Our garden is in essence and extra room in our home and can be a place in which we can get away from the stress of your everyday life, so it deserves the time and effort put into it to make it just right.
In your living room you wouldn’t just put any older sofa in there would you? So why should it be any different when it comes to choosing your garden furniture?
In this article I intend to give you a few vital things you should think about when choosing your garden furniture.
Ask yourself
First of all I would like you to ask yourself a couple of simple questions when planning the layout of your garden and the garden furniture you will choose.
The first question you need to know the answer to is what will you be using your garden for?
For example so many families use their gardens for things such as BBQ’s and a place for the whole family to sit and relax and enjoy the summer months together. If this is true to you then you need to think about the material you choose, one that will be easily cleaned would be a good idea.
On other hand if your garden is going to be a place that you and your partner use only then you can probably trust yourselves a lot more, and maybe think about style more than anything, you won’t be at risk as much of damaging the furniture so more money can be spent!
How big is your garden?
I say ask yourself this question because certain pieces of garden furniture will suit the size of a garden appropriately. For example if you have a reasonably large sized garden a beautiful sofa set may be a good idea, as you have plenty of space to play with, just like you would in your living room.
However if your garden isn’t so big maybe a single sofa and a nice coffee table may be more suitable, think about what you need more than what you want, always be realistic.
One of the main things to think about when buying garden furniture is the material you choose. I have already touched on this but not in much detail.
Plastic garden furniture may be fairly durable for garden furniture but it is definitely one of the most easily damaged materials on the market, with it being easily scratched and also does fade fairly easily so bear this in mind.
The next material I will talk about is wood, wooden garden furniture is possibly one of the most popular on the market and this is largely down to the fact that it will be one of the most reliable.
With not much maintenance needed either wood furniture can last for years! Usually the advice given will be to treat wood furniture at least once a year but after experience with wood furniture myself I would advise that it is treated every 6 months and given a good wash down every couple of months to keep it in the best possible condition.
Another highly popular material for garden furniture is metal; however metal has become a custom to rust over the winter months and is not very durable at all. However aluminium is a very durable material and this is a favourite for many when choosing furniture for the garden.
My personal favourite is rattan furniture, due to the fact that rattan is very durable and does not need much maintenance at all. While stylish and easy to look after rattan has probably become the most popular material on the market today.
But always remember to store your cushions inside through the winter months for the best possible look.
Outdoor Furniture
Garden furniture sets to suit all spaces in a range of materials including solid wood, metal, rattan and woven wicker…
Storage in the winter months
With the unpredictable approach Mother Nature seems to like in Britain storage is something which you must think about and take into account when choosing your furniture. Do you really have enough room to store all your garden furniture especially in the winter?
If yes then lucky you! But In a lot of cases the answer will probably be no, this is when I ask you again to think about the material you choose, and bear in mind which is going to withstand the most rain and snow etc. Rattan furniture does not rust and by simply covering up your furniture will overcome this problem.
Your budget
This is the most important factor when purchasing any garden furniture and you should be realistic when buying. However remember you get what you pay for so sometimes buying the cheapest you can find on the market will only result in you having to buy again within a short period of time!
So think about spending a little bit more and you may save yourself a few quid in the long run!