Buying Guide for Outdoor Furniture

Whether you're looking to create an area for alfresco entertaining or a quiet oasis from which to watch the sun sink over the horizon, choosing the right outdoor furniture will affect how your space looks and feels. While many of us think of our gardens, patios, and outdoor areas as an extension of our homes, there can be considerable differences in how you decorate and accessorise them. However, the good news is that there's something to suit every style, whether you lean towards the modern and minimalist or prefer a more rustic and homely ambience.
If you're about to take the leap and give your open-air area an overdue and on-trend facelift, here's our buying guide for outdoor furniture.

The first steps to buying outdoor furniture

Before you go anywhere near the Internet, the first decision you’ll need to make is to decide what you want to use your garden for. If you enjoy a spot of outdoor entertaining, you might want to consider keeping an area dedicated to the ancient art of barbecue and grilling. If that's the case, you'll need to consider how you'll serve your guests and what you'll serve them on. The plates and dishes aside, you might need furniture that can withstand hot dinnerware and can offer up some resistance to the occasional splash or spill. On top of that, you’ll need somewhere for your barbecue buddies to sit and tuck in, which could mean buying outdoor furniture that offers an intimate and informal dining area.

Eat out or chill out? 

However, if you're commandeering your outdoor space as a quiet and relaxing chillout zone, you're more likely to need outdoor lounge furniture to sink into while you sip on your favourite drink. If your garden's a bit of a sun trap, the other things to factor in are patio umbrellas. Kicking back and relaxing is one thing, but, as we all know, sunburn is very much another.
If you want to use your garden for a bit of both, the other thing to consider is the ambience. Even a barbecue can last long into the night, and there's nothing better to encourage engaging and thoughtful conversation than the gentle flicker of candles. With the right candlesticks or lanterns, you can create the perfect atmosphere for quietly chewing the fat, whether conversational or fresh from the grill.

Creating the right flow

With a purpose in mind for your zone-out zone, the next thing to do is look at your indoors. Although it might seem a bit counterintuitive, how your interior is decorated can directly influence how you design your exterior. If you live in a contemporary home, then outdoor furniture with clean, minimal lines can ensure that the flow of your home translates from the inside to out. Look at items such as our Abaco Outdoor Dining Table or our Dune High Dining Table to bring your 21st Century aesthetics into the Great Outdoors.
For homes with a more classic edge, tables such as our Alfresco Natural High Dining Table combine the timeless beauty of wood with crisp design to create something that reflects your relationship with nature without compromising on forward-thinking fashion. You'll find chairs to complement tables such as these on our website.
Similarly, if you prefer something with a more rustic feel, check out outdoor furniture such as our Regatta Natural Dining Bench. While it celebrates the complexity and simplicity of alfresco dining, it keeps things on-trend with clean lines and understated elegance. It's a superb choice for anyone who wants to offer their guests a dining area that feels more welcoming than formal. Choosing outdoor furniture that has a relationship with the way the interior of your home is decorated adds cohesion to both your indoor décor and your outdoor choices.

Thinking about your environment

The other thing to consider is how your garden interacts with outdoor furniture choices. For those with patios and decking, adding natural details to your surroundings can be a good idea. This might be in the form of planters, which can be placed around your outdoor area or mounted on any available wall space. If your taste leans towards the modern, we have plenty of planters designed with the 21st Century in mind, such as our Four Box Mounted Wall Planter and our Junior Medium Round Grey Planter.
For gardens that are decidedly green, adding a touch of magic, such as outdoor string lighting, can elevate the ambience without detracting from your natural surroundings.

Relaxing in style

If you’re looking to make your outdoor area a space in which to unwind, comfortable outdoor furniture is the way forward. We offer an extensive selection of seats and sofas designed with cushioning in mind. For smaller gardens, outdoor sectional sofas make the space adaptable and versatile, while corner chairs allow you to use every aspect of your alfresco setup. If space is a premium, look for outdoor furniture that can double up as ottomans, such as our Chapala Outdoor Teak Ottoman and Regatta Natural Ottoman. Using these, you can tidy away your outdoor essentials when it's just the two of you or quickly prepare the area for guests.
For five-star downtime, sun loungers and side tables should be somewhere at the top of your list. Parasols and 'sunbrellas' are a great way to stay in the shade, but if you really want to enjoy that high-end hotel feel, check out our Dune Navy Double Chaise Sofa Lounge. With a built-in canopy, you won't have to fiddle about putting up your brolly or taking it down. Alternatively, outdoor tables with fittings for patio umbrellas can help you keep your guests protected from the sun’s rays. If you’d rather have more control, check out parasols such as our Graphite Square Cantilever Umbrella. Defiantly modern and eminently practical, sunbrellas such as these are the perfect addition to any outdoor gathering.
Think of your garden or outdoor dining area as a blank space and design it as you might draw a picture. Start with broad brushstrokes, such as your outdoor furniture. Once you’ve set the theme and are ready to fill in the finer details, you can look for outdoor dinnerware, flatware, and tableware to put the cherry on your alfresco cake.