At The Traditional Company, we love a challenge — particularly when it involves creating something bespoke.
An existing customer approached us with a request for a steel tree seat for an outdoor space. She had seen a style of tree seat on our website and asked whether we could create something similar, but with one important difference: she wanted it to be completely backless.
The result was a bespoke steel tree seat, designed and manufactured specifically around the existing tree and its natural growth.
Designed with the tree in mind
One of the key considerations when creating seating around a living tree is allowing enough space for the trunk to grow and move naturally over time.
We talked the customer through how to accurately measure the diameter of the tree and recommended allowing additional clearance around the trunk. This meant the finished seat could sit comfortably around the tree without restricting its natural growth.
It’s a simple but important detail — and one we can apply to future bespoke tree seating projects too.
Bespoke manufacturing
Once the design had been agreed and the drawings signed off, our fabrication team got to work.
The seat was manufactured in two sections, which could then be bolted together around the tree. This approach made the finished piece practical to install while maintaining a strong, seamless appearance.
The team produced two bespoke tree seats for the customer, with the manufacturing process taking around a week.
As with all our bespoke work, the customer was able to sign off the drawings before fabrication began, giving everyone confidence that the finished product would meet the brief.
From fabrication unit to finished installation
The finished seats were delivered ready for installation, but their journey wasn’t quite as straightforward as planned.
Unfortunately, delivery coincided with the first heatwave of the year. The combination of high temperatures and protective wrapping caused some of the paint to lift during transit.
Rather than compromise on the finish, our fitters returned to site to apply another topcoat and make sure the seats were finished to the standard we expect from every The Traditional Company project.
The unexpected return visit did have one benefit — it gave us the opportunity to capture some great photographs of the completed seats in their final setting.
The finished result
The completed steel tree seats provide a practical and attractive seating area while working around the existing landscape rather than against it.
Whether you have a specific design in mind or simply an idea you’d like to explore, our team can help turn it into a practical, beautifully made solution.
