Over the past few years, we’ve expected a lot of our homes. Perhaps more than ever before, our homes have served as our personal offices, schools, restaurants, home bars, home theaters and general entertainment spaces. As we’ve begun welcoming guests into our homes again, the demands on home dining and entertaining have only increased. Additionally, our homes must fulfill our needs for a safe haven from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, promoting rest and relaxing and supporting self-care.

All this is a lot to ask of a single home! That’s why many homeowners have turned more and more to their outdoor living spaces, including their porches, patios and poolside areas for entertaining and relaxation alike. Due to this great movement outdoors, people are making investments in quality outdoor furniture and accessories that support beautiful, comfortable and functional outdoor living and dining rooms. To get the most out of this investment, they are also adding accessories to extend the outdoor living season, especially in the cold Midwestern states.

Read on for tips about making the most of your outdoor hot (or cold!) spot, including furnishings that are so inviting that everyone will want to spend time there, whether it’s for meals, lounging or recreational activities.

Getting the Most Out of Your Outdoor Living Space

The first steps to creating a beautiful outdoor living area are to think about the space you have available and determine how it will most frequently be used. For instance, will you hit the backyard primarily for cookouts and al fresco dinners? Conversely, is your designated spot situated next to a pool or garden where people will mainly relax and converse? Is there room for both a dining area and a lounging area? Versatile patio furniture offers significant leeway for designing a personalized space based on your family’s needs. Patios can be set up in dining arrangements, conversational living room arrangements, lounging arrangements or a combination of these.

Dining Furniture

If you plan to enjoy meals outside with your family and guests this season, a patio dining set is the must-have item for keeping up with (or inviting over) the Joneses. Your patio dining setup can be as small as a bistro set that fits one or two people who like to take their coffee or a meal outside. However, many families benefit from a medium to large sized outdoor set, like popular five-piece patio dining sets. Those who like to entertain and have plenty of space may opt for a larger patio dining set that seats six, eight or more. These more sizable tables are often the focus of the patio, so you should make sure to select a set that is not only comfortable, but also aesthetically pleasing, and where you’ll be proud to lay out your cookout spread.

There are numerous options for tabletops including glass, tile, wood, recycled poly-wood or metal; and the latter is often scrolled with elaborate designs. Some people choose to buy a dining set with six to eight matching chairs, while others opt to mix and match chairs and outdoor benches to create their set. There’s also swivel rockers or sling back chairs that can be pulled up to the table when they’re needed to accommodate extra meal time guests.

Are you lucky enough to have a deck with a view? If so, consider purchasing a high-top set. The average dining chair seat is 18 to 20 inches high, but counter-height chairs, 24-26 inch seat height, along with higher tables, allow people a better view of what’s going on in the yard. They’re useful on decks to keep the railing below eye level.

Lounge Furniture

With an attractive selection of lounge furniture, you can move an indoor party outdoors and experience that same kind of comfort you enjoy in your living room. This is where wicker stars with its substantial yet casual look. There’s many options to best suit your space, including outdoor sofas, sectionals, armchairs and even recliners. You can choose a complete set with matching pieces, or you might prefer to mix and match. Similar to designing your indoor living space, you should include accent pieces like an ottoman, a coffee table and other accent tables.

There’s also sets that blur the line between dining sets and lounge furniture, with comfortable lounge pieces like a sofa or deep seating chairs that are meant to go around the table. It’s ideal for casual eating and will remain comfortable as the conversation continues throughout the evening.

For more of a poolside look you might populate this area with lightweight metal and fabric chairs and perhaps a chaise lounge or two. And when it comes to sharp looks and comfortable seating, few choices compare with a classic Adirondack chair, available in bright and stunning colors to suit your tastes.

Fire Tables

Outdoor fire tables are a great way to extend your outdoor living space, creating a warm and cozy ambiance during cool summer evenings and even cooler spring and fall nights. Fire tables are extremely easy to use and maintain. Most run on the same propane tank you use with your gas grill, or select styles can be directly connected to a natural gas line. Fire table sets are available in a selection of different styles and sizes, with a pair or more of matching chairs or lounge furniture to add even more comfort and style.

Investing in Quality Outdoor Furniture

By investing in superior outdoor furniture, you can make your porch, patio or other outdoor space more unique, comfortable, inviting and stylish. Additionally, high quality pieces will hold up better over time, so you can enjoy your carefully curated area year after year, making just little updates to pillows and décor pieces to freshen the space seasonally, as you please.

There are many quality outdoor furniture material options. The best choice for you depends on the performance and style that you desire. Metal is a popular choice for outdoor dining sets, and there are several strong options. Wrought iron is hard to beat for sturdiness and a classic look. Cast aluminum offers some of the same timeless scrolled designs in a lighter material. There’s also lightweight extruded aluminum.

Wood options, like the natural beauty of teak, are a beautiful choice for outdoor furniture. Wood outdoor furniture can be left natural to age or updated to a fresh look, including sealing, staining and even some light sanding could be required over the longevity of this traditional garden furniture that has many modern and on trend designs as well. Wicker is unsurpassed for a chic, casual look that makes a patio or deck feel like a living room. Recycled plastic is another good option, and is a prime choice for anyone who is looking to make a sustainable and versatile purchase, that will be relatively low maintenance. You can find it in everything from tables to chaise lounges to a variety of chairs, deep seating and fire tables.

When you’re choosing cushioned pieces and umbrellas, you should also consider the quality of the fabric. The best patio furniture brands use solution dyed acrylics, where long-lasting color is ensured by dying the fiber before it’s spun. This allows for a wider selection of colorful cushions—with less fading and wear over time. Outdoor polyesters and olefins are lower-priced but have shorter durability.

Consider custom outdoor furniture

These days, there is no shortage of in-stock outdoor dining sets and lounge furniture. However, many top manufacturers also offer seemingly endless custom options, from table sizes to finishes and fabric selections. Custom order outdoor furniture is especially important for small or irregularly shaped outdoor areas, allowing you to find a solution that fits just right in the available space. However, any space can benefit from custom solutions. It provides that extra level of customization and elevates your space, allowing you to choose fabrics and finishes that become an extension of your indoor furniture and style.

Patio Accessories

The outdoor dining set and lounge furniture that you select will no doubt be the focal point of your space. However, there are many outdoor accessories that can make the difference in creating a true extension of your indoors, and making it comfortable for as long of a season as possible, even in the colder climates. Consider these accessories that will give a patio or deck the homey touch that makes people want to spend time there.

• Shade solutions. If you plan to use your outdoor space in the daytime, you’ll want to plan for a shade solution that will give you a break from the sun. Retractable awnings and pergolas provide semi-permanent shade solutions, and patio umbrellas are a versatile option. It’s good to have an umbrella stand under your main table, and you may want some free-standing shade options as well.

• Outdoor area rug. All-weather rugs bring the comfort of the great indoors to your patio area. Not only do area rugs allow you to bring some color and pattern into your space, but they also make a conversational furniture grouping feel like a real room. If your patio has both a dining area and a living room area, two area rugs can help visually distinguish the spaces.

• Heaters. Outdoor heaters such as electric wall mounts and gas-powered free standers can help make it comfortable to spend time outdoors, even in the evenings and the cooler months. There are a variety of options available to work with different spaces.

• Outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting is not only practical, making it more enjoyable and safer to entertain in the evening, but it can also contribute to an extra inviting ambiance. Lights can be wall-mounted, strung overhead or mounted on a post. Solar lights are a fun energy-saving option for the patio’s perimeter.

• Pillows and cushions. Increase the comfort factor of your outdoor furniture by adding high quality cushions and accent pillows. You can choose from many different in-stock or custom fabrics to accentuate the design of your space. New cushions and accent pillows are also an obvious choice for refreshing your space when you are ready for a different look.

• Decor and plants. Indoor rooms look homier and more complete with a little touch from the outdoors, but your outdoor spaces are the same. There’s specific wall art that’s meant for the outdoors, and other whimsical pieces like wind chimes. Don’t forget some planters to add color to your deck.

• Protective covers. If you invest in high-quality patio furniture, it’s important to take the steps to maintain and protect it. Made-to-fit weatherproof covers can protect everything from your patio sets to lounge furniture. These furniture covers are important for all seasons. They help keep deck and patio furniture sets clean, dry and ready for use in-season. These are especially important if you don’t have an inside location to store your furnishings in the winter.

With unique, stylish and sturdy outdoor furniture and the right accessories, your porch, patio or other outdoor space can serve as much more than just a spot for the occasional meal. You’ll love to spend your time in your yard with these great investment pieces.