Estate Living Magazine Alfresco Living - Issue 36 December 2018 | Page 50

Outdoor
There’s only one way to enjoy the South
African summer: on your patio
(gin optional, but highly recommended).
The beauty of a well-put-together outdoor area isn’t simply the
fact that you have an inviting space to soak in the sun; it also adds
to the overall look of your home. That said, the opposite is also
true: choose the wrong pieces, and you’ll probably opt to sit
inside rather than venturing outdoors.
That’s why, before you even look at patio and poolside furniture,
you need to consider your space. Forgetting to measure your
patio is a rookie mistake, one with big impacts. It’s not only
the size of the furniture that matters in this regard: you’ll need
different pieces depending on whether you want to use the
patio for lounging or if it is to serve as an outdoor dining room.
You might even want to incorporate both functions in the same
space.
Space considerations sorted, it’s time to focus on the furniture
itself. All chairs are not created equal: they may look good, but
that doesn’t mean that they’ll be comfortable enough for an
alfresco lunch. Don’t be shy to try out the seat you have your eye
on before you commit.
The quality of the furniture is paramount. If you have a covered
patio, weather-proof materials may not be a necessity, but since
the South African sun can be hard on furnishings, it’s worth
investing in an all-weather cover. Ideally, materials that can stand
up to the rain and sunshine take first prize, especially if you’re not
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in focus
mad about maintenance. If you’re not averse to treating furniture
seasonally and removing splinters, you can opt for wood.
Otherwise, a powder-coated aluminium framework might be
best, along with UV and colour stabilisers for synthetic weaves.
Talking trends
With the basics taken care of, you can have some fun with
appearances. Not that it’s obligatory to invest in the hottest trend,
of course: above all, your outdoor area should blend in with the
overall look and feel of your home, so if you have favoured classic
styling in all rooms, the season’s newest, freshest fashions might
seem out of place.
Still keen to update your outdoors? Mia Delport of the Patio
Warehouse reports that this is the year of the fully upholstered
patio furniture set. She advises choosing a suite covered in
Sunbrella – a fabric that boasts a five-year guarantee, and is so
waterproof that furniture will be dry to the touch half an hour after
rain.