A patio without comfortable and appealing furniture is almost unusable in my opinion.
Having cushy chairs, a footstool or ottoman (or 2) plus an appropriately sized dining table with comfortable chairs makes the difference between using and not using the space.
With the availability of patio furniture and price variety in the market, there is no reason not to invest in good pieces of outdoor furniture that you love. Junk the old plastic stuff and run down
wooden tables for sleek, refined and ergonomic modern furniture.

This was a revelation at our own home many, many years ago when I bought our first really nice piece of garden furniture. A glider (rocking bench) made from powdered coated metal by Homecrest
I still have the glider and it is as nice today and works as well as it did when I bought it over 25 years ago. After purchasing the glider, I would go to the patio furniture store each year in February (the off season) and buy one or two more pieces until we had a full set of dining and lounging furniture.
The cushions are pricey so those took awhile to accumulate but the better quality type have lasted very well. I would recommend putting them indoors in rainy weather and for the winter.

Here are a few photos I took at American Leisure Patio in San Jose on Stevens Creek Boulevard:

 Nice cantilevered umbrella for shade. Another thing to consider while setting up the patio. Lack of shade makes an area very difficult to use. Umbrellas can also give a sense of privacy from overlooking two story homes. Sometimes the feeling of being private, cloistered or cozy can add to the appeal of sitting outdoors.
This photo also has an L shaped outdoor couch which is a comfortable conversation area and somewhat space conservative. The neutral colored cushions are good as they don’t show fading as
much. Most best brand cushions are Sunbrella fabric- it is of excellent quality for outdoor
areas. If cared for these quality cushions also last 20-30 years or more.

 What an awesome fire table! It has the propane tank in a housing below or can be hooked up to natural gas from a gas line. Fire pits, fire tables, fire bowls and fire places are a hugely popular trend now.
Most Fire pits, fire bowls and tables can have a cover, like this one, to make it useful as a regular table.
The chairs are the powder coated metal type and some have the ability to rock back, which can be very relaxing.

 Rather than a built in bar, a tall table like this one can be great for guests to share a drink. These chairs have tight weave outdoor fabric cover so they actually don’t need cushions. This is good for dining chairs too- eliminating the cost of having to purchase cushions. They hose off well!

I probably wouldn’t buy this wood table for outdoors though. Its too hard to maintain varnished wood tables over time.

 A triangular table! An interesting option for a tight spot. Maybe it could be found in another material than wood.

 This is a teak framed couch but the table is actually metal painted to look like wood. I really love the color combo here! One disadvantage to ordering patio furniture online is the inability to try out the furniture. This is a lovely couch but I wonder how comfortable it is? Would it fit my frame?
Is it nice at first then hard over time? Anyway, just something to consider when looking at furniture in catalogs or online.

I am all about circles and curves! Love this Fire bowl and wicker resin couch. Even like the coffee colored cushions. The resin wicker holds up pretty well and comes in varied colors. The wicker does degrade over time so not as long term as the metal furniture.
These circle couches are pretty big so they need ample space but also give a good amount of seating.

The disadvantage to a fire bowl is it has a narrow edge, so you can’t set things like food or glasses on the edge, like you can with a fire pit or fire table.

I hope this information on patio furniture and accessories is helpful and encourages you to explore the options for your home patio space or deck area. Lots of big box stores, nurseries, patio and garden stores, hardware and import stores carry patio furniture and garden items. They are of varied quality but the price may be good enough you can replace items easily. Above all look for items that you really like the look of and are comfortable. This will draw you and your guests out of the house and make patio living a reality.

Need more information on how to layout your patio and furniture? Maybe you need help figuring out a good plan for the whole yard. I offer a landscape design course through this website. It is a written course with information on drawing plans, how to layout areas, choosing materials, design concepts, do’s and dont’s, examples of garden styles, plus much more. Lots of photos and plan examples to help guide you through your project in a practical and functional way. Check it out