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Decorate your outdoor oasis with elegant wall art that resonates with the beauty of Southwest Florida. At Elegant Outdoor Living, you can find unique pieces to add personality and charm to your patio. Enhance your outdoor dining experience by incorporating new and seasonal tabletop accessories.
From durable dinnerware to stunning candle holders, these functional elements create a memorable outdoor meal. Our product selection mirrors the captivating aesthetics and tranquil ambiance of Southwest Florida, ensuring your patio and lanai reflect the essence of this area.
Now is the time to breathe new life into your outdoor living space. Visit our showroom to explore our wide selection of budget-friendly furniture and accessories and let the spirit of Southwest Florida shine through your elegant outdoor oasis. Home Elegant Outdoor Living 6 Budget-Friendly Ways to Update Your Patio This Fall.
Previous Next. Outdoor Rugs A stylish outdoor rug can instantly transform your patio into a welcoming and comfortable space. The Cuisinart Grill Cleaning Brush is not your typical cheap plastic brush. It has a long stainless steel handle and a built-in scraper.
The Franklin Sports Horseshoe Set is a fun and competitive game to play at barbecues or other outside gatherings with family and friends. You can choose between advanced, intermediate, and recreational versions. Bring the playground to your backyard with the KidKraft Ainsley Wooden Outdoor Swing Set.
Insider Reviews freelance writer Alicia Betz has tested many KidKraft toys and pieces of furniture. The Kingso 22 Fire Pit is best budget fire pit in our buying guide. It is durable and lightweight, making it easy to travel with and includes great features and accessories.
This affordable fire pit is made of heat-resistant steel and comes with a mesh cover that prevents sparks from flying out. Insider Reviews freelance writer Kraig Becker says the Kingso 22 Fire Pit is small but perfect for those with a smaller patio.
Whether you're grilling thick-cut steaks or deep-frying a big turkey for the holidays, the Thermoworks DOT Meat Thermometer is a helpful gadget that alerts you when your meat has reached its set temperature. The Thermoworks DOT is the best meat thermometer on a budget in our buying guide.
Outdoor seating sets can be pricey. Fortunately, sites like Wayfair have good deals on patio furniture. This rattan sofa set comes with seating for four, a coffee table, and removable cushions in a few color choices.
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It symobilizes a website link url. Copy Link. JUMP TO Section. A water-resistant picnic blanket that folds into a tote A set of shatterproof, stackable wine glasses A tofu press for your vegetarian BBQ A charcoal grill that's easy to use and clean A portable gas grill A patio heater for chilly nights A tent for camping in any season An inflatable hot tub to unwind and relieve stress A 3-piece bistro patio set A swimming pool for some relaxation and fun An LED patio umbrella An electric BBQ smoker A patio umbrella base made of recycled plastic A bluetooth speaker for your outdoor gatherings A grill brush with a built-in scraper A fun outdoor horseshoe game set A swing set the kids will enjoy all spring and summer An outdoor fire pit for a cozy patio A leave-in meat thermometer with an alarm A 4-piece outdoor seating set.
Start by analyzing the shape and size of the outdoor area where you intend to place your new furniture. To create a proportional arrangement in an outdoor space, imagine it as you would any interior room. For example, if you place a long rectangular table across a tight square deck or balcony, the space will look cramped and awkward.
And this setup can damage nearby garden or patio features as people move to and from the table. Conversely, placing a small, round dining set in a capacious, open setting can create the impression of furniture floating adrift, losing sight of the shores of communal intimacy that a dining area should aspire to convey.
This helpful rule of thumb, used by interior designers, is also applicable to the outdoors: Leave at least 36 inches between the table and any wall, tree, or other physical object that may impede access. In our experience, it also helps to take a photograph from a high vantage point, as a supplement to any measurements.
The legs of all the pieces you choose should work with the surface area where you plan to place your furniture. At best, the wrong combination can prove bothersome, and at worst, dangerous. A long wooden bench or sofa placed on top of decomposed gravel creates a horrible mess we know this all too well from personal experience , while a thin-legged wrought iron chair is apt to catch between decking or sink into soft soil.
One dining set we tested—the Mercury Row Nikoleta—was perfectly suited to the smooth surface of a concrete patio or a wood deck. Yet when the set was placed on tiled concrete pavers, the chair legs consistently caught between the pavers, resulting in a few awkward, arms-flailing exits from the table.
Many people daydream of backyard barbecues, summer brunches, and other social gatherings with friends. If you often host larger groups, dining sets with bench seating offer more flexibility to comfortably fit six to eight people; we also think bench-style settings are inherently more fun and informally intimate, especially for kids.
Our editor-in-chief notes he can easily fit four kids on a bench, whereas regular chairs would be more limiting. The trade-off is the loss of back support of a traditional chair—an omission some guests might notice. But remember, you can always mix and match—interspersing chairs at the ends or on one side of a long table and adding a bench to the other.
Outdoor lounge or conversation sets are fashioned after living room couches and sectionals. We recommend that you follow a few guidelines when choosing furniture, to make sure the style harmonizes with your outdoor space:.
For outdoor seating areas, consider one or several standalone umbrellas with stands to provide shade. For those who are on the shorter or taller end of the stature scale, we recommend trying patio dining tables and chairs in person before purchasing, to see whether the seat height is comfortable for you.
Most people select outdoor furniture based primarily on aesthetics and the style of their home. Some materials—like wood—require annual maintenance to keep them looking good, while others can weather the elements for years without any upkeep.
All of the designers we consulted cited teak as the gold standard of wood for outdoor furniture, noting a well-made teak piece could last for decades. Calvin Abe, principal architect at the design firm AHBE, also praised the tropical hardwood ipe. Among popular outdoor-furniture materials, wood generally requires the most maintenance.
You can clean a wood table with a mild soapy solution if needed. Usually, though, a small hand brush should suffice for removing outdoor debris and wayward crumbs from the surface. And please do use a brush: One of our writers once vigorously wiped bird seeds off their wood picnic table, and they impaled a nearly 2-inch-long splinter into their palm, resulting in stitches and a tetanus shot.
With most hardwoods, you can also choose to forgo staining and simply allow your wood to weather to a silvery gray. What rot is to wood, rust and corrosion are to metal.
The metal dining sets and sofa frames you encounter may be made of steel bring along a magnet while shopping to check for steel-made parts , cast aluminum, or even stainless steel. Most pieces are treated with rust-resistant coatings, and our research found that few people experience any rust problems within the first few years of buying a new set.
Look for sets equipped with stainless steel screws and hardware, for additional protection against corrosion. Regular cleaning requires only a mild soapy solution—say, 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap to 1 gallon of water. You can also hose off this type of furniture after removing any cushions.
If rust spots form, you can usually sand or scour them off with sandpaper or steel wool. And repainting is always an option spray paint often works well; getting a color-matched touch-up paint at the time of purchase is an even better plan.
The high-end designers we spoke with identified cast aluminum as the most popular type of outdoor metal furniture today. It has the advantage of being very lightweight, strong, and easy to clean.
The popularity of this modern answer to traditional wicker furniture has exploded in recent years, with slick, basket-like textures found everywhere from rooftop bars to beachfront resorts to suburban backyards. The material is lightweight, stain- and UV-resistant, and exhibits exceptional tensile strength which keeps the simulated strands tightly woven.
Just wipe it down with a damp cloth, soapy or not—or pull out the hose for a tougher job. This type of furniture is often used in sunrooms, as well as on patios and deck areas. Companies sometimes recommend that such outdoor furniture remain covered when not in use to protect the plastic resin from UV damage which will eventually lead to deterioration or breakage.
Just because plastic does not rust, warp, or rot like other material options, that does not mean plastic does not require any maintenance. But of all materials, plastic-resin surfaces are the easiest to clean; they usually require only a quick spray and a wipe with an all-purpose cleaner for surface spills or a hose-down for a more-complete makeover.
Tougher surface stains or mildew can usually be removed safely using a cleaning paste made with water and baking soda or a melamine foam sponge like a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Start lightly to avoid excessive surface abrasion. Just like resin wicker, any plastic resin is susceptible to becoming brittle and eventually breaking with excessive UV exposure.
So to extend its life, keep your set in a shaded section of the yard, under an umbrella or shade sail. It seats up to four and is compact enough to fit on a deck or large balcony and you may be able to squeeze in two more diners at the ends. But note that hairpin legs are best placed on level and hard surfaces, excluding this design from natural or gravel-covered yards.
This set was slated to become a pick. But stock has been inconsistent, and it continues to be regularly sold out. If you happen to find this set anywhere, this easy-to-clean powder-coated five-piece set is a solid choice. It easily accommodates up to eight adults and gets stellar reviews for being simple to build.
It used to be a pick and was one of the nicest-looking budget aluminum sets we found. But unfortunately both stock and pricing has remained inconsistent. But it has strong reviews for quality and comes with cushions light tan. Vifah Malibu Eco-Friendly 5-Piece Wood Outdoor Dining Set.
We originally saw this eucalyptus set on sale on Target. It also has poor ratings in the few reviews we could find. Amazonia Arizona 5-Piece Eucalyptus Round Dining Set. This attractive eucalyptus set has a round table, rather than the square or rectangular kinds that seem more common in inexpensive hardwood tables of this size.
Bali Outdoor 3-Piece Wood Picnic Set by Christopher Knight Home. A contemporary take on the classic picnic bench, this slat-style three-piece set in acacia wood is modestly sized and priced. However, several reviews mention that the wood seemed of low quality and easily warped and peeled, despite regular wood conditioning.
Modway Maine Outdoor 5-Piece Patio Dining Set. The apparent strength and durability of this aluminum and plastic dining set—offering support up to pounds per chair—are offset by reports of improperly attached or loosened slats, possibly attributable to poor-quality screws.
Mainstays Alexandra Square 5-Piece Patio Dining Set. This ultra-budget set from Walmart looks decent and comes with cushions. But at 38 inches across, the table is on the small side. And the reviews are mixed, with several new owners experiencing significant problems at assembly and doubting the set will hold up well over time.
Unfortunately, the set is sold out and unlikely to be restocked. Christopher Knight Home Cliff Outdoor 5-piece Wicker Dining Set. This set comes in much darker shades of brown and gray than the other resin-wicker sets we looked at. And, unlike other sets, it has a table made completely of wicker rather than a glass tabletop incorporated into a wicker frame , which provides an uneven surface for drinks.
Aaron and Claire Van Holland, furniture designers, House Van Holland M. Calvin Abe, landscape architect, principal, MIG , phone interview, February 4, Andy Balderson, landscape designer , phone interview, February 5, Russ Cletta, landscape designer , phone interview, February 8, Maggie Lobl, landscape designer , phone interview, February 8, Naomi Sanders, landscape designer , email interview, February 5, Veronica Hoodless, sales associate, Fishbecks, Pasadena, California , interview, February 17, Jesse Mezger, manager, Patioworld, Pasadena, California , interview, February 17, Jesse Bawsel, manager, Armstrong Garden Centers, Pasadena, California , interview, February 17, Gregory Han is a design, travel, and lifestyle writer, and the co-author of Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire.
His work can be found at Design Milk, Dwell, Domino, Apartment Therapy, and Airbnb. Kalee Thompson is the senior editor heading up the team responsible for health, fitness, baby, and kid coverage at Wirecutter.
A charcoal grill that's easy to use and clean A portable gas grill A patio heater for chilly nights