What to use on the ground in this seating/garden bed area?

I’ve spent the last year overhauling my front and back yards since buying my first house—adding three mulched native beds and a rock hell-strip bed, all without weed barrier so the plants could fill in naturally thanks to what I've learned on this sub!

Now I’m tackling the last section once I finish the limestone path: this corner garden. It gets direct sun from morning to about 2pm in summer, which seems perfect for growing veggies. The wooden beds are rotting and the area’s gotten overgrown so I’m planning to rip everything out and replace it with metal beds and some seating. I have an old rendering for reference.

Because this area won't be crowded by natives, I am considering how to keep it relatively plant-free. In my research I mostly see people using the weed barrier and crushed granite or pea gravel and that is an aesthetic I'd like to use here, but then reading about that design on this sub suggests that it's eventually going to be a huge headache! What other options are there? Do I go for the crushed granite without the barrier if it's useless? Mulch? I could also consider pavers or even a small free standing deck, but I'd prefer the area to be less visually heavy/more natural.

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!