7 Great Furniture Ideas for Your Patio

Whether it’s in spite of their limited usage or because of it, patios are special places. Bamfield Builders Supply wants to share some great ideas on how to make your patio space even more special. 

With all the comfort of a living room or den but the openness of the outdoors, patios offer a sense of calm and peacefulness that’s hard to find indoors. But the same limitations that make a patio so special also make it more difficult to enjoy than a proper room.

Your ability to comfortably enjoy it depends on the time of year, weather and temperature. Not only that, but your design choices need to reflect those challenges. Direct sunlight, heavy winds, dampness and rain can all be destructive to your outdoor furniture.

But these challenges are also an opportunity. Instead of feeling limited, explore instead what you can do that’s unique to your outdoor space and would be otherwise inappropriate indoors.

Keep reading for great patio furniture ideas to make the most of your backyard leisure time. 

1. Barrel Stools & Table

Since outdoor furniture needs to be more durable than indoor items, you can go much more rustic with your choices. Tapered barrels can be easily repurposed into a classic-looking table-set capable of withstanding the elements.

Smaller barrels need little more than a quick sanding job before using their perfectly capable seats. And a full-size barrel simply needs a tabletop surface. Come storage time these seats can easily be stacked to cut down on their footprint, or they can be repurposed as side tables or flower stands.

2. Muskoka Chairs

The now-iconic Muskoka chair has become a visual symbol for cottage-country. The simple style belies its usefulness. While most commonly made from wood, it’s also available in plastic or from composite materials. Like its larger cousin, the Adirondack chair, the Muskoka chair is an open invitation to sit back, relax and do nothing else.

3. Hammock

As often as patios lend themselves to socializing, they also excel at offering the ideal space for some self-care. And what can say “me-time” more than a hammock?

The classic image of a hammock is one that’s suspended between two trees. This offers natural shade, along with the soothing sounds of rustling leaves. But don’t worry: not having the trees doesn’t mean you can’t have the hammock.

Secured posts can be installed to support the hammock, or better yet, get a free-standing hammock. With its own base, a free-standing hammock can be moved anywhere while still offering that inimitable sensation of relaxing above the ground.

4. Cantilever Umbrella

Spending the day outside on the patio is a great way to get some sun. It’s also a great way to get too much sun if you’re not careful. While a traditional parasol-style umbrella will always work, it does need to be centrally located in your sitting area. This can throw off the flow of your layout, or require you to buy a patio table with an umbrella hole.

A cantilever umbrella offers the same coverage with the added benefit of its offset stand. It can be secured along the edge of your deck or patio, freeing up ground-space and giving you more room to arrange your seating the way you like.

5. Mosaic Tile-Top Table

Most outdoor furniture comes in one of a few materials. Wood is the most common, whether it’s as a single-carved piece, wicker or assembled boards. Plastic and composites are also common, as is cast iron furniture.

While these materials offer the durability and resilience to handle life outdoors, they can be a little plain. Sure, they can be stained or painted, but they tend to be too monochromatic.

A mosaic tile-top table is your chance to make a real statement. Using colourful ceramic pieces, it can stand out as a bold accent, adding a whole new element to your patio.

6. Storage Bench

One of the challenges about designing your patio is the inevitable need for storage. While you can keep most pieces of furniture outdoors from late-spring to early-fall, you’ll need to put them somewhere when the weather turns cold. Complicating things further is the fact that some items should be put away at night and when it rains to avoid damage.

A storage bench is a perfect solution for this. Offering all the functionality of bench seating, it doubles as a covered, dry place to put things like throw pillows and cushions without requiring additional space.

7. Fire Table

Muskoka chairs may be a visual symbol for outdoor relaxation, but there’s nothing like an outdoor fire to suggest the freedom of being in nature. A fire table lets you bring that experience directly to your patio in a safe and enjoyable way.

What it lacks in experience compared to a traditional fire pit, it makes up for with convenience. Feeding wood to a fire to keep it going does come with a certain romance, but there’s nothing magical about getting a face full of smoke or ash in your hair.

Instead, a dial allows you to easily control the intensity of your fire, and clean-up requires little more than turning off the propane and letting the surface cool. It’s also a considerably safer way to enjoy an outdoor fire if you have small children.

You only get so much time in a year to make the most of your patio. Making the right furniture choices lets you maximize your relaxation time while reducing the number of chores and repairs you need to do. Summer can pass quickly: make sure you’re ready for it the right way – reclining under a tree with a drink in your hand.

If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to visit Bamfield Builders Supply for assistance. We would be happy to help you in any way we can.