Furniture For Entertaining Outdoors Must Be Weatherproof, Comfortable
Anyone who has ever spent time whiling away a lazy summer afternoon has undoubtedly owned, or at least spent time on, patio furniture. Almost synonymous with the suburbs, this variety of lightweight folding furniture became well known when families began moving out of the urban hubs where they had resided, and into homes with backyards and, yes, patios.
Entertaining on the patio quickly became a summertime ritual, and so a need developed for weatherproof furniture on which you could comfortably seat your guests, serve them food and beverages, or perhaps just relax and enjoy the day or evening. Common were gatherings of friends and neighbors relaxing under strings of paper Chinese lanterns that emitted a soft light perfect for entertaining. Sometimes there would be soft background music from the hi-fi record player wafting through the air, light as a summer breeze.
The furniture always came in a variety of styles, and was constructed from various materials. The price range for patio furniture varied greatly, depending on which materials were used. Plastic and aluminum furniture was always on the bottom end of the spectrum, while teak tables and chairs represented the more luxurious side of outdoors entertaining.
Before the invention of air conditioning, outdoor seating in the summer months probably became a custom in the Southern states, where the heat arrives earlier in the season than it does in the North, and stays longer. Typically, families would use porches and verandas as rooms of the house, simply to catch any cool breeze that might be passing. When the custom began, they brought furniture from indoors to the open-air gathering spots. The trouble with that became readily apparent when the first cloudburst of the season gave the indoor furnishings a good soaking.
Patio furniture typically was made from wicker or wrought iron in its earliest versions, but soon started to appear in other, more serviceable materials. Old fashioned rockers and swinging chairs gave way to lounges and folding chairs that were strong but light enough to be easily moved when necessary. With furniture made from plastic, aluminum and treated wood, there was no need to worry about chairs and tables getting ruined in an unexpected rain shower or baked in the sun.
You don’t have to keep these furnishing on the patio for them to be of use. You can just as easily enjoy them in your sunroom or covered porch, or anywhere else where you’d like to lounge and enjoy the weather. In addition to tables and chairs you can also find hammocks and umbrellas that will shade you outdoor table and chairs from direct sunlight, or even from water droplets should an unexpected storm occur.
In addition to plastic, aluminum and teak, you can also try Adirondack furniture for a more rustic “camp furniture” look. Adirondack style furnishings are normally crafted from wood, and each part is usually hand crafted. Wrought iron and wicker are still available, too, if you’re interested in the retro look.
While aluminum and plastic furnishings cost less than those of solid wood or wrought iron, you’ll likely end up spending more in the long run with the cheaper models when you have to replace them after they wear out. Take that into consideration when you make your purchase.