Garden Table and Chairs – Move Your Parties Outside
Sunday
Oct 4, 2009
Summer is winding sadly to a close, and it's time to decorate your garden table and chairs for the Autumn season that is upon us. Most people have decorations of some sort that they drag out for their inside furniture, and perhaps they hang a fall wreath on the door. But you probably don't think about your patio furniture table and chairs, except to hope that more warm weather is on the way before winter arrives, so you can use them.
When people come over and glance out at the patio table and chairs on your deck, they will notice the tabletop first. Consider the use of a centerpiece full of yellows, browns and oranges that will remind everyone that Autumn us here.
You can take the decorating beyond the table, too. Why should the table have all the decoration? It doesn't have to be that way. You can carry over your decorating designs to the chairs, too. Purchase or make custom Autumn chair covers and they will add a festive touch. Since so many people entertain outdoors for three of the four seasons, companies make chair cushions and backs designed for all weather.
After you've accented your garden table and chairs, start glancing around to see what else you can add to the Autumn décor. Find some hardy mums or other flowers that show off their fall colors, and place them around your garden and deck area. And don't be afraid to light up your garden area. Accent lighting can help to make your garden furniture glow brightly. You can use oranges and yellows instead of white lights, to cast an aura for the season. You can use mini lights or spot lights, whatever strikes your fancy. You can hang lights on patio table umbrellas, or around the table's edge, or put lights on posts.
Since you will be using your garden set more often than just in the summer, select good quality tables and chairs and use the manufacturers' instructions on how to care for them. Each material used may have slightly different needs as far as maintenance and cleaning.
If your table and outdoor furniture chairs are aluminum, they are probably powder coated. This helps protect your table from the elements. Purchase aluminum cleaner to use on it. Teak tables and chairs may weather into a silver gray color from their original golden brown color. If you wish to keep it brown, use a color guard that you can buy at furniture stores. Teak cleaner will remove accumulated dirt, and teak tables should be cleaned often.
Steel tables and wrought iron table and chairs weather well, but the higher numbers of steel types are more corrosion-resistant. This is important, especially if you live in a coastal area. Use a special stainless steel cleaner. You can use soap and water, but the cleaning won't last as long.
Wicker tables are more fragile than many other materials used in garden tables. Choose a very mild cleaner to keep your wicker table and chairs looking new. Select a brand that doesn't leave a build-up when you clean with it.
You took a lot of time and spent good money on your garden table and chairs, so be sure that you maintain them properly, so they can look great for years to come.