If you set up furniture outside, you’ll probably do it on a deck or patio. You can enjoy your time there, provided you set up the furniture correctly. However, that means following the Golden Rules of Furniture Arrangement.
Setting up outdoor furniture is not that difficult once you learn these rules. After you’ve set up your furniture, you can start thinking about what kind of parties and get-togethers you might have.
Know Which Pieces Will Rust
First, you should consider whether you will have any kind of covering over the furniture or not. For instance, if you’re going to set the furniture up on a sun porch that has shade over it, that shade will block the rain, sleet, or any other precipitation that might otherwise fall on it.
If you are not going to have a cover over the furniture, you should get a kind that’s rust-proof. Otherwise, you will not get very much usable life out of it.
Don’t Set It Up Too Close Together
You should also be mindful of not setting up the furniture too close together. You need to leave some space in between each piece so that people can walk around without any difficulty.
Be Mindful of the Sun
Know where the sun is going to be at different times of the day, and set up the furniture so that nobody faces it directly. No one will like sitting on a chair that’s otherwise comfortable, except for the sun that is shining directly into their eyes.
Know Who Will Use the Furniture
Consider who you know will be using the furniture the most. If you have kids, and they’ll mostly use the furniture, you can get smaller pieces.
If you know that larger, heavier adults will be using the furniture more, you should specifically look for chairs and other pieces that were designed with larger humans in mind.
Consider How Many People Will Be at Your Gatherings
Think about how many people are likely to be at one of your gatherings. If you have half a dozen chairs, and you’re expecting 30 people, that makes no sense. You’ll have a situation where some people are sitting, and others are standing around for hours at a time.
Create a Focal Point
You should create a focal point for your outdoor furniture setup. You would do the same thing indoors. In a dining room, for instance, the focal point would be the table.
Outside, if you have a table because you plan to eat meals there, that will likely be the focal point. If you have a fire pit, that might work instead.
Accessorize
Finally, you should accessorize your outdoor furniture. That means putting some throw pillows on the couch. You might put a little end table next to some of the chairs so that people can set their drinks on them. You can set out ashtrays for smokers and coasters for those with beverages.
Follow these rules, and your outdoor gatherings should do fine.