10 Tips to Choose the Right Outdoor Furniture

Outdoor Furniture or Patio Furniture, whatever you call it is a tricky decision. It is not as easy as placing some furniture indoors. That piece of furniture might be placed in either the balcony, garden or pool side. Decision of outdoor furniture comes with loads of considerations. Hence, we have come up with 10 tips to help you make a more comprehensive decision.

1. Review the exact location.

Yes, we got it. You mean outdoor furniture but where exactly? Have this in mind. If you plan to place it in your balcony, it is easy because there’s a covered roof. However, there’s another set of conditions if you want to place it in the garden.

If the ground is floored and tiled, then the legs and wheels of furniture will be intact. However, if the ground is muddy or grassy, it will keep sagging. You’ll have to cover the legs of your furniture with a plastic sheet.

Measure the space. Get a measuring tape handy and manifest the ideal furniture size and components.

What do you want in the furniture? Does it fit into the space? Think about this. What else can fit into the space? Consider that there also must be ample space to move around freely.

2. Consider the environment.

Is your outdoor environment damp or dry?

If the environment is damp, the moisture is because of the frequent rains. In a damp environment, you can go for natural materials, like bamboo, lantana, rattan, and cane. Do not recommend keeping wood furniture because it can soil. Keeping iron furniture is not recommended. It will rust. However, if you must keep iron, you can keep it if it is well painted and polished. To keep metal furniture, steel is the best.

However, in a dry climate, metals heat up, causing an uncomfortable experience to be seated on. Yet, you can go for wood and all the natural materials. Plastics get brittle under the sun after some months. Thus, do not go for plastic furniture.

3. Outdoor Furniture must be kept under the shade.

Though it is not mandatory yet, keeping the outdoor furniture under the shade increases the life of the furniture. You can have a giant umbrella or similar structure above. If possible, a tent or hut-like structure can be installed in a portion of the garden.

4. Decide if you want to keep mattress and cushions.

Again, you must consider the environment to decide if you want to have cushioned outdoor furniture.

Cushioned furniture has greater needs of maintenance. If the furniture is to be placed directly under the sun, then do not go for the cushioned furniture. Fabrics rip apart. Cushions get soggy and drenched under the rain. Following this they require washing and drying. Cushioned furniture works well in balcony like settings or when there is some shade.

You can keep cushions separately and keep them stored. When the weather is right, you can place them with your furniture.

Coarse fabrics accumulate dust. Hence, natural fabrics which are fine can work. Else, you can also consider artificial leather fabrics like Rexine.

5. Dust Proof Outdoor Furniture.

You should always go for dust proof furniture. That will save your cleaning efforts. For this, artificial leather fabrics such as Rexine work great. Further, if you have to keep outdoor furniture in a balcony of an apartment situated at higher stories, dust is less of a factor of worry.

If the furniture is prone to dust, you can cover it up. You can then wash the covers periodically.

6. Keep less colours in the palette

We already discussed how sunlight brittles the plastic furniture. Not just this, sunlight also fades colours. This leads to a pitiable condition of your furniture. Therefore, we recommend that the outdoor furniture is minimalist. Keep less colours in your palette. Less coloured furniture will look good for long. If you still want to persist in keeping coloured furniture, at least keep it covered.

7. No intricate designing.

Keep it simple. Outdoor furniture should require less maintenance. Else, it would only give you troubles.

The outdoor furniture might even be found harbouring your pet dogs and cats. Some homes witness monkeys as unwanted visitors. Thus, intricate designing or complicated furniture is a big no. Avoid using glass in the furniture. Rather, use an acrylic sheet if you want to give a glassy finish.

8. Choose lightweight outdoor furniture.

Outdoor furniture needs to be lifted and shifted frequently whenever the season changes. You will give up if the furniture is heavy or complicated. Hence, go for lightweight furniture. You can further reduce the load by attaching wheel in all tables, chairs, and sofas.

9. Always look for quality.

Remember! If you spend money, you will get a quality that lasts. However, if you save money once, you end up frequently spending on its repairs. We understand that budget is important. Hence, you always should buy the best of your budget, which has its worth.

10. Rugs and Carpets are the easiest.

Rugs and Carpets are the easiest. You can buy them anywhere. Less people notice them, yet they cast impact. You can buy them from anywhere, be it an expensive store or from any local thrift store or village fair. They come in every budget.

Maintenance is also easy. You can brush them, use a vacuum cleaner, wash them, or send them to a laundry for dry cleaning. This too is less often.

This is what we found working for most of our clients. What else would you like to add? Let us know, the comment section is active.

Author Bio

Shiv Sangal has been blogging since 2014 when he was thirteen. At 17 and 18, he started out as an influencer and picked up product branding and photography. This gave him immense expertise in how the market works in the creative industry. A fresh commerce graduate, he has also been trained in AutoCAD and 3DS Max because of which he has a strong hold over designing and visualization. Apart from this, he has also completed a diploma in Vastu Shastra.

These days, he is active as content writer, strategist, and consultant. He can be reached out through mail: shivsangal@gmail.com .

Leave a Comment

By submitting this form, you agree to the privacy policy & terms and conditions