Outdoor patio furniture ranges from inexpensive plastic tables and chairs to matching sets with sofas and coffee tables that make the living room furniture envious. Patio dining sets might include tables, chairs and umbrellas that are perfect for sitting outside and enjoying a light meal or relaxing with a cocktail as the sun sets. With a chaise lounge and other accessories you can create an entire seating area for parties and barbeques. And with so much reasonably priced furniture available online, you don't have to settle for cheap plastic patio furniture any more.
There are many different types of outdoor patio furniture to choose from depending on your personal taste, your budget, the amount of room you have and the type of outdoor environment that that you are trying to achieve. Patio dining sets and accessories are available in wood, aluminum and wicker, and some also have soft cushions made of durable fabrics. There are advantages and disadvantages to all these different materials.
Wood such as oak, white cedar, pine, maple or teak never goes out of style and matches most decors, but it must be well protected to stand up to the elements. Aluminum patio furniture can withstand the outdoor elements but takes on the temperature of the outdoors. The metal is hot in the summer and cool in the spring and fall, but with large weather-resistant cushions it is always comfortable. Wicker furniture is more affordable in many cases, but you must be sure to find the higher quality resin wicker pieces that are weatherproofed, because otherwise it might not be able to stand up to the elements.
Whether you choose aluminum patio furniture, wicker furniture or the classic look of wood, there are many options to create the perfect outdoor environment. Dining sets and other accessories such as the chaise lounge and accent tables are easy to find online at the lowest prices around.
A couple years ago, a good friend got married and moved into a nice home with a great view near the golf course, spacious back yard, and a patio to overlook it all. The first couple weeks, they focused mostly on all the indoor furniture, matching colors, figuring out the right sizes, moving them in, etc. Soon enough, they were settled, and I would go over and visit semi-frequently, as my friend and I share a love for the X-Box 360, and live within 10 minutes of one another.
One day, we were sitting in the living room playing Halo when a particularly loud bird landed on the patio. It caught my attention and I soon realized I hadn't checked out their patio yet. I paused the game and went outside and it was instantly confused as to why we had never gone out there before.
You could see the golfers on the golf course, and scenery for miles. I asked why they never went out there and he told me his wife wanted to focus on decorating the inside, and do little things later. Suddenly we heard a loud curse word so we looked in the general direction of the word, which just so happened to be just in time to see a club fly across the green. My friend laughed and said "maybe we should have decorated out here first! This is classic." We grabbed a couple chairs from inside and sat down. We hung out for a little less than an hour when we decided lounging and relaxing on kitchen chairs for prolonged amounts of time was unnecessary due to the lack of comfort.
As I was leaving he said he had fun and we should get together and watch the golf tournament from his patio that upcoming weekend. I agreed. By the time I came back that weekend his patio was furnished. He told me he had convinced his wife to put off the spare bedroom and focus on the patio. At first she wasn't going for it, but after she spent some time out there, decided it was probably a good idea.
As time went on his patio furniture started deteriorating. The wood was expanding. The paint was chipping. The cushions were getting water-stained. They realized they had done no research on the matter. I don't think they even went as far as making sure the furniture was meant for the outdoors. They didn't waterproof the wood or use exterior paint. Not only that, but it wasn't very practical: there were no sun umbrellas, and the table was not very practical for poker, which we loved to play with friends. Needless to say, they didn't do their research.
One day we decided to ditch all of it and start over. This time I went with them and we went to a store, which specifically specified "outdoor furniture". We got someone to help us and went through a variety of different chairs and tables and accessories. My friend and his wife chose a loveseat swing for "watching the sunset" kind of nights. We then chose a perfect poker table with accompanying seats, and a large sun umbrella, easy to open and close. We took down advice about coating wood with exterior paint and how to care for the furniture and it is still hosting our poker/grilling/golf-viewing hang out sessions. It's so comfortable now, we've joked about moving the X-box to the patio.
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