Considering decking your patio, porch or backyard with some tasteful furniture and accessories this year but have no idea which pieces to pick that would complement your garden perfectly? Don’t worry – just like with landscaping, the knack to picking the right tables, seating and other furnishing items for your garden, veranda or patio lies in moderation, color and design matching and awareness of proportions. To make your choice of deck furniture super-simple, highly functional and hassle free, we have some useful tips for you right here on how to start – and follow through – the furnishing purchase procedure.

The Whats of Outdoor Furniture: Make a List of the Items You Need

The best way to tackle the list of items you need for your outdoor space is to think in terms of functionality and style you want to achieve. For instance, if you’re a fan of lengthy backyard BBQ sessions, outfitting your backyard with a fire pit or decking your patio with a nice grill would be a great idea. Also, another point to bear in mind if you would like to use your patio as a convenient dining and/or guest entertaining area al fresco is the adequate seating and tables. You can browse through a range of sizes, styles and materials for your outdoor dining furniture available online and pick the ones you like best. Most e-commerce sites offer free shipping, which is highly practical in terms of transport if you don’t own a van or roomy car.

Patio Furniture: Put Your Name on It

Image by Kitchen Designs by Debra via Houzz

Tested Comfort: Try Before You Buy

When shopping for outdoor seating in local furniture stores, you will probably want to try out the goods first and see whether the chairs and sofas are comfy enough for your taste. Just like with interior furniture, outdoor furniture can get a bit uncomfortable over time, but the best way to make sure your seating is optimally snug is to get the pieces that conform to your comfort standards in their original shape. Also, trying out the outdoor furniture before you buy it can save you some extra cash – believe it or not, most trendy-looking seating options are not as comfy as they look, so you’re strongly advised to go after the feel and not the looks when purchasing your patio chairs, rockers, stools and other furnishing items.

Patio Furniture: Put Your Name on It

Image by Krista Watterworth Design Studio via Houzz

The Right Materials: Easy Care and Maintenance Pieces

Unless you want to spend your free afternoons tending to your dirty patio furniture, pick the items that are easy to clean and maintain. The list of best materials for easy-care outdoor furniture includes teak, cedar, metal and wicker, all of which look very stylish and promise long-lasting enjoyment despite a range of unfavorable weather conditions that may strike your neighborhood, we learn from Sydney-based outdoor furniture suppliers Winstons Teak. Plastic is also a good option if you’re on a tight budget, although not all plastic chairs and tables look as rewarding or well-matched when decked in the middle of a beautiful backyard or tasteful patio.

Patio Furniture: Put Your Name on It

Image by Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture via Houzz

Optimal Protection: How to Store Your Patio Furniture

If you want to extend the lifetime of your outdoor furniture, you should consider the ways to keep it stored safe and dry during rainy and snowy seasons. For instance, you may pack your patio pieces in your garage, attic or basement during autumn and winter to prevent potential damage through moisture, water or extreme colds. Even the sturdiest, most reliable patio furniture materials are liable to changes and degradation if exposed to bad weather and low temperatures, so in case you have limited storage capacities, it would be a good idea to pick furniture in foldable designs or pieces that can be assembled and disassembled easily.

Patio Furniture: Put Your Name on It

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Your True Colors: Picking the Best Furniture Tones for Patio Style

When planning to buy some stylish patio furniture, you will want to take into consideration the tones and patterns found in the rest of your deck to avoid potential tackiness or mismatched styles. A one-stop solution to all your furniture color-related woes would be to opt for neutral tones like black, white or beige, or drop the color consideration altogether and buy metal furnishing items which you can then outfit with a handful of optimally dyed cushions and drapes. Also, a dash of bold accents can do wonders for the style of your patio, for as long as you don’t overdo it. Remember: balance makes everything in life perfect, and this rule of thumb also applies to patios and backyards.

Patio Furniture: Put Your Name on It

Image by Renaissance Development Corporation via Houzz

Picking the right pieces and accessories to stack in your patio is not all that difficult after all: with some careful planning, timely space measuring and awareness of color effects, your outdoor dining area will shine at its brightest on sunny days and will certainly become a favorite get-together spot for your family, friends and neighbors. Don’t put off the purchase for too long – summer will be here before you know it, and once you try letting your hair down on your stylishly decked patio with a tasty cocktail in one hand and a cigarette in another, we guarantee you will always keep coming back for more.