Garden Furniture

How to Choose the Right Garden Furniture Set for Your Space

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Choosing the right garden furniture is simple right? It should be but just so that you do not make a mistake and buy a sofa set and an egg chair that will be redundant when you are hosting a dinner for your friends in the garden…or buy the dining set when all you want to do is chill with the family….

At Crown Hill we have seen these mistakes happen so we have put together a guide which hopefully will help you choose well.

 

Step 1 …..How do you use your garden?

Is your garden an outdoor extension room or an outdoor kitchen, is it a football pitch, an outdoor gym, a lounge? There are so many uses for the space that it is actually easy to buy furniture that does not suit your needs….

So the real question is not how do you use your garden but how would you like to use your garden?

First things first…write the top three uses from these and lets go from there.

Dining, Cooking, Exercise, Sports pitch, Socialising and Entertaining, Outdoor Lounge, Sunbathing.

 

Step 2. Measure the outdoor space…

….and not just the patio. Measure all of the space and draw a diagram of this space.  Anything that you currently have that is immovable…include that. The average size of a garden in Britain is 244m2 by the way (according to the RHS’s 2025 State of Gardening). But the task is to ascertain what is actually usable. So draw that space and make those measurements. Make sure that you include all of the unpassable bits as well. You don’t want to buy a dining table that fits perfectly but the chairs have no space to be pulled out….like in many dining rooms in the UK. So, allow walking routes to the furniture, think about steps, BBq.s, planters etc…and just so that you know…your dining set may need a 90 cm clearance around the whole set.

Step 3 – Choose the right size of furniture:

Now you have your plan and you know what your intended use is you can apportion sizes that your furniture can be, what can comfortably fit in the space that you have available.

We cater for all requirements at Crown Hill…from patio bistro sets to large 12 seat dining sets, large modular sofas, with firepit tables to keep you warm when its chilly. But whatever it is that you need, please ensure that firstly the furniture will fit AND that the surface that you have for the furniture is appropriate. We regularly find that customers need modifications to the patios for example when installing pergolas.

Is the space rectangular, square or irregular? Plan accordingly.

 

Step 4 – If it is a Dining Set…is it a formal dining set, lounge dining set or casual dining set.

So what type of socialising do you tend to like? Lounging around eating small plates, or a full on 3 course meal, these are the questions which you will need to consider, because if it is a three course meal that you are serving to friends then the appropriate table would be something more formal.If it is multi purpose then maybe a sofa/ dining table would be appropriate.

Step 5 – Choose a Material that suits how you live.

Does plain Aluminium suit your décor, or wood, rattan weave. If your indoor style is quirky and olde-worlde do you want a modern contemporary style in the garden?

Do you need something that is low maintenance, like the rattan/ weave that is offered today that is rain proof and copes with low temperatures well. Or if you like a wooden look then teak might suit….but it requires a lot of maintenance and needs covering in the winter.

So many people choose inappropriately and rue the decision. So be honest with yourselves!

…….and don’t forget cushions need to be stored!

Step 6 – Don’t forget cushions and storage

Where will cushions be stored? Do you need an outside storage box? Are the cushions season proof and all weather? Are you really going to carry 15 cushions into the house every evening?

So this is a question of practicality. If you are like us you will need a storage box ….and guess what….we have those as well!

 

Step 7 – Think about flexibility.

There is so much choice today, so if you need a dining set that can also be a sofa, rising table tops, firepit tables to keep you warm if need be. These are all possible today.

Step 8 – Consider 5 common mistakes when choosing garden furniture….

Step 9 – A simple checklist before you make your own shopping list….

 

If you are still unsure…please feel free to visit our Enfield showroom and one of our super knowledgeable staff would be delighted to talk you through it and show some of the many options that we have available.