Outdoor · 6 min
Choosing patio furniture for the local climate, one weather problem at a time
Two patios, one summer, the same chair on both. The first sits on a rooftop where the breeze never quits.
Read this guideOpen Door Restaurant Furniture / Topic collection
Outdoor furniture for sun, wind, rain and storage
A patio asks more of furniture than any dining room does. These articles take the season in order: what to buy, how sun, salt air, wind and rain change the choice, how to lay out a small space, and how to open and close the patio each year.
Walk the space before you shop
Start with the buying guide, then jump to the condition that worries you most. Whatever you pick, choose pieces listed for patio use, and plan the rinse, the drain and the storage spot before the first order goes in. Come back at reopening time with the checklist.
Guides in this topic
15 guides · Page 1 of 2
Outdoor · 6 min
French bistro patio chair materials, from bamboo-look aluminum to plain resin
A French bistro chair announces itself from across the street: a slim back, a little curve, a seat that looks woven.
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Outdoor · 6 min
An outdoor restaurant furniture buying guide that starts with your patio, not our catalog
Before you open a catalog, go stand where the guests will sit.
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Outdoor · 5 min
Outdoor restaurant table stability starts at the pavement, not the table
By the first warm Saturday, someone at table nine has folded a napkin under one foot.
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Outdoor · 5 min
Poly restaurant patio furniture evidence worth keeping with the order
A chair can have a familiar molded shape and still leave important buying questions unanswered. What material is actually listed? Can it stay on the patio?
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Outdoor · 5 min
Restaurant patio chairs after rain, and where the water goes
At 4:40 on a Saturday the sky opens for ten minutes and then closes again. The patio is full of wet chairs, the first reservation is at 5:30, and the host has one towel.
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Outdoor · 5 min
Restaurant patio furniture and wind exposure before the first gust
The afternoon breeze is part of why guests choose the terrace. It also changes how the furniture needs to be managed.
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Outdoor · 6 min
The 4 PM test for restaurant patio furniture in direct sun
By the first hot Saturday you will know which table nobody asks for.
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Outdoor · 6 min
Restaurant patio furniture near salt air comes down to metal, finish and fasteners
Two blocks from the water, the patio rail wears a gritty film by the second week of onshore wind. You can write your initials in it.
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Outdoor · 5 min
A November plan for restaurant patio furniture storage, counted in square feet
By the last warm Sunday in October the patio looks exactly the way you wanted it, and that is the trouble.
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Outdoor · 5 min
Restaurant patio partitions and furniture placement around the stand feet
On the plan, a partition is a thin line.
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Outdoor · 6 min
Restaurant patio reopening furniture checks that sort every piece into ready, fix or retire
What did the winter do to your chairs? You won't know until you carry them into daylight, and the first warm Saturday is a bad day to find out.
Read this guideTurn the reading into a plan
Patio plans
Save configured pieces to a patio plan for each space, then copy the plan when the season or the room changes.