Al-Asalah Blog

When you are out shopping, what do you base your decision on? Is it looks? Well patio furniture is no different is it? But there are many other things that you should be considering. Ask yourself the following questions to help ensure that you will be making the absolute best decision.The first question is, how much room do you have? A sprawling yard, with a large patio and garden will allow you to comfortably fit a larger set of table and chairs in your outdoor space. You can also consider adding a chaise or other unique piece of furniture, space permitting of course. If you have the room, fill it with attractive outdoor furniture. On the flip side, if your outdoor area is on the smaller side, such as a balcony or terrace, you will still be able to create your outdoor oasis. Simply look for fewer items or smaller pieces to compliment your space.

What is the purpose of your patio furniture? That may seem like a silly second question, but just consider it for a second. Are you planning on using it regularly? Or will it be reserved for special occasions? Will it be used for small gatherings or to entertain large groups? This should help you decide between an intimate set of table and chairs, and a large utilitarian teak patio entertaining set. Perhaps you are looking to turn your outdoor space into your own personal hideout, in which case you might love a hammock such as the  teak lounger.

Third, what styles do you like? What are you a fan of? What type of furniture will best adorn your outdoor area? Are you a fan of elegant wrought iron or you do you prefer the look and feel of sleek aluminum? Would you rather sit on cushions, fabric, cedar, or teak?

Of course, there are other things to mull over, such as your budgeted allowance and upkeep of the patio set. Above were only three factors to consider when purchasing patio furniture. By consulting this list, you will be well on your way to making the best possible choice of patio furniture. And before you know it, you’ll be entertaining and relaxing in your personal outdoor oasis.

1. What is your budget?

Quality, construction, fine or rare wood could be pricier, so you may have to make adjustments to your budget. Many qualities should be put into consideration to determine the desired amount to spend on each piece such as how long you will keep the item and whether it is one of the central pieces in the room or just an accent. Assigning a budget will help you set limits for yourself, so you don’t end up spending all your money before you purchase all the units you need.

2. Where will it be used?

It is important to know the scale of an item to make sure it is going to fit in your intended space. Knowing the area that you are shopping for will also help you determine what major items you will need for that room and how much space they can be allowed. For example, a family room would require plenty of seating as well as maybe a couple spare chairs.

3. How often will it be used?

Pieces that are going to go in a family room for daily use have to be durable. Pay close attention to the components that will be used several times per day, like drawers and doors. Furniture that is going to go into a guest room or any other room could be purchased with appearance in mind with shape, size, and design being the most important qualities to look for.

4. How long will you have it?

Wood furniture pieces in your dining room, bedroom, or living room may remain in your family for many years. You may even decide to pass this furniture down to future generations. For heirloom quality pieces, allow yourself to spend more money. Accent pieces, on the other hand, shouldn’t be so expensive if you intend on updating your style occasionally. Children’s furniture that your child will eventually grow out of shouldn’t be so expensive since you will have to update it as he/she grows older. Have fun with these items and just shop with aesthetic appeal in mind.

5. What is your personal style?

Find your personal style by studying your wardrobe, car and favorite things. Pay attention to your favorite colors, textures and patterns. Also consider your lifestyle when purchasing furniture. Are you single? Do you have any children, pets, ect.?

6. What kind of wood do you like?

Wood furniture is made from seasonal hardwoods or year round softwoods. Hardwoods come from broad-leafed trees (not needles) such as maple, oak, teak, and finer woods such as walnut, mahogany, and cherry. These woods are found in the most expensive furniture pieces. Softwoods come from needle-bearing evergreens like pine, spruce, redwood, or cedar. Such lumber is used in less-formal pieces. Rubberwood is plantation-grown in tropical countries. It is very durable and resistant to most varieties of fungi, bacteria, and mold.

7. What is the difference between solid and veneer?

Solid wood furniture usually means all the exposed parts of the piece are solid, while the frames and inner parts are made of other less expensive material. When thin layers of decorative wood are bonded to the face of furniture pieces, this is called veneer. While solid wood is valued for its durability, veneer provides a greater variety of styles, patterns and textures.

8. What finish do you prefer?

A finish on wood furniture can enhance its natural look or change it completely. A simple oil or wax finish will enhance the grain on an item, but for increased durability, furniture with a lacquer finish is best. Lacquer protects against spills and rings. A distressed look means that the wood is made to look older by beating and hammering the wood before the final finish is applied.

9. How good is the workmanship?

Ensure that drawers fit and slide well on glides and stop flush with the front of the piece. Dust panels on the drawers are best for keeping your belongings clean. Make sure that the hardware is installed correctly on any doors. The legs on tables should be even and not rock. If your table has leaves, make sure they match the rest of the table. Higher quality pieces will have dovetail joints, but always make sure to pay attention to how the drawer fronts are attached. Chair joints should also be examined carefully. Make sure they are snug and free from excess glue. On tables, corners should be reinforced and legs securely attached.

10. What safety issues arise with the purchase of your furniture?

The drawers on dressers and chests should have drawer stops that will prevent the drawer from falling out on unsuspecting children. When buying a bookcase, makes sure it contains big enough shelves so that there is no danger of you having to overload the shelves. You may also want to secure the top portion of the unit to the wall so that it won’t tip over. When searching for entertainment centers, make sure to use the correct size furniture to hold your television. If your television is too large for the unit, it may fall forward. Storage and toy chests should have safety latches on the lids to prevent the top from falling freely and possibly slamming shut on fingers or a child’s head.

The furniture in your home or office plays a great part in rendering that particular space the elegant yet comfortable look, so much sought after by most of us. We naturally assume that you already dealt with the other important aspect of your furniture, namely that of being practical and fulfilling its basic functions. This means that once you have narrowed your search with details such as size and color, all you have to be concerned about is succeeding in adding your personal touch to the room you want to furnish. You can do a lot more than choosing the wallpaper that you like, matching carpets with drapes, finding nice paintings to hang on the walls, and so forth. You can personalize a room in your home or even your entire home with the furniture you use. And uniqueness is not limited to a particular design for your furniture. You can now order custom wood furniture that will definitely be very defining of your tastes and personality.

You can make the custom wood furniture in your home or office a versatile companion to any décor. You can choose custom wood furniture and make it both functional and practical, so as to meet the demands of everyday living.

Before we discuss your custom wood furniture options, we should definitely rule out the possibility of buying furniture made out anything else but wood. As you probably know, there are materials such as particleboards or veneers that can replicate the aspect of oak furniture very well, but aspect should not be your only concern when it comes to purchasing furniture. You definitely do not want to have to change your furniture too soon, just because it is no longer functional. You have to invest in furniture that will last long enough, and make sure that if you do decide to replace your furniture with some new one, it will be because you want your home to look different, and not because you are forced by unfortunate circumstances. Everyone expects his or her furniture to be durable and sturdy, and only custom wood furniture can give you that.

The choices of custom wood furniture are varied as far as the type of wood being used goes. Depending on factors such as inside or outside furniture, the weight that the piece of furniture has to hold, its durability, and so on, you can opt for either of the following woods for your custom wood furniture: ash, birch, cedar, cypress, elm, engineered wood, beech, cherry, mahogany, hickory, pine, maple, oak, redwood, rattan, teak, walnut, etc. Each type of wood has its own characteristics and can be recommended as being most appropriate for one or several pieces of custom wood furniture.

Whatever the style of your home may be, contemporary, traditional or rustic, you can choose the exact pieces of custom wood furniture that suit it best. Probably your best choice of custom wood furniture is Amish furniture. It is almost everything you would expect your furniture to be. Amish furniture is reliable, sturdy and solid. Aside form being an investment that can last for generations, Amish custom wood furniture is always stylish due to its simplicity and elegance.

A veranda is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the good weather during the warmer months of the year, when you can sit back in your favourite chair and dream the days away.

But when winter draws in you’ll be venturing inside - which leaves you with the problem of what to do with your veranda furniture.

Whatever style of furniture you have, it’s advisable to bring it in out of the elements if you can. A garage or shed is a good place to store it, but make sure you cover it with a tarpaulin for additional protection against the inevitable leaks that can sometimes occur. It will also help to keep the furniture free from dust.

If you have wooden furniture consider treating it before bringing it inside, as it will help to protect it and keep it looking good for when you need to get it back out again.

Another good tip is to make sure any fixings, such as screws for example, are oiled just prior to storage. This will prevent the damp making them rusty.

If your furniture has soft cushions they should be brought inside, as any outbuildings tend to be damp and can result in your soft furnishings becoming musty.

If you don’t have a shed or garage it might be worth investing in an outdoor storage box that’s big enough to hold essential items of furniture. It’s a smaller alternative to a shed and is usually made from metal or plastic.

Of course not everyone has the room to be able to store all their garden furniture inside. If this describes your situation you need to think carefully about how to protect it against the elements. Even though most garden furniture is quite robust and can be protected by treating it regularly to ward off any damage, it won’t be happy sitting outside on your veranda without any kind of covering over it at all.

In this case buy the best - and biggest - tarpaulin you can find and make sure it covers every inch of your furniture. It will need to be firmly secured to the ground in some way; you can use heavy bricks or planters to keep it on the ground, or even tether it to something, but ideally you need to ensure the wind, rain and snow cannot get underneath it. Pull the furniture into a sheltered corner if you can, and group it together.

In an ideal world we would all have a dedicated spot for storing our outdoor furniture, but regardless of where you store it just remember these two rules - protect it and cover it.