“Exposure to sunlight and moisture will eventually wear out any outdoor dining furniture, but material selection will have a big impact on its lifespan. Allison Messner, CEO and co-founder of Yardzen, the online landscape-design company, advised me to keep material in mind, especially because of my price point: “The added complication of weather puts a greater emphasis on material when choosing a set,” she wrote in an email. Many warned that I would be replacing the set in a few years if I wasn’t vigilant about maintenance. But luckily, a handful of outdoor-dining heroes came through at the buzzer, offering tasteful options that had me dreaming about eating tomato salads al fresco.īut these experts warned that because of my budget, I’d have to sacrifice a few key components: Whatever I was going to buy would likely come from a big-box retailer, which comes with its own set of questionable ethics, and I’d likely have to build the furniture myself. A few threw out suggestions that only hit the price point during major holiday sales. When clarifying that my budget was under $600 for both the table and seating, a bunch of folks balked and said they had no recommendations. Some misread my request and suggested individual tables or sets of chairs that hovered around $600 during sale season (like this gray washed pick from World Market or these steel and wicker chairs from Castlery). Multiple experts ignored the budget completely, sending me fabulous and durable metal choices in trendy colors and designs (like these ones from Hay and Floyd, both of which retail for over $2,300). But I also enlisted friends who had any type of outdoor hang space and were willing to suggest something that might work.Īs my emails and texts went out into the world, one thing became clear fast: the budget was laughable. I began my search by asking outdoor-dining gurus like designers, budget bloggers, landscape architects, and real-estate brokers for their picks. This price point seemed to be a step above “will be trashed in one summer” but below “you’ll die with this patio furniture.” Most importantly, after spending more money than I’d like to admit to furnish the interior of our home, I couldn’t stomach spending even more on this space, even if it meant getting excellent quality furniture, so the whole kit and caboodle had to be under $600. Bonus points for seats that could be easily stored inside during the winter. Ideally, I’d opt for chairs instead of benches because I hate sitting on something backless for long periods of time, and those chairs would be light enough to move around without much effort. It had to be weather-resistant enough that I wouldn’t have to keep a cover on it when not using it. My criteria were specific: I wanted a long, rectangular table that could fit at least six people (but squeeze eight if necessary). It was time to pick an outdoor-dining set. And yet, when the warm months came, and the gravel went in, my itch to sit around a table covered in burger remnants and many bottles of wine grew stronger. But after searching through the online retail trenches for months looking for a suitable table and chairs with a price tag that didn’t make me gag, I figured the task might be impossible and we’d be better off just eating on a picnic blanket on the lawn. My SAD-induced vision board for the space included an outdoor-dining set, string lights, an umbrella, and a grill. All winter long, I stared at a little patch of dirt just off of our porch, hoping that come spring we would turn it into a gravel patio.
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