Outdoor Furnishings Come of Age

Surrender yourself to spa-like comfort in oversized plush outdoor furniture where bold colors and fade resistant fabric cushions and pillows rule. Treating yourself to the finer things in life has its payoff, and if it makes you feel good, all the better. This year we have seen an explosion in outdoor furnishings. You can go luxury or cheap, and either way, you will find a selection that if you didn’t already have that sofa in your living room you’d swap it out for one of the outdoor living pieces you saw somewhere cause selection is that good!

How to Choose

As a garden designer I will tell you that scale is everything. Choosing an oversized piece of furniture for a small space will make the space feel very small. So use good judgment and common sense when matching furniture sizes to your space. You don’t want a chaise lounge and patio table filling your entire patio space.

Almost all types of outdoor furnishings: wicker, wood, metal and even recycled plastic, beckon for a layer of cushion comfort. If you have little kids and lots of pets, do consider the dirt factor when choosing your cushions. White might be the perfect color for your outdoor space but one muddy stomp on the new wicker couch from Rover and you’ve got a visible mess on your hands.

Also, consider the effects of your furnishing. It’s nice to see bright colored cushions and pillows in sun drenched areas while light colors can give the feeling of cool.

Mix and Match to Spice Things Up

To create individual style, don’t get stuck in a rut by buying an entirely coordinated set of patio furnishings. Sure, it will look cohesive, but it will also zap you from creating your own sense of décor. Instead, why not buy a few coordinated items and save the other pieces or accessories for another buying spree. We find that some of best pieces come from boutiques shops, especially those that resell estate sale furnishings at a fraction of the cost of buying new. So mix your online and store buying with those unplanned stops at roadside estate and garage sales.

Comfort is King

Whatever you do, don’t sacrifice comfort for style. This is important, because the idea behind outdoor living is comfort and relaxation. You can’t do that when your furniture’s uncomfortable. However, that said, it’s great to look at furniture that looks like sculpture. And in the right garden shop, like the Outdoor Garden Room in Los Angeles, chaise lounge chairs look like prized artwork. But don’t let the look fool you. These furnishings are downright comfortable. Many are sculpted to fit the sinews and contours of the body but it’s the price tag might not be the perfect fit.

Nicole Martins, a senior editor at Everything-Patio-Furniture.com writes regularly about home décor and garden design. You can read more about all weather wicker patio furniture at: http://www.everything-patio-furniture.com