Outdoor Furniture - Deck, Patio, Garden and Sun Room

Introduction to Furnishing Outdoor Spaces

Savvy homeowners don't end their decorating at the door - they keep going to include the patio, deck, porch, and sunroom that surrounds their home. They treat these spaces as outdoor "rooms" that deserve the attention the other rooms inside their homes receive.

They choose the best furnishings, colors, textures, and lighting for the outdoor space. The result is additional living area that is often the favorite "room" in the house.

There are two types of outdoor spaces: those totally or partially protected from the elements, such as sunrooms, porches, or gazebos, and those areas open to the elements, such as decks, patios, or garden hideaways.

Coordinate your outdoor spaces with the exterior of your house, especially if it is located in front or on the side of the house in full view of passersby.

Look at the space from the outside toward the house. Consider the scale of furnishings.

Outdoor furniture comes in a variety of sizes and styles. Some is sleek and space-saving, some designed to visually fill up an area. Think about the difference between a folding metal bistro chair and a chair with hefty, oversized wicker arms and back, for example. The bistro chairs may look skimpy on a large deck, while a grouping of oversized wicker furniture can crowd a small porch.

Look at your outdoor space through windows and doors, and consider extending the interior style to the outside space. Bright colors will stop your eyes at the porch, while muted ones will allow you to focus first on garden focal points, such as a magnificent bush, tree, or flower bed. Plan outside furnishings so that they augment a good view instead of blocking it.

Once you have an outdoor furniture style in mind, develop a plan that defines the function of the space and determines the furniture pieces you'll need. Consider, for instance, what's needed for conversational sitting, entertaining, dining, cooking, playing (for children), sleeping, and sunbathing.

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Furnish Your Porch with Care

Furniture for outdoor use spans the designs made popular through the centuries. You can select benches similar to those used in Versailles, Adirondack chairs, antebellum wrought iron inspired by Victorian New Orleans, and myriad other choices for outdoor furniture.

A word of caution though. Just as decorative birdhouses won't last outdoors, some furniture with outdoor looks may not stand up to weather. Check warranties and read furniture manufacturer's directions for care and maintenance. Then, match your choices to the possible weather exposure the outdoor furniture will receive in your home's location.

Outdoor and patio furniture may be made of one or more materials.

Wood: Naturally weather-resistant woods, such as cypress, teak, or redwood require little upkeep and don't need staining or preservative coatings. Treated wood is decay resistant and may have a greenish-brown color; it can be painted, stained, or left natural and protected with a clear water-resistant finish. Other wood should be treated with a moisture-resistant preservative, either clear or pigmented.

Wicker and Rattan: Check that the frame is weather resistant, such as aluminum with a baked-on finish. If the location is protected, some bamboo frames are porch-suitable. Synthetic wicker and special finishes on natural wicker materials offer various levels of resistance to sun and rain.

Iron: Its weight makes iron a good choice for windy areas, but it is heavy and difficult to rearrange. Either cast or wrought iron will rust unless treated with special rust-retarding paint and touched up or repainted over the years.

Aluminum: From budget tubular furniture to wrought or cast frames, aluminum is rustproof and lightweight. Pieces designed to look like ironwork often have a baked-on enamel or textured finish. Look for finishing details such as smooth seams on welded parts. Cast-aluminum pieces and those of thick, heavy-gauge alloys are top of the line in aluminum.

Plastic and Fiberglass Furniture: Buy the best quality you can afford, because inexpensive polymer pieces that break easily will decorate the dump for decades to come.

The outdoor furniture manufacturer's warranty is a guide, but test pieces by sitting on them and rocking around. Tubular parts made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) can sometimes be disassembled for storage, depending upon how they are joined. Resin pieces are molded into a variety of shapes. Both come in a range of colored plastics; some are not able to withstand direct sunlight without discoloring.