Your ultimate outdoor furniture buying guide
Here in Australia, we’re a lucky bunch. With some of the best weather conditions in the world on our side, it’s no wonder we love entertaining outdoors. There’s plenty to celebrate with summer around the corner, so we’ve put together an outdoor furniture buyer’s guide to help you choose stylish pieces with the right functionality to make the most of your outdoor living space. From small patios to large, we’ll walk you through the key elements to look for in high-quality, low-maintenance outdoor furniture. You’ll be locking in dinner parties in no time.
Experience outdoor dining in style
What vibe are you looking to create in your outdoor space? Cool coastal? Modern contemporary? Or not fussed - just get me sitting down outside right now?! No matter your outdoor needs, at Amart Furniture, we have everything you need to set up your outdoor dining area in style. From large dining sets to small 3-piece lounge suites in beautiful outdoor fabrics. And we have all the other fun stuff covered, too, like outdoor daybeds for lounging around the poolside, bar sets, drink trolleys, outdoor rugs, and fire pits.
Things to consider
Who will be using your outdoor living space and what do you need your outdoor furniture to do? Here are some key considerations to get you thinking:
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Weather-resistant - Is there a pergola over your patio to protect your outdoor furniture from the weather? If not, make sure the materials of the furniture you’re interested in are durable and have UV protection.
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Child-friendly - If you have little ones running around, look for furniture that doesn’t have sharp edges and seats that are easy for them to climb on and off.
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Furniture materials - Which materials are best suited to your outdoor environment: timber, aluminium, plastic, metal, or wicker/rattan?
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Matching outdoor decor/interior design - Do you have an indoor furniture décor style you’d like to carry through to the outside or will you be going for a new look?
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Level of maintenance - Some materials, like aluminium, require less maintenance than other materials, like timber. How much maintenance will suit your lifestyle?
Best ways to utilise your outdoor space
What do you want to do in your outdoor area and how many people does it need to accommodate? These are two key factors that will help you determine the best outdoor furniture to utilise in your space. Consider the following questions:
Purpose - Some people like the quiet life while others love to entertain. So, is your outdoor area for:
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curling up with a book in the fresh air
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intimate gatherings
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large gatherings?
Space: How many people will regularly use the outdoor living space? Work out whether you want to:
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scale up for large gatherings
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create zones -
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a dining area for your outdoor table and chairs
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a lounge area/chill-out zone
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a separate garden furniture set with a hanging chair
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poolside relaxation with an outdoor daybed and sun lounges.
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We suggest measuring out the space and even marking it up with tape to get a feel for the size you’d like your setting/s to be and a clear idea of your outdoor use goals.
Get summer ready with these outdoor dining sets & bar sets
Fire up the BBQ, chill the drinks, and get ready to relax with friends around your new outdoor dining set.
Whether space is at a premium or you’ve got loads to spare, Amart has something for you. Outdoor bar sets can be used in small spaces instead of a traditional dining set or in a large space to define a separate area for drinks and mingling. Your guests won’t need to leave their seat with the Coldie 7-piece Bar Setting featuring an ice bucket in the centre of the table, an easy-clean glass top, an aluminium frame, and UV-resistant wicker. Pop a patio umbrella next to it for sun protection and a bistro vibe.
Continue the resort feel with a Westport 5-piece Round Outdoor Setting. The cut-out black rattan weave structure is complemented by a weathergrain top for a modern contemporary look.
Make small spaces appear big with the right outdoor furniture
Interior designers have lots of tricks up their sleeves for making small spaces appear bigger. And outdoor spaces are no exception. Here are some useful tips for finding the best patio furniture for small spaces:
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Small scale furniture - choose pieces of a size that suit the space with room to walk around them and not feel tight or cluttered. The Amarillo 5-piece Dining Set has a glass top table and open weave seats that won’t restrict light or act as a visual barrier.
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Mirror - Add a mirror to open the space and bring in more light.
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Defined zones - Put a light-coloured outdoor rug down to define the dining or lounge space.
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Plants - Draw the eye upwards with tall planters or a vertical garden that frees up valuable floor space.
High-quality outdoor furniture pieces made for the whole family
Big family? Lots of mates? No problem! The quality acacia timber Shadow2 11-piece outdoor setting with polyester cushions is for the serious entertainer or large family. You and your guests can get comfy and linger long catching up around this table. And when dinner is done, move over to the matching Shadow2 Outdoor Living Room Setting with a coffee table. If it’s not large enough, add an extra 2-seater lounge chair or outdoor chair to the set.
Amart also has small families and intimate gatherings covered with outdoor sofa suites and dining sets in four, six and 7-piece sets.
The best low-maintenance materials for your garden furniture
All Amart’s outdoor furniture is manufactured to withstand UV rays and rain. However, the less exposure your furniture has to the harsh Australian elements, the longer it will last. If your al fresco furniture won’t be under a pergola or awning, a weather cover during the winter months will prevent mildew and deterioration of materials and upholstery.
For excellent tips and advice on caring for your outdoor furniture, read How to care for your outdoor furniture in our blog.
Host your next party outdoors with our range of high-quality dining tables suitable for all weather conditions
Gearing up to comfortably host a large outdoor party is easy with the right outdoor furniture choices. An Elwood 7-piece Outdoor Dining Setting with Skylar Chairs will seat six people to dine and can also be paired with bench seats to squeeze in a few more.
The stackable outdoor Lyla chairs are great to keep handy for extra guests. Built to withstand the elements but pretty enough to use inside as well, you could dot these around your place, inside and out, for party guests.
Furniture sets to elevate your outdoor patio area
Transform your outdoor patio with the flexibility to choose the right outdoor furniture piece-by-piece at Amart. There are dining sets with tables in round, square or rectangular shapes or you can select your patio furniture separately to suit the size you need and create a style that’s totally you.
You might like to go for a round table to save space on a small patio in which case the Tangalooma 5-Piece Outdoor Dining Setting will fit the bill. Or fill out a large space with the Miami 9-piece Outdoor Dining Setting with generous, plush wicker seats.
Stay by your firepit all night with these comfy outdoor chairs
Lean back and relax in quality acacia timber Replica Adirondack Chairs and pop your drink and snacks on a matching side table. Of course, there’s always room for more by the fire, so if the neighbours see what you’re up to and decide to roast a marshmallow too, it will be easy to squeeze in extras with the collapsible Skylar Outdoor Chairs.
The addition of some outdoor accessories like a bar cart and comfy outdoor cushions will mean you’re all set to stay in your toasty spot for the night.
