3 Ways To Weatherproof Your Outdoor Living Plans

Autumn has arrived, replacing warm summer days with crisp mornings, falling leaves and coat weather. But don’t let any of this put a dampener on your outdoor living arrangements, though: with a little ingenuity, this season can be just as memorable.

To help you achieve the all-season garden or patio décor, we’ve drawn up a plan to weatherproof your exterior, so you can lounge staunchly in your seating area no matter what elements present themselves.

Choose the right cushions

Seating arrangements are the bedrock of garden socials; without them, it’s hard to feel at ease. Outdoor sofas have been a key trend this year, as homeowners take indoor living outside. Yet their cushioning comes in two forms – those that can withstand bad weather, and those that can’t.

It’s a no-brainer to make sure your sofa cushions are weather-resistant. First, double check that your base is protected against damp and rot. Then dress it with waterproof materials, like softshell fabric, to keep those bums dry after a brief wet spell.

Find a sturdy coffee table

Modern furniture likes to accentuate the fragility and thin contours of its design. While this works a treat in the home itself, gardens and backyards are exposed to more than an accidental knock from an elbow. Outdoor pieces can’t afford to look great for the sake of it; they need firm, practical grounding for continued use.

Coffee tables are one such feature – they have to be strong in the face of extreme winds, or they’ll keel over, denting or smashing on your flagstones. To avoid this risk, stay away from tables made with glass an inch or so thick. Three or four inches is much better for resisting a topple, and the glass should be firmly supported on a strong frame.

Set up a generous parasol cover

Weatherproof furniture won’t engender blue skies. A downpour will drive you inside unless you have shelter to prevent outdoor plans from being a total wash-out. This is where a parasol can truly pay for itself: they offer a complete, adjustable shield from the heavens, in a range of shapes and sizes.

Instashade’s Eclipse model, for instance, can protect a pair of deck chairs with ease, replete with stabiliser bars for windy conditions. Or you might like to try an Aurora parasol for larger get-togethers – it’ll preside over a dining table or lengthy sofa, saving space with its side-positioned frame.

No matter what the weather forecasters might say, it’s never time to pack up and head inside. Now that you’ve seen what a garden, yard or patio can be provisioned with, we hope you never call ‘time’ on that BBQ, or tell the kids that they have to pick through your DVD collection instead…

Gain a firm grasp on your outdoor living plans all year round. For the perfect topping to your garden setup, take a tour through our full parasol collection.