When selecting the type of outdoor furniture you will adorn you backyard with, you may be wondering which direction to go in. What kind of outdoor oasis are you trying to create? Which kinds of accents are you going for? You’ll have to factor in many considerations, from comfort and style to price and weather resistance. Here are some of the best types of furniture and styles for your backyard.
Comfort and Style
Do you love sitting on your backyard patio sipping a cold drink in the summer? Your patio furniture should be all about comfort. After all, this is YOUR home and you need to be able to relax in it. It should look good AND provide a high level of comfort for you and your guests. From cushioned to full-featured all-weather recliners to country-style wicker, you have many possibilities at your disposal. If you enjoy the simple things in life, go with teak. For traditional stylings, go with an English garden setting; for a sleek contemporary style, go with tubular aluminum with mesh seats made of vinyl-coated polyester fabric, suggests Consumer Reports.
Ask some of these questions when it comes to comfort:
- Do the seat heights match the table heights?
- Does the table give plenty of clearance for people’s legs?
- Can you pull chairs in close to the table or are the arm rests too high? Do you like narrow or wide?
- Are the seats roomy enough from front to back and side to side?
- Are the chairs slanted at an angle? Do they sit low?
- Are the cushions comfortable? Do they match with the rest of the set? Can you leave them out during bad weather or do you have to take them in? Can you purchase replacement cushions as needed?
Maintenance
The furniture’s material will determine what you have to do to keep up with it. Most outdoor furniture can be washed with warm, soapy water. Do this a couple times during the summer or as needed. If you don’t want a lot of maintenance, try plastic outdoor wicker to easily remove dust and dirt, which you can just hose down every once in awhile. But if you have teak furniture, you’ll need to sand it and apply teak oil yearly to preserve its golden brown color.
Personality
Each patio set has its own distinct vibe and mood, so be sure to incorporate your personality into the patio set you choose. You can really make a splash with accents like vibrant umbrellas, cushions, pillows and patio set covers.