Tips for Buying Outdoor Sectional Patio Furniture and Decorating Outdoors

I spend the late days of winter counting down the time until we can move our recreation time outdoors, and I absolutely love the new outdoor sectional patio furniture options that are available for outdoor living areas. Outdoor sectional patio furniture is a relatively new entry into the world of patio furnishings, and its popularity continues to grow as more families put emphasis on expanding living space into the outdoors and bringing the outdoors in. This type of set expands the effective living area of your home.

Some of the reasons why I love sectional outdoor patio furniture include:

• Flexibility: no other outdoor seating option offers the flexibility of outdoor sectional patio furniture. You can change the layout of your outdoor living space depending upon your needs. Maybe you'll group several seats together around a small table for family dining. For entertaining, you can spread the pieces across your outdoor area to create multiple conversation pits.
• Comfort: quality outdoor sectional patio furniture sets include thick, high-quality cushions. Many of the sets feature deep seating areas. These deep seating patio furniture sets offer a comfort level that can be more closely compared to an indoor seating option for a living room than to traditional outdoor furniture, encouraging lounging, conversation, and relaxation. Most of these sets also include at least one outdoor chaise lounge chair, my hands-down favorite piece of furniture for the outdoors.  They bear almost no resemblance to the traditional patio chairs that surround an outdoor patio table.
• Style: outdoor sectional patio furniture, more than any other style, creates a feeling of bringing the outside in. The relaxed, comfortable feel of the furniture makes the outdoors more of a destination for socializing and relaxing. Also, sectionals are a great modern patio furniture option. There are many styles that consist of modern straight lines and For instance, compare this round wicker sectional patio furniture set to this teak sectional patio furniture set. They have similar pieces but create a completely different feel.

Prices can vary dramatically due to quality and size of the set.  For example, this six-piece wrough iron outdoor sectional patio furniture set is available for a steal on Amazon.com.  This sectional patio furniture set is priced higher, but it includes heftier construction and more pieces.  Some factors to consider include:

• Comfort of cushions: the thicker the better.  Aim for cushions that are at least 3" thick; ideally, 4" - 5" will increase the comfort even more.
• Quality of fabric: if your set will be exposed to the elements, confirm that any fabric on the cushions is of durable, all-weather construction that is UV-protected.  Even at that, if your patio furniture will receive a lot of direct sunlight, you may consider a pattern or color that will hold up well even if it fades some; for instance, consider if the bright red you love might fade to pink; a neutral or other shade may be preferable. 
• Flexibility of the pieces: many sectional patio furniture sets feature several seats and outdoor sofas with no arms so they can be configured in many different ways.  Be sure to think of all the purposes you want for your set; will you spread the pieces around your pool during the summer?  Group them around a chimanea in winter?  Set them around a patio table for family dinners, then spread them out for a casual party?  Purchase all the pieces needed for your set up front in case it is later discontinued. 
• Size of the pieces: some of these sets can be very large.  Excellent if you have a large outdoor living space, not so excellent if your space is more limited.    Even if you eyeball the pieces in the store, it is difficult to determine their true bulk when you are in a store that is most likely several thousand feet bigger than your outdoor living space.  Always measure before buying.  If you need more of a visual aid, cut out pieces of newspaper the size of the footprint of the pieces you are considering and lay them out in their desired placement.  This will help you consider the flow of traffic and make sure that you are leaving adequate space.
• Weight of the set: if you will be moving your pieces frequently to accommodate different sized groups, make sure the pieces are light enough for you to move with relative ease.
• Accessorizing the set: consider what type of throw pillows, outdoor rugs, and other accessories you'd like to use with your set.  You can completely change the look and feel of your outdoor space by switching neutral accessories for bright, bold ones.  Think about the style you'd like for your outdoor sectional patio furniture, and make sure the design coordinates with that.

Whether you prefer to spend your afternoons on an outdoor chaise lounge chair with a great book, or your evenings on outdoor sofas and chairs around a fire pit with good friends, outdoor sectional patio furniture as a unique way to increase your living space. Do you prefer sectional patio seating or traditional table-and-chair sets? How often do you use your outdoor furniture? Tell us more in the comments section below!