Outdoor Furniture 101: How to Choose Well

Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, it’s time to start thinking about a glorious summer ahead with lots of porch-sitting and deck, patio or poolside entertaining. How’s your outdoor furniture looking after a season or 10? If you are outfitting your shore house for the first time or replacing worn tables and chairs, here is a helpful guide in choosing the right outdoor furniture for you, not just for summer but, thanks to options such as fire pits and heaters, as long as the weather cooperates!

What to Look For in an Outdoor Furniture Set

First, measure your porch, deck or patio to see how much square footage you have to play with. Second, plan your summer social agenda: what sort of parties do you anticipate? What kind of guests and how many? For example, if you are the pool queen of the neighborhood with your kids’ friends coming over often, consider an outdoor furniture set with benches easy to get on and off, a favorite of many youngsters. Looking forward to drinks on the veranda watching the sunset but going out to eat? Then save by forgoing a dining table for your outdoor entertaining. Local weather and outdoor furniture construction are other essential factors. Can the chaises you want for your poolside sunbathing and reading stand the gusts our New Jersey summer thunderstorms bring or even the occasional nor’easter? Look for features such as double cast aluminum construction, easy-to-clean Nuvella cushions, and latticework metal tabletops to shed rainwater effortlessly.

Patio Umbrella Guide

If your property needs a respite from the relentless July and August sun, spacious outdoor umbrellas are a welcome, cost-effective alternative to a roof over your deck. A large, sturdy patio umbrella made of durable fabric such as Sunbrella is a welcome sight on a hot day. When shopping for yours, make sure you have an accurate measurement of the space you wish to protect. Then make sure your umbrella covers an area 5 feet larger. A 6-foot-wide outdoor umbrella will shade a 30-inch table and 2 chairs while an 11-foot-diameter is ample protection for tables up to 6 feet long with 6 to 8 seats.
Our Northfield, NJ showroom has the outdoor furniture you want at a price that will leave you plenty of vacation money, so please stop by soon!