8 Tips for Choosing Patio Furniture Shop smart with our essential patio furniture advice. Share your take on this idea!Upload your photo here. Great patio furniture brings comfort and function to your outdoor spaces. With a spacious table and easy-to-use, comfortable chairs a basic brick patio is transformed into a sensory-rich dining destination. Outfit a cozy porch with a wicker sofa and a classic wicker rocking chair, both stocked with ample cushions, and the porch will quickly become a second family room during the warm weather months. Don't overlook the outdoor-living opportunities on balconies and in pocket gardens. When complemented with the right patio furniture, these petite garden getaways will beckon you outside time and again. Check out the following tips for choosing the best patio furniture for your space. Thoughtful planning will ensure that your outdoor living space is inviting for years to come. 1. Make a List Begin by thinking about how you would like your outdoor space to function.
Would you like it to serve as a dining area on warm summer nights? Would you like to host your next dinner party or your daughter's birthday party in the space? Is a peaceful reading nook more of what you're looking for in your outdoor room? Make a list of the many things you would like to do in the space and use it as a guide to determine what type of furniture is necessary. If the primary function of your 12x16-foot patio is to host casual evening cocktails, there is no need for a dining table. Opt for ample comfortable seating, several side tables, and a fire pit. 2. Take a Seat Take a seat before you buy. Comfortable patio furniture, just like interior furniture, will be used regularly as opposed to uninviting patio furniture, which might have good looks but not-so-good comfort. 3. Go for Easy Care Reserve the bulk of your garden-side hours for enjoying your space as opposed to maintaining furniture when you purchase easy-care patio furniture. Most metal, teak, cedar, and all-weather wicker pieces are unfazed by whatever nature throws their way.
Furniture made using these forgiving materials will look wonderful for years. Add years to the life of your patio furniture by storing it in a protected location, such as a a garage or basement during the off season. Even the toughest furniture, such as teak chairs or a wrought-iron settee, will last longer if it is placed in storage when not in use. If your storage space is limited, look for patio furniture that folds or is easily taken apart for compact storage. When purchasing patio furniture, you're not limited to the natural tones of wood; the black, white, and beige of wicker; Colorful finishes abound in the world of outdoor furniture. For stylish longevity, reserve bold splashes of color for cushions and accent pieces. 6. Invest in Quality The old adage "you get what you pay for" is true for patio furniture. Plastic resin chairs or side tables look great on the shelf and will keep their good looks for a year or two out in the sun, but in time they will become brittle and lose their vibrant coloring.
The same is true for some wood products and wicker pieces. Shop with care, checking consumer reports and reviews, before making a big purchase. Ground patio furniture by placing it on an all-weather rug. Textile advancements in recent years have brought many quick-drying outdoor rugs to the market. Soft underfoot and rich in texture, an outdoor rug will lend the comforts of indoors to the great outdoors. 8. Search for Dual-Purpose Pieces Look for hardworking furniture. An ottoman that doubles as extra seating for your next backyard bash and a simple bench that will stand alone or cozy up to an alfresco dining table are essential for frequently used outdoor spaces.Magis Striped Tavolo Table Designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis, 2005 Breton-born brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec used only two elements in this clean-lined, deceptively simple table: stripes of plastic and small parts to fix the stripes on a metal structure—a rust-proof steel tube frame that is painted in polyester powder to resist chipping, fading, and corrosion.
The table’s high-pressure laminate (HPL) top makes it ideal for use outdoors. Striped Tavolo is available with a square, rectangle, or round top, in white or black. Magis Striped Tavolo Table shown in White Steel frame. Designed by Konstantin Grcic for Magis, 2013 The Venice Chair’s sinuous form evokes the flowing shape of a gondola. Technologically innovative, it’s made from a single block of die-cast aluminum that allows the easy attachment of the front and rear extruded aluminum legs, and its soft, fluid lines offer comfort both indoors and out. The armrest—a single curved strip—provides support for the elbows. The flexible but sturdy backrest is available in six hues of thermoplastic rubber or leather, depending on the application. The aluminum frame allows for easy stacking and is available in painted black or white, or in a polished die-cast aluminum for indoor use. Magis Venice Chair shown in Black, Grey, Green, Light Blue, Fuchsia, and Orange thermoplastic back, White Aluminum frame (as shown).
Magis Venice Chair shown in Orange thermoplastic back, White Aluminum frame (left). Eames Aluminum Group Outdoor Designed by Charles and Ray Eames, 1958 In 1953, industrialist J. Irwin Miller and his wife, Xenia, commissioned a remarkable modernist triumvirate to create their home in Columbus, Indiana: Eero Saarinen designed the house, Alexander Girard fashioned the interiors, and Dan Kiley took on the landscape architecture. Even Charles and Ray Eames collaborated on the project, producing an outdoor furniture series, which was later put into production at Herman Miller as the Eames Aluminum Group, and which has been restored to its original outdoor format. Offering easy comfort paired with a refined, supportive, and slender profile, each piece is set on the series’ original 4-star base. Upholstered in a state-of-the-art Outdoor Weave that is porous, fast drying, durable, and PVC-free, the seats are held in tension between cast aluminum members. Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair Outdoor shown in Graphite/Outdoor Weave, Graphite frame
Designed by Konstantin Grcic for Magis, 2003 Constructed from die-cast aluminum and modeled on the common soccer ball, Chair_One is composed of a collection of small, flat planes assembled at angles to create a striking, sculptural, three-dimensional form. “This was possibly the first time ever that such a large die-cast was used for making a chair,” says its designer, Konstantin Grcic. “I decided to break up surfaces into thin sections like branches and let the material flow through the mold to create the shape.” Suitable for indoor or outdoor use, Chair_One is available in three base options and finished in polished, anodized, or powder-coated aluminum. The stacking base is sold in sets of two. Concrete base and 4-star base versions are sold individually. Magis Chair_One shown in Black. Eames Table Group Outdoor Recently updated for outdoor use—a purpose for which they were originally intended—the enduring Eames Aluminum Group includes a wide range of cast aluminum tables, available with universal, contract, or segmented bases that have been reengineered in a durable powder-coated finish to withstand the elements.
Four stone top options—each cut to order and mined from a North American quarry with ties to historic American design—are available in a wide choice of shapes and sizes. Eames Table Contract Base Round Outdoor in Georgia White Marble top, White base (as shown).Eames Table Contract Base Round Outdoor in Georgia Grey Marble top, Graphite Satin base (left). Mattiazzi Medici Chair Outdoor Designed by Konstantin Grcic for Mattiazzi, 2012 A modern interpretation of the classic Adirondack chair, Konstantin Grcic’s Medici Chair capitalizes on the raw simplicity of the material and the master craftsmanship at Mattiazzi. Fashioned only from three-quarter-inch-thick planks, the chair is finished using a proprietary heat-treating and hand-oiling process that protects it from the elements, allowing it to be used in private or public spaces, both indoors and outdoors. Its generous, low-slung dimensions—not to mention a supporting table and wing-shaped ottoman—beckon you to recline and relax.
Medici is available in American walnut or Douglas fir—finished in natural or grey, and yellow aniline; thermo-oiled ash is suitable for the outdoors. Mattiazzi Medici Chair Outdoor shown in Natural Thermo-oiled frame. Designed by George Nelson, 1954 With its slim, elegant lines and sculptural legs, George Nelson’s 1954 Pedestal Tables have been a go-to design for over half a century. Now the universally appealing and adaptable tables are even more versatile thanks to newly updated material options that stand up to the elements. With three heights, two diameters, and two powder-coated finishes to choose from for the base (all equipped with self-leveling glides for uneven floor surfaces), as well as four durable stone tops, the pedestal table will easily complement a number of environments, from outdoor cafés to patios and poolsides. Nelson Pedestal Table shown in Wisconsin Black Marble top, Graphite Satin base. Magis Air-Chair and Magis Air-Table Designed by Jasper Morrison for Magis, 2001
Functional, lightweight, stackable, and strong, Jasper Morrison’s Air-Chair is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use, with a slot designed into every seat to guarantee that water won’t puddle. Coupled with Morrison’s matching Air-Table, the duo is suitable in any setting—casual or elegant, both indoors and out—and is available in 10 colors. Magis Air-Chair shown in White. Magis Paso Doble Group Designed by Stefano Giovannoni for Magis, 2009 The lithe, elegant motion of a toreador and his cape—the signature movement upon which the traditional Spanish paso doble dance is based—inspired Stefano Giovannoni’s seductive Paso Doble seating family, which employs sturdy, roll-formed aluminum rails and flexible polymer mesh to create lightweight lounge chairs, as well as an ottoman and a stool. While the graceful silhouette of each piece varies by style, every member of the indoor-outdoor family utilizes the same extruded aluminum frame—with or without arms—and stacks with ease.