4 October 2016
 Categories: , Blog

Many people seem to allocate a lot more time when it comes to choosing furniture for their living, dining and sleeping areas as opposed to their outdoor patios. For some reason, they seem to consider those outdoor areas as something of an afterthought. However, when spring begins to turn to summer much more time will be spent outside and thus it's important to choose these products carefully. What should you think about when planning for outdoor furniture?

Designers advocate that you should bear in mind four crucial factors and these are function, longevity, comfort and aesthetics.

Consider Your Purpose

Think carefully about functionality. Does your patio need to be an outside dining area during those long summer evenings? Perhaps you are more of a party animal and can envisage special birthday parties and holiday gatherings during the upcoming season. On the other hand, you may just want to consider the area for peaceful recollection.

The answers to these questions will determine what items of furniture you're likely to need. If hosting parties is your thing, then there seems little point in getting a dining table for the space. Also, if you find that outdoor living is likely to become a regular occurrence, then you might like to consider purchasing a fire pit so you can extend the season as much as possible.

Storage Determines Longevity

Make sure that you buy furniture that is likely to last, especially if you don't have any additional room in your home for storage purposes. It's certainly possible to buy all-weather furniture, but the nature of construction here means that it may not be as comfortable or aesthetically pleasing as possible. Consider whether you will be able to put those items away during the winter months.

Test for Comfort

Always test furniture at your local store before buying it. Certainly most products will look appealing at first glance, but you want to make sure by trying before you buy.

Neutral Is Best

In terms of colour, you should choose furniture items that are as neutral as possible. After all, you don't want to overpower what Mother Nature provides for you. Choose items that are designed so that they blend in with the natural browns and greens to be found outside. In this way, then you can add accent pieces accordingly such as throws or cushions, or a hard wearing carpet with elements of colour included.

And finally, don't be tempted to buy towards the bottom of the price range. Remember that cutting corners now may result in tell-tale signs of wear even before the first season draws towards a close.