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 With the help of patio furniture, the prospect of enjoying your outdoor garden area as an extension of your living quarters becomes a very appealing scenario given the ever-increasing temperatures our climate now offers. Our gardens are often neglected spaces that can be used to enhance your house as a place for entertaining and dining for friends and family.
Whether you have a deck, or a stone paved area, there are many designs of furniture out there that can help compliment even the most basic of patios, giving it a new lease of life.
When looking for your outdoor furniture you will come across numerous designs and themes, as well as different types of materials used, and prices will vary. There are many brands out there that needn’t cost you an arm & a leg. You may wish to go for basic PVC that look great, and are very durable. These tend to withstand most climates, and are maintenance free. Or you may wish to grace your outdoor living area with a more sophisticated natural product such as teak. This tends to be more expensive but withstands the elements well. Its natural oils will help, even when untreated. Both these materials need only a wipe down after use.
Whichever material you decide, there are numerous designs that can help you achieve the desired theme you’re looking for. You may be fortunate to have a pool that is in close proximity, whereby you can incorporate lounge furniture that can also double as casual pool side chairs. A fire pit is a great place to sit & wind away the hours with small talk amongst family & friends, while the heat takes the chill off a breezy evening. Or maybe you just have a portable heater that could be placed strategically, but is surrounded by well placed seating.
When you’ve decided on style and type of material, you can then enhance your new patio furniture with cushions that are designed purely with the outdoors in mind. These offer a great number of patterns for you to choose from, that are also very durable to withstand the elements. Depending on where you live, you may wish to purchase individual covers for each item of furniture that can co-ordinate with the color schemes you chose for the cushions. On doing so, you can rest assured knowing that your beautiful patio furniture will be guarded from the elements, as you retire for the evening.
Now that we have our patio furniture, out on display, in the tranquility of our new found paradise, we need to compliment and accessorize it. This can be done with many extras, turning a somewhat neglected area into a fun zone that you never want to come away from.
Whether you’re on a deck, or a paved area, or out on your lawn, you can actually enhance, and tie in the whole scene with extra plants. Especially being on a deck, where most wooden decking is quite lifeless and bland, why not add extra plants, placed around strategically in Terracotta Pots. Incorporate the barbeque locally, or central to certain aspects of your patio, just as you would design a kitchen. After all, you are trying to create another living quarter outside the confines of your walls. Be adventurous, if you have a cooking area outside, you may also wish to incorporate an area where food can be prepared, and cooking utensils and crockery can be sanitized. The options are endless.
Often, your evening spent outside with friends and family can be cut short due to temperature change, so you end up taking your party inside, often ruining the night.
Consider how nice it would be for everyone to be in the warm, while enjoying the outdoors. This can be achieved with either fixed static heaters that could actually be plumbed into the main gas supply. Or they could be in the form of mobile propane heaters. There are numerous types out there, varying in different sizes that heat the required seating area. You may even want to make a theme out of the heat by way of a fire pit. This could be a central focal point, where the seating is placed all around. These are generally tied into the main supply, although certain models can be converted to run off a propane bottle.
While dining with your friends, think of how different the mood could be set with a little music filling the air. Depending on your theme, and choice of materials, you could convert your patio into a Mediterranean paradise, listening to the sound of an acoustic guitar coming from cleverly hidden speakers that blend into the background. There are many types out there. You could go for the more traditional type that could be wall mounted, or you could really be imaginative and use floor speakers that are designed to blend in with a rockery, or part of the landscape. There really isn’t a limit as to what you can achieve. Just go and research and turn your dream into a reality
You now have some beautiful furniture that has transformed your outdoor living space into somewhere to enjoy your downtime with family and friends, and you have more than likely spent a few hundred dollars or more on various pieces of furniture. Whether you decided to purchase high-end pieces, or your budget only allowed a more conservative choice, you will want to protect your investment, and this will vary, depending on the material you’ve chosen.
Wooden furniture is perfect for the outside, and it also looks beautiful, blending in very nicely with its surroundings. However, there is a price you pay. It isn’t exactly maintenance free.
Pine/Cedar: You will need to apply an adequate protection for it to remain outside. The wood has to be sealed and you should pay particular attention to the end grain. This will usually be at the bottom of chair and table legs, ends of benches, ends of picnic type tables. You wont have the same problem with round tables, as the manufacturers generally butt a ring around the exposed end grain giving it a more aesthetical, appealing look. I would recommend you treat on a yearly basis.
Teak:
Teak contains a lot of natural oils, making it a very popular choice for outdoor furniture. You could in fact leave it natural, but I would recommend giving it a coat of protection on a yearly basis. Whichever wood you choose, pay particular attention to the bottom of the furniture legs. Whether it’s on a deck, or sitting on a lawn, legs are susceptible. During the summer season, you can help with placing them on plastic cups that can be found in many hardware stores.
Plastic:
Newer types of plastic, and resin type furniture are ideal for outdoor use, and are no longer affected by the sun. They would discolor with UV rays, but that is no longer the case. Very Maintenance free.
Aluminum:
This is a great, versatile material that stands up well to most type of conditions. Over the years, this has become a very popular choice.
Wrought Iron:
This is a very robust material that is both heavy and will stand the test of time as long as you take care of it. It is metal, and will oxidize and rust if left untreated. Make sure the surfaces are completely protected with an adequate paint. Repaint if chips become apparent.
Wicker:
This is by far the least durable to the outdoors. You can, however treat it, but careful consideration should apply. Wicker tends to dry out & warp over long periods in the sun, and should never be left outside for long periods.
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