Patio furniture can transform your home and your summer, providing alfresco dining on tap and giving you the perfect excuse to invite friends and neighbors around for a drink, a snack, and a gossip about everyone who did not show up. A little planning goes a long way, ensuring you get the best furniture for your budget. So, keep the following tips in mind when buying patio furniture.
1. Think About Your Needs
How big is your immediate and extended family? What will you be using the furniture for? Will you be hosting large gatherings for a dozen or more people or do you just want to share a few drinks with your nearest and dearest? For example, if it is all about drinks with friends, you do not need a dining table and can purchase a firepit and/or umbrella instead. If it is just a space for you and your partner, a couple of chairs or a two-seater should suffice, along with a small table for drinks.
2. Consider Your Budget and Space
It is important to buy the furniture that you will definitely need, as opposed to the furniture that you might need. In other words, don’t talk yourself into buying more tables and chairs on the off chance that you host your daughter’s wedding in two years or your family flies over from Europe. You could find yourself spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars extra for furniture that will just take up space. Even if you can afford to buy some extra tables and chairs, that money would be better spent elsewhere, such as upgrading the furniture that you will actually need or purchasing a firepit or two. If you get a few more guests than you were expecting during one of your monthly barbecues, you can also just bring some chairs from inside the house or borrow them from neighbors. The size of your patio needs to be taken into consideration, as well. It seems like an obvious one, but it’s also one of the most overlooked, leading to patios that look more like cluttered classrooms than relaxing outdoor spaces. Pay attention to the dimensions of the outdoor furniture and compare it to the dimensions of your patio. Plan the space carefully and don’t forget about barbecues, firepits, and other accessories. You will also need to leave a little space so that people can move around and are not constantly tripping over table legs.
3. Don’t Forget the Material
Most of the outdoor furniture that we sell is made from a durable and weather-resistant material that is designed to withstand all weather conditions and last for many years. It’s not as prone to rot, mold, or fading, all of which can seriously reduce the lifespan of your furniture. The material used to make the furniture is essential. Not only does it need to withstand abuse from years of being sat on, stood on, and kicked over, but it also needs to survive all of the following: Rain: Moisture leads to rust damage and mold. If you’re leaving the furniture outside throughout the fall and winter, they will be exposed to a lot of moisture and that could cause serious damage. Wind: High winds can turn your patio furniture into yard furniture and even neighbor’s furniture. As soon as it takes a tumble, it’ll collect dirt and other detritus. Make sure it’s strong/heavy enough to hold firm during heavy storms. Sunshine: It’s not just about wind and rain. UV rays are just as damaging if not more so, and if you live in hot climates, the constant exposure to direct sunlight could cause the materials to fade and degrade. Snow: Snow might not seem like much of a problem, but it can do some serious damage to your outdoor furniture. Not only is it a moisture trap, but if it piles up and rests on your table or chairs, it can apply a lot of pressure. The material might weaken, bend, and even break, especially if that pressure is constant over many hours or days. It’s not just the base material, either. It also applies to any pillows, cushions, and fabrics that you attach to the furniture.
4. Clean and Care
You want your indoor furniture to be soft, comfortable, and luxurious. It’s not exposed to the elements and besides the odd chip crumb and jelly smudge, it should stay relatively clean and luxurious for years to come. It’s a different story with outdoor furniture, though. Comfort is key, but if you stack stacking up the cushions and opting for the whitest and brightest covers, it’s going to get very dirty very quickly. Your guests won’t be as considerate around your outdoor furniture as they are inside your house. You can’t really ask them to take off their shoes and stand in the middle of the yard while they eat their burgers. And even if you do take a firm stance against stains, sweat, and dirty shoes, you can’t maintain the same control over Mother Nature. She definitely won’t take off her shoes and respect your new furniture covers. To make life a little easier for yourself, you should swap the luxurious for the practical. It can still be comfortable and stylish without looking like a sofa salesroom. Look for furniture that is wipe-clean and easy to maintain; furniture that can be left outside and only requires a little soapy water and some elbow grease every now and then.
5. Plan Your Storage
Good patio furniture is like the USPS—it should be able to brave the snow, rain, heat, and gloom of night without breaking down and weeping at your door. However, just because your mail carrier can withstand all weather conditions doesn’t mean that you should challenge them to deliver your birthday cards in the middle of a category 5 hurricane. They have their limitations, and the same is true for your outdoor furniture. If winter is coming and you don’t expect to be using your furniture for several months, you should store those tables and chairs away. If there are strong winds on the way, weigh them down; if it’s raining, keep them covered. Taking a few simple steps to protect your outdoor furniture will keep them in tip-top condition for longer. It also means you don’t have to sit in a chair that has been soaking in rancid water for several weeks. Your storage and coverage options should be considered before you buy. Do you have a shed, garage, or basement where you can store them away? If space is limited, and the weather in your state is pretty wild, look for folding furniture that doesn’t require a lot of storage space. You can also purchase furniture covers to protect from rain/snow and an awning to protect against intense and direct sunlight.
6. Match The Furniture to Your Yard and Patio
One of the biggest mistakes that consumers make when buying outdoor furniture is to match it to the furniture inside their house. In many ways, your garden is an extension of your home—an extra room with a little more fresh air, sunshine, and bugs—but if you’re matching the colors, you should be matching them to your patio and yard, and not your sofas and walls. Stand in the middle of your yard and look at your patio. What colors immediately jump out at you? Think about the flower beds, the walls of your house, the wooden trim of doors and windows, the green grass, brown trees, and black mud. It has a color scheme all of its own, and your patio furniture should adapt to that color scheme. If you have blooming red roses and yellow sunflowers, then consider furniture that combines equally bold reds and striking yellows. If your yard is all green, then find a shade of blue that matches. Accessorize using cushions, side tables, plant pots, and anything else that wouldn’t look out of place in your garden. After all, if you’re inviting numerous friends, family members, and neighbors around, you want something that will impress them. If your garden is looking a little gloomy and lifeless, then start with the patio furniture and build the canvas around it. Look for garden accessories, plant flowers, and purchase plant pots and hanging baskets.