Shrub Hub's Outdoor Furniture Buying Guide

When the weather starts to get nicer, we're naturally more drawn to spending time outside in the warmth of daylight enjoying the fresh air.

With simple touch-ups and the right outdoor furniture, you can maximize your living space by creating a relaxing outdoor room.

Outdoor living spaces combine the comfort of the indoors and the freshness of the outdoors to give you the best of both worlds.

When furnishing the inside of our homes, we always look for top quality and the best designs.

But what considerations do you have to make when shopping for outdoor furniture?

Choosing outdoor furniture can be a bit challenging, here are some tips to go by that will make your shopping life easier.

Consider What Your Outdoor Furniture Will Have To Endure

Since indoor furniture is usually protected inside our homes away from harsh conditions, choosing furniture materials is not usually a big discussion as long as you have a preferred style.

On the other hand, when buying outdoor furniture you have to keep in mind all the conditions it'll have to handle outside such as direct sun, humidity, and rain.

The weather discussion will heavily influence your choice of materials.

For instance: wood furniture is simple and elegant, but it tends to have a short life in hot and dry weather, and a super wet climate will promote wood rotting.

So if you live in an extreme climate, wood is probably not the right option for you.

Wrought iron outdoor patio furniture is sturdy and visually pleasing but is not ideal for coastal weather as the saltwater causes iron to rust.

Considering your weather and outdoor conditions will not only narrow your options to avoid confusion but will also help you make a good decision so your furniture will last a long time.

Measure Your Available Outdoor Space

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when shopping for outdoor furniture is not measuring the space of work.

It's too easy to get proportions wrong and end up with a space that's too crowded or one that looks empty and unfinished.

Something as simple as a rough sketch of your patio's shape and dimensions will help put you in perspective so you'll select the right patio furniture.

Plan Before You Purchase

It's essential to have a plan for your space before buying furniture.

Try mapping or drawing different setups and orientations on a sketch of your space to find the perfect placement for your furniture.

If the area of work is modest in size, planning will help you swap out some options with others.

It's also crucial to plan your space so that there are enough areas to walk around furniture.

Consider the conditions of the areas you're planning to place furniture in.

Is your patio exposed to the sun? will your furniture pieces be directly placed on the lawn?

The answer to questions like these will help you select the right materials for your outdoor furniture.

Consider Quality and Budget

Quality and budget go hand in hand in most cases.

If you're working with a budget, even distribution is not the way to go.

Furniture pieces that will be used most should get the bigger share of your budget since they'll need to be sturdier than other ones.

Patio tables, outdoor sofas, and patio chairs will be frequently used, so it's important to consider higher-quality products when it comes to them.

Patio Furniture Buying Guide

When buying patio furniture, you'll need to consider the high-traffic nature of a patio.

Your patio will be majorly used for hosting and entertaining and will most probably be the space in which you'll spend most of your time outside.

With that in mind, try settling for patio furniture that is both sturdy and comfortable.

Test your patio furniture before purchasing and go for sofas and chairs with backs and soft cushions to achieve the most comfort.

Outdoor Dining

Outdoor dining is a luxury we get to enjoy from our homes without paying fortunes in restaurants.

A dining table and chairs should be the second most important set of items on your list after patio furniture.

If your patio is too small for dining tables, you can then look into store bars.

A precast bar is shaped like a narrow table so it's a great replacement for a dining table. You can then use bar stools as a substitute for dining chairs.

Consider a Storage Space

Failing to protect your furniture after purchasing is another mistake you want to avoid.

Make sure you have enough space to store your patio and outdoor furniture when it's not in use.

If you don't have a big storage space, consider protective covers so your furniture is not completely exposed to harsh conditions.

Personalize Your Outdoor Space

Creating a warm homey outdoor space begins with achieving a seamless transition between the inside and the outside of your home.

It's generally more visually pleasing to not stray too far from the style of your home's interior when designing your patio space as it creates a softer transition.

But even if you do, designing your patio with indoor living features is more than enough to achieve that seamless flow.

Elements like outdoor rugs, colorful outdoor cushions, and decorative pots and frames are perfect for creating that homey feel to your outdoor space.

Kick Start Your Outdoor Renovation Journey with Shrub Hub!

Outdoor renovation projects can be overwhelming.

Well, yours doesn't have to be!

Shrub Hub is an online landscape design service that provides you with all the information you need to create your dream outdoor space.

We first understand your space to save you days of research, then we make all the right softscape and hardscape selections in a unique design custom-made for your property by our passionate landscape design team.

Our service is one of the fastest, most efficient, and most affordable design services on the market.

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