It’s almost May, and if you’ve been cooped up all winter (and even if you haven’t), it’s time to spend some time outdoors. These days, people are taking their outdoor living spaces to new heights of luxury and style – no more perching on a flimsy webbed lawn chair with a paper plate balanced on your knee. Now people serve pizza rustica from their wood fire ovens to guests around elegantly laid tables lit by outdoor chandeliers, or gaze at the stars while getting cozy by the fire pit with a snifter of brandy.
Outdoor furniture in particular has made incredible advances, with beautiful and comfortable pieces that rival the couch and chairs in your living room. The most common materials for outdoor furniture frames are wood, wicker, aluminum, and wrought iron. Wood has a casual, natural look, is fairly easy to maintain, and can always be made new again with a fresh coat of paint. There’s nothing like a classic Adirondack chair to make you want to grab your shades and pour yourself a glass of lemonade. Wicker never goes out of style, and is now available in all-weather varieties woven from synthetic materials. Aluminum is lightweight and long lasting (especially if it is powder-coated) and has a clean, sleek look.
New water and mildew resistant materials used in cushions and pillows make them practical as well as cozy. They resist fading, and can be cleaned. If you’re the DIY type, you can always make your own cushion covers, as outdoor fabrics are available at stores like Joann’s and Calico Corners. Change the look of your outdoor living room every year!
If you are lucky enough to live in the Southwest, the outdoor living season is gloriously long. But even here there will be months when you will want to protect your outdoor furniture. Covering it during the rainy season might be all you need to do. But if you have more extreme weather, you should probably consider storing the furniture during the winter months. (By the way, don’t wrap your cushions in plastic when getting ready to store them. Plastic does not allow the cushion to breathe and may cause mildew.) The clean and secure storage units available at Dollar Self Storage are an ideal solution for this. Check out the following locations:
- Dollar Self Storage, Santa Fe Springs, CA
- Dollar Self Storage, Phoenix, AZ
- Dollar Self Storage, Tucson, AZ
- Dollar Self Storage, Henderson, NV