Patio Furniture and More

Once you get past the design phase of your patio (deciding on the dimensions, layout, and materials) the next logical step is to start planning what furniture you’ll need, as the design and style of your patio play a major role in the type of patio furniture you should select.

It’s easy to get lost in a maze of choices, as there are endless styles, types, colors, and materials to choose, ranging from aluminum to cast iron to vinyl to wood. And within each of those categories are even more choices, making it even harder to make a final decision.

Today we’re going to examine teak patio furniture, which is a very popular choice for wood patio furniture. Teak (also called Jati) is a hardwood that is commonly found in tropical climates and is native to South America and Southeast Asia.

Teak is a popular choice for the construction of outdoor furniture and boat decks because it is highly weather resistant, easily worked, and contains natural oils that help protect it against a variety of climates and weather conditions (as well as being impervious to termites).

Teak is an easily worked wood, which means that it lends itself to a variety of styles of furniture, so you can select from a wide range of styles, from traditional to sleek and modern. When varnished, teak patio furniture gives off a warm, rich glow that can complement certain patio arrangements and styles, but its natural oils also allow you to also select unvarnished teak wood for a more natural, weathered look.

As far as cost, teak patio furniture definitely isn’t the most inexpensive choice when compared to other woods, but you also have to factor in its durability to get the real total cost. While teak furniture might initially be more expensive, in the long run its much cheaper if it lasts for many more years than another piece of furniture that’s less expensive but will deteriorate much more quickly and need to be replaced.

Castelle, Prestige, Expressions and SummerWinds are all lines of outdoor patio furniture made by Pride Family Brands. The furniture is manufactured in Costa Rica, shipped to a warehouse facility in Florida, and sold via dealers throughout the US.

The Castelle and Prestige brands of patio furniture are very similar and include cast aluminum tables, sling chairs, sectional seating, chaises, and deep seating chairs. Furniture is available in a wide range of styles and finishes, and can be combined in many different arrangements.

Castelle patio furniture is a great, stylish choice for any patio, from casual to formal, and comes in enough different styles and colors that coordinating with your existing furniture and patio should be a snap.

Commercial patio furniture isn’t all that different from residential patio furniture, as you’re still talking about chaises, patio tables, umbrellas, and chairs.

Commercial grade patio furniture is typically more durable, however, and often not high end or as decorative. If you’re shopping for commercial furniture, you’re often shopping in bulk and looking to outfit condos, restaurants, hotels, and apartments, and looking for affordability over style.

That’s not to say you can’t outfit your backyard patio with commercial patio furniture, as you obviously can, and often at a discount to what you’d pay in patio and garden stores for what’s essentially exactly the same furniture.

Patio chaises are one of the most popukar items people buy when it’s time to decorate your deck or patio and outfit it with furniture for relaxing and entertaining.

The sky really is the limit when it comes to styles of patio chaises, as there are tons of options to choose from, including wooden chaise styles, steel, aluminum, and more. Chaises range from the very affordable to higher end pieces of furniture that are sleek and elegant and closer to art than somewhere to park your butt.

Like any pieces of patio furniture, chaises combine form with function, and allow your creative spirit to shine when it’s time to buy one, as the color and style options give you a wide range of options to work with.

When people talk about patio curtains, they’re typically talking about one of two separate products: patio door curtains or patio roll curtains.

Patio door curtains are simply traditional curtains that are placed on the inside of your patio doors. Like any curtain, there are endless varieties, styles, colors, and materials to choose from, as well as curtains designed for both French patio doors and normal doors.

Patio roll curtains are a bit more specialized, and often are attached to patio canopies or patio awnings, designed to roll down when released and serve as a panel or barrier to block out the sun. These are also called “drop roll curtains” or simply “roll curtains”, and are intended to be a flexible, less expensive option for providing shade protection and cover for your patio during inclement weather.

A patio canopy provides shade and protection for your pool and patio area, but is often used as a compromise between permanent structures such as patio awnings or patio covers, as canopies can easily be disassembled or moved.

Patio canopies can be purchased in a variety of styles and materials, including plastic, cloth, and canvas. Most come with a rigid support system that is made from steel or aluminum poles and can include add-ons such as mosquito netting and sun shades that extend down all the way to the ground.

Canopies aren’t just limited to use around the patio or pool, either, as their portable nature lets you take them on camping trips, picnics, or craft fairs; basically anywhere that some relief from the sun or rain would be welcome.

Depending on where you live, patio awnings and patio heaters can extend the enjoyment of your patio so that you can relax and chill out 365 days a year, instead of only when the weather is nice enough.

Patio heaters are exactly that: devices that sit on your patio and produce heat. They can take a variety of forms, from chimineas and  copper firepits that burn wood to residential patio heaters that operate on propane of electricity and can put out 50,000 or more BTU of heat to keep you warm and toasty on chilly winter nights.

Patio heaters are available in a variety of decorative styles and colors, so it’s simply a matter of choosing one that suits your taste. Expect to pay anywhere from $100-$500 for a quality, well-made patio heater.

Samsonite patio furniture is a particular brand of patio furniture that was originally made by, you guessed it, Samsonite. The last company that officially made Samsonite patio furniture closed their doors in 2000, though, so it’s no longer being actively manufactured by official licensees of the original product.

You can still find very similar products to Samsonite patio furniture, though, sold by a variety of companies. There are also some companies that specialize in manufacturing replacement slings for the chairs, which is basically the fabric webbing that slides over the tubular steel frame.

So don’t despair if you like the retro Samsonite look, as you can easily find similar lines designed to replicate it or simply buy replacement slings if you already own older Samsonite patio furniture.

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Copper firepits are stylish, sleek, yet functional, serving to not only warm you up on chilly nights but to also provide a soothing, crackling ambience that lights up any patio or deck.

Copper firepits like the one shown here from Yardiac are hand-crafted in Europe, featuring a hammered copper pit bowl with iron grill grate and a four leged wrought iron stand.

They come in a variety of sizes as well, usually starting at about 24″. While they obviously work well as firepits, some people also simply use them (sans fire) as accent pieces or beverage holders.

Copper firepits can burn any type of wood and often are sold with spark screens and other accessories.

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This unique, hand-crafted firepit includes a large grilling surface and a beautiful rustic patina finish. This firepit is perfect for enjoying on the patio or even when out camping, as it’s both easily portable and doubly functional, as you can either warm up to it or grill a perfect steak on it!

The horse shoe firepit is made from sturdy 16 gauge material and includes a windscreen, spark screen, cooking grill, and poker. It’s not only durable and useful, but it’s definitely one-of-a-kind, and not your typical boring firepit.

Dimensions: 17″ tall x 32″ diameter
Weight: 60 pounds

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