cabinet.

12. Freeform Concrete Planter Bench
Japanese landscape firm Solso created the outdoor planter benches (second photo, top of post) for the Takeo Kikuchi flagship store in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Like these? Got a favorite? Head over to our Pinterest board for more concrete ideas!

12 Comments »

  1. gerardmaphail said:

    Its a wonderful gallery. I would like to collect more views about puzzle slab concrete tiles. Isn’t it interesting? I guess it is. As outdoor concrete furniture pieces, it could be widely prefer piece among all. Would love to transform my verandah into this.

    — December 10, 2013 @ 09:54

  2. Urban Gardens Top 10 Post of 2013 Pingback said:

    […] 1. 12 Urban Style Indoor-Outdoor Concrete Pieces […]

    — December 29, 2013 @ 16:36

  3. Concrete Indoor-Outdoor Modular Green Wall Tiles From France | DesignWreck Pingback said:

    […] wall tiles. (You may have noticed that I’m a little obsessed with indoor-outdoor concrete everything these […]

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  4. 12 Ideas Of Urban Style Indoor-Outdoor Concrete Designs - Pingback said:

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    […] Courtyard Envy If you are a regular Urban Gardens reader, you know I’m obsessed with concrete. But beyond the sleek concrete, this courtyard fantastically blends many textures and shapes, […]

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    […] Courtyard Envy If you are a regular Urban Gardens reader, you know I’m obsessed with concrete. But beyond the sleek concrete, this courtyard fantastically blends many textures and shapes, […]

    — February 6, 2014 @ 17:01

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    […] wall tiles. (You may have noticed that I’m a little obsessed with indoor-outdoor concrete everything these […]

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  8. Indoor-Outdoor Metal Wire Furniture - Urban Gardens Pingback said:

    […] genesis of urban garden design: industrial materials coupled with nature. The clean lines of the concrete and wire make a great duo as the perfect frame for your favorite green […]

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  9. DaynaWhichard said:

    Your collection was really nice and attractive. There’s something new to viewer for indoor and outdoor concrete furniture. Concrete is a very strong material which is used for furniture. And it also looks nice to our outdoor and indoor to home.

    — January 11, 2016 @ 08:16

  10. Concrete Plumbing Pipe Flower Vase Attaches to Wall Pingback said:

    […] I’ve been a fan of Lyon Béton’s concrete furniture and accessories since I spotted them a few years ago at the design fair, Maison et Objet in Paris. The concrete stool on wheels, above, from their Edge collection was one of my top ten finds at the January 2016 Maison et Objet. Love concrete as much as I do? Check out these concrete planter wall tiles and these 12 urban style indoor-outdoor concrete pieces. […]

    — June 17, 2016 @ 14:38

  11. How To Choose The Best Container Garden Pot For Each Plant - Urban Gardens Pingback said:

    […] Concrete and cast stone containers are very heavy, so carefully plan where to place them. Although similar, cast stone is stronger than concrete and less permeable so it’s more weather-resistant. Their weight lessens the likelihood they will topple in the wind or get knocked over. Concrete won’t break down over time and lends itself well to damp climates as it can withstand prolonged rain and humidity. […]

    — August 12, 2020 @ 13:40

  12. How To Select The Greatest Container Backyard Pot For Every Plant - Internet Cloning Pingback said:

    […] Concrete and solid stone containers are very heavy, so fastidiously plan the place to put them. Though related, solid stone is stronger than concrete and fewer permeable so it’s extra weather-resistant. Their weight lessens the chance they’ll topple within the wind or get knocked over. Concrete gained’t break down over time and lends itself properly to damp climates as it could possibly face up to extended rain and humidity. […]

    — December 27, 2020 @ 10:31

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