Getting to spend time with family is one of the interesting highlights of owning a comfortable outdoor space. Nothing beats being able to laugh heartily at each other’s jokes and sharing the details of how the day went with each other. Chilling with your loved ones outdoors doesn’t have to be restricted to certain seasons of the year or during the holidays. In this guide, we’ll explore certain details about outdoor furniture that make your space ready for all-season family gatherings and happy moments.
How to select the right kind of furniture for family gatherings
Getting your patio in shape for exciting family gatherings helps to make each moment spent with your loved ones a memorable one, but that can’t happen if your furniture set is wrong for the occasion. Here’s how to determine the right furniture type for your family gatherings.
Family size:
Your family size should determine the kind of furniture you choose. For a family of more than two people, you need a sofa set that comfortably seats all of your loved ones outdoors. You must not forget to include children when counting your family members because it’s easy to overlook them and assume that only adults need to be included in the headcount.
Once you’ve settled on how many you are, you might consider adding an extra pair of seats for days when you have one or two guests around. This helps to ensure that you don’t get to a point someday when you don’t have enough seats for everyone present. You may decide to choose a sectional sofa or single armchair for your seating arrangement. Sectionals and modular sofas are great for large family gatherings and make it easy to share intimate moments. For smaller family sizes, you may settle for smaller sectional seats or go for a mix of armchairs and sectional sofas for an added aesthetic touch.
Gathering purpose:
When you gather with family outdoors, you must consider what you’ll be doing together and choose the best furniture pieces that suit such purposes. Yours may be a family that loves to enjoy intimate moments outdoors before and after dinner; a conversation set, plush sofa seats, or a simple bistro set may be ideal for you.
For some other families, the idea of gathering outdoors may involve doing some cooking together outdoors and dining right there. The best furniture pieces to suit such a scenario would be an outdoor kitchen fitting, a dining set of tables and chairs where everyone can conveniently dine, or even a fire pit table to enjoy some warmth.
If as a small family, if you often host more family members who come visiting at specific times of the year, maybe on special occasions like birthdays, it's essential that you have your furniture ready for the occasion. Modular seats and stackable single armchairs can be suitable for such purposes. The extra modular pieces, for example, can be stored to be used on such occasions, while you set up the rest for your immediate needs.
Budget:
Your outdoor furniture budget can also determine the kind of furniture pieces you buy. Various furniture types are available to suit different budget sizes. You’ll find various furniture designs ranging from just functional to those with intense aesthetic detailing, and variations in degree of comfort. Depending on what you settle for, you must prioritize functionality in your budget, and of course, don’t compromise on quality.
Your budget also impacts how well you can utilize your patio space. With a large budget, you may choose to have your outdoor conversation area separate from your dining area. A smaller budget may be constraining, but be sure that whatever furniture type you choose suits your most important need as a family.
As much as you can, ensure you give the best you can to your family gathering space, as the quality of furniture and the comfort it gives equally adds to the experience.
Seasonal weather:
Your seasonal weather is one of the important aspects of your outdoor space that you must not overlook in choosing your outdoor furniture. How wet, windy, rainy, cold, or sunny it gets in your region should influence your choice of furniture. A high afternoon sunny day or consistent rainy weather should influence your choice of shed for your outdoor space. The quality of your investment in a shed will largely depend on the intensity of the weather.
Additionally, the weight of your furniture and the degree of its weather resistance are also critical in determining your choice. If you plan to get the furniture ready for all-season use; such that you don’t miss out on gathering with loved ones as often as you want, then details such as warming items are important. Fire pit tables and fire pits are important elements of your outdoor furniture worth prioritizing.
Ambiance:
The kind of ambiance you want to create for family gatherings will also determine your furniture setup. Do you picture a cozy space where everyone can nestle together and enjoy a relaxing evening, or an open area comfortable for playing board or card games? Or yours might be a space where everyone gathers to talk and laugh.
Your ambiance is determined by the plushness of your sofas, simple details like lighting, a garden ambiance or nicely arranged flower pots, private walls and more. Nestling your sofa behind a private garden wall creates a cozy effect that’s suitable for a small family—an ideal space to have heart-to-heart convos. An open patio area with single cushionless armchairs can create a light-hearted playful relaxing feel that allows a flexible rearrangement of the chairs for party nights or game evenings.
Important outdoor furniture checklist for ideal for family gatherings
Now that we’re clear on the important aspects to note before selecting your outdoor furniture, we’ll explore a checklist of furniture pieces that are essential to make your family gatherings worthwhile.
Sofa set:
Make your space comfy for your loved ones with a combination of plush sofa settings for a thrilling family gathering experience. Various sofa set pieces are available to suit your needs; if you want a versatile sofa set, a modular sofa set is a great option. This type of furniture allows you to have fun with your furniture arrangement such that you can choose to rearrange them in different configurations as it suits you. Alternatively, combinations of loveseats and sectional sofas are also functional, especially if you have limited space or working with a specific angle in your patio. For instance, an L-shaped sectional might be more efficient on a rectangular patio than a combination of single armchairs and loveseats.
Dining set:
Get your space ready for outdoor dining with loved ones with a classy dining set. You may choose a dining set of tables and as few as four chairs to as many as eight chairs. If you prefer a multifunctional table that’s great for use during cold seasons, then consider choosing a lovely fire pit table for warmth.
When choosing your dining set, don’t forget to factor in the height of everyone that would be sitting at the table, so that dining at the table can be comfortable for everyone. Various designs of dining furniture are available; with chairs ranging from wooden to steel, and rattan. Ensure you choose a set that’s ideal for your needs and functional for your regional weather.
Coffee table and side tables:
Family gatherings and conversation times are also moments to snack on pastries and other munchables with your loved one. A classy coffee table comes in handy for this purpose, as you can easily place these items on it. Aside from snacking, a coffee table is nice to have for aesthetic purposes as well. Since you have more people around, the table will come in handy for placing everyone’s personal items, instead of placing it on the already full sofa. Side tables are functional for sofa ends for holding up drinks, keys, and other small items.
Fire pits and Fire pit tables:
What’s an outdoor gathering without a fire pit for warmth and aesthetics? The blazing flame of a fire pit can quickly improve everyone’s mood and get them to ease into the day’s event without stress. And of course, it’s a safer way to enjoy a home bonfire experience but without the sooth that comes from burning firewood.
Either you’re buying a sofa set with a fire pit table or you’re strategically positioning your fire pits on different parts of your patio; they’re just brilliant to look at during the day and great for warmth at night. Hence, a fire pit or fire pit table is a must-have for your next family gathering.
Conclusion
Getting the best out of your outdoor family gatherings would be hassle-free once you’ve put the right furniture in place for everyone’s comfort. Whether you’re all out for everyday fun with family out on your patio or occasional parties with extended family, you can achieve it by following the steps above.