As you start spending more time outdoors, upgrading your patio with new furniture can make your outdoor living space more comfortable and inviting. Whether you’re spending time with family, entertaining friends, or just relaxing outside a well-furnished patio can make all the difference. With so many options available, selecting a furniture set that meets your needs and personal style can seem challenging. Let’s explore different patio furniture sets to give you a clear understanding of the options available:

Conversational Set

A conversational patio furniture set is usually comprised of a table with chairs, typically made from aluminum, wrought iron, or wood. This is perfect for homeowners who are looking to maintain traditional aesthetics and styles. Classic styles are timeless and work well with almost any architectural style.

Lounge Patio Furniture Set

Lounge patio furniture sets are designed for relaxation and comfort and are perfect for those who love hanging out on the patio. These sets usually consist of a sofa, a loveseat, a chaise lounge, and a coffee table. Lounge patio furniture sets are available in various materials, such as cast aluminum, wrought iron, or wicker.

Sectional Patio Furniture Set 

Sectional patio furniture sets are a more flexible and modern option. They are highly customizable and can be configured to fit any size and shape of the patio. Also, sectional furniture sets often come with matching ottomans and coffee tables. They are perfect for creating a cozy area for socializing and entertaining outdoors.

Bar-Height Patio Furniture Set

Bar-height patio furniture sets are usually taller than traditional patio furniture sets, making them a popular choice for entertaining guests and hosting outdoor events. These sets usually come with bar-height tables and stools, allowing people to sit comfortably while enjoying delicious food and refreshing drinks.

Dining Set

A patio dining set is the perfect furniture option for those who love eating outdoors. These sets typically have large tables and comfortable chairs, perfect for outdoor dining with family and friends. Many homeowners often choose materials such as aluminum, wicker, or wood to give their outside dining area a classic look.

Selecting the perfect patio furniture set can make all the difference to your outdoor living space. When you’re ready to upgrade your patio, TCP Custom Outdoor Living is here to help build the patio of your dreams, giving you more time to focus on how you’ll furnish the space.

Ready to transform your patio? Call or contact us here, and we’ll be ready to help through every step of the way.

Texas weather can be brutal on your outdoor furniture, from Houston humidity to the Dallas sun, keeping your furniture looking nice can be tough. We have some tips and tricks to try, so that you can feel good about investing in your outdoor style.

Let’s start with buying the furniture, don’t fall for the cheap stuff, you will only need to replace it every season. By investing in nicely-made and designed furniture and taking care of it, you will save you money in the long run! By spending a little extra money at the beginning, you will save your money (and time) and end up with something more comfortable and most likely require less maintenance and repair.

As we cannonball into our tips, you must know that different material requires different levels of after-care. Aluminum for example, is not great for H-town because of the moisture that is in the air. Humidity… great for our skin, not for our furniture. But Teak on the other hand, holds up a little nicer.

A Crowd Pleaser … TEAK

We will start with an easier one to manage. Teak is a go-to material for outdoor furniture of all kinds, from side tables to dinner tables, benches to couches. This durable; water-, pest- and rot-resistant wood gets a bad wrap for it’s high price tag, but a solid piece of teak furniture will have minor shrinkage and will weather beautifully.

Taking care of it is even easier, you can almost set it and forget it. Leave it alone through cold winters and hot summers alike. Just be sure NOT to cover it in wet climates: direct exposure to rain and and random snow flurries is fine, but covering it while the wood is wet can actually do more damage than good by creating a space for mold to grow. 

To keep the grime away, simply wipe it down with a teak furniture cleaner a few times a month, this will keep it looking new and of course help it last longer!

Minimal Maintenance – Man-Made Wicker Style

The “wicker vibe” is all the rage, but the man-made version as opposed to its natural rattan counterpart is much easier to maintain and more affordable, too! The man-made version is built to resist elements and deterioration. It’s lightweight, so super easy to move around. If you’re one to move things around a lot, to get a different feel in your own home, this style of furniture is for you!

This type of furniture does well in any climate, it’s flexible, yet strong! Ready for the best part? To clean it, all you have to do is hose it down, crack open a cold one and call it day!

A+ For Aluminum

In the beginning we talked about the down side to aluminum, but it does have an upside, especially if you’re a “Do It Yourselfer.” If you enjoy DIY projects, this metal furniture can serve as a blank canvas to paint any color of the rainbow. Many outdoor paints are powder-coated and have UV inhibitors to help minimize damage from the sun. Repainting is always easy and can serve as a fun weekend project, so change it up as often as you would like.

So it’s light, it’s stylish, but is it easy to clean? The answer is, YES! Just a little soapy water and a little rub down and you’re back in business.

A Concrete Choice

Concrete tables, chairs and benches have become increasingly popular in the last five years because of its blend-ability and contemporary look. It’s heavy, but durable!

Because concrete is so porous, you will want to place a sealant on it to prevent damage from spills and stains. If you forgo this step, expect some beer can rings and marks that will last longer than the memories made there.

To clean this rock-hard furniture, wipe it down with a damp cloth and let air dry. If there are some deeper stains on the untreated parts, use a soft brush, some soapy water and a little elbow grease to lift the stain. Wear and tear due to weather won’t be an issue for concrete furniture.

Patio furniture is meant for a good time, but it can last a long time too, you just need to take care of it!

Join Ryan and Rob as they discuss the benefits and differences between a pergola and a patio cover in this episode of The Outdoor Style Show with Texas Custom Patios.

Modern outdoor living accessories make it simple to create an outdoor room that’s comfortable enough to sit in all day.  Here are some of our favorite ways to turn your porch or patio into an outdoor living room.

Buy Lounge-able Furniture Once upon a time, comfortable, attractive, well-made outdoor furniture was impossible to find.  Now it’s everywhere.  You can get couches, easy chairs, and matching pillows that look like they should be inside your home but are built to withstand the outdoors.  They’re built with durable, easy-to-clean materials and come in every color imaginable.

Create Comfort for All Seasons
If you want to enjoy your outdoor living room year round, consider adding some cooling elements for the summer months and heating for the winter.

In the summer, the easiest way to stay cool outside is to install ceiling fans on your patio cover.  Fans have the added benefit of keeping bugs away.

To stay warm, you have a few more options.  Heating lamps are a great option and come in a variety of styles and price ranges.  Outdoor fireplaces are an even more attractive option and can add to the overall value of your home.

Get Rid of Bugs!
No one wants to spend time in an outdoor living room if they’re constantly scratching – so come up with a plan to keep the bugs away.  The most economical option is to buy mosquito repelling candles, but you will have to purchase quite a few to keep mosquitoes off your patio.

Adding a screen to your outdoor living room and creating a screened-in porch is a very effective way to keep bugs away.  If you want to keep things more open, a mosquito misting system will keep your outdoor living room virtually bug free.

The Home Infatuation blog is full of great patio decor photos and inspiring design tips, and the Home Infatuation online store sells luxury patio furniture and outdoor living products.  We recently had the pleasure of talking to the owner of Home Infatuation, Mike Voyles, and asked him to share his knowledge about outdoor furniture and accessories.

Texas Custom Patios (TCP): What are some new outdoor furniture trends for 2012?

Mike Voyles (MV):  We tend to specialize in contemporary furnishings, whether it’s outdoor lamps or furniture.  Throughout the industry as a whole, you tend to see a lot of wicker, metal, and contemporary things.  Outdoor daybeds have become popular in the last few years too.

The trends aren’t changing that dramatically, but they’re shifting towards certain niches.  A lot of people are doing balconies and rooftop gardens.  There are more products aimed at urban living and smaller patios.

Also, there’s been a trend towards better quality.  Outdoor furniture keeps getting better—almost looks like something you can put in your house.  For example, there’s furniture that looks like leather, but can be used outdoors.

Another trend is lighting.  Outdoor lighting has gotten much better – more stylish.  You see furniture and accessories with LED lights.  Something that’s popular on our website is the furniture with lighted planters.

TCP: What’s the best way to protect patio furniture from wind, rain, and other weather?

MV: Everything we sell is durable and weather-resistant, but if you can afford to put a patio cover over your furniture, then definitely do it.  A patio cover will keep you from needing to clean your furniture all the time, and protects it from birds.  A lot of manufacturers make covers that are suited for their own pieces.

TCP: What’s the best way to clean your outdoor furniture?

MV:  Mild household cleaners are fine for the frames.  Most of the fabrics can be spot-cleaned with household cleaners.  Nowadays, there are plenty of cleaners out there, so it’s pretty easy to do.  The hardest material for people to take care of is stainless steel – mostly because they think they don’t need to clean it at all.  You need to wipe it down, especially if you’re in a coastal area where you might get salt spray.

TCP: We loved your recent blog posts on outdoor curtains.  They’re beautiful, but do they tend to get dirty?  How do you keep them clean?

MV: They’re machine washable.  Not only our brand, but all of them out there are made of machine washable fabric.

TCP: Can you hang them from most patio covers?

MV: Most people put up something to hang them, like a wire clothesline.  If they have a loop at the top, you can just put up a rod.  You can buy support poles and rods.

TCP: What are your favorite accessories for the patio?

MV: Pillows and rugs.  They have really come a long way in terms of their quality.  The pillows we sell can be used indoors and outdoors and look very nice.  They’re extremely durable and UV resistant.

Lighting is another favorite accessory.  There are lots of choices now and you can get electric or rechargeable.

TCP: How have you decorated your own backyard?  What’s your style like?

MV: Definitely contemporary, with a monochromatic, black and white scheme.  Not just contemporary furniture, but rugs, pillows, and lighting.  Also, you’ve gotta have an outdoor tv.  We sell them up to 55 inches now.  They’re weather-resistant and work well in the outdoor light.  They even work down to temperatures of zero degrees…if you want to be outdoors in that weather.