Arranging Poly Furniture to Maximize Square Footage

Your outdoor living space should be treated like any room inside your house, optimized for comfort and maneuverability. No matter the size of your deck or patio, you want to make the most of the whole space. Understanding and implementing some simple tips and guidelines will help you make the most of your living space.

Treat Your Deck Like An Extension of Your Home

Your home’s interior design might fall into one of several themes that are defined by the type of furniture and art that make up the rooms of your house. Your outdoor living space is no different. Depending on how you furnish your deck, the style of your outdoor furniture determines the design theme. If you are looking to create a sense of cohesion between the interior of your house and the deck or patio, find furniture that matches in style with the rest of your home. 

Create a Sense of Fluidity

Moving throughout your deck should be simple, and leaving your main seating area and walking over to the dining table for a meal should be seamless. Your outdoor living space should have clear pathways that lead from one area to the next so it doesn’t feel like you are going through an obstacle course just to get to the other side of the deck.

Depending on the size of your space, you might have one or two seating areas as well as a kitchen/dining room. 

Divide Your Space into Smaller Areas

Treat your deck like several rooms without walls. Looking at it in this way will allow you to arrange your furniture in a way that doesn’t overcrowd your deck. If you have a grill, it would be a good idea to situate your dining table close by. Just make sure you leave enough space between the grill and the table so the person doing the grilling doesn’t bump into someone sitting at the table.

Your living space can be the place you lounge at after your meal or the perfect viewing area for the sunset. No matter what you use it for, you can make it its own separate area. Creating separation between your dining area and your living “room” will give your deck or patio a much homier feel rather than cluttered and disjointed.

If you still have some extra space to work with and feel confident that you won’t overcrowd your outdoor living space, you can add a small two-seater lounge area to give yourself more seating options. Two swivel rockers with a small table in between is a great way to create an alternative lounge “room” that adds diversity to your living space.

It’s easy to get carried away with tables and chairs while trying to make sure that everybody has a place to sit, but it’s more important to not have so much furniture that you aren’t able to divide your space in a way that creates separate dining and living areas. 

Don’t Overcrowd Your Space

Having a lot of furniture and other pieces of decor filling your outdoor space is something that can get out of hand quickly if you are having a hard time deciding what belongs on your deck and what you can part with.

There is such a thing as too much seating, especially when it comes to your outdoor space. If you have large gatherings, you shouldn’t feel like you need to buy an excessive amount of chairs. If more people are out on your deck than there are chairs, you can always bring out some folding chairs that are easy to stack and stow away. That way, you aren’t permanently taking up space with larger, more decorative seating.

When it comes to adding plants and decorations, the goal should be to give your deck or patio character without being overwhelming. Too many plants and flowers might make it feel more like you’re lounging in a jungle rather than in your backyard. Too many decorations like small statues and knickknacks can end up looking tacky. It’s all about striking the right balance so that your space feels comfortable and uncluttered.

Have a Plan in Place

Before you start moving around your poly furniture, have a plan in place. You don’t have to be a professional designer or planner to do a rough aerial sketch of your deck to help you visualize how everything will look in a new arrangement.

Just grab a pencil or pen and a piece of computer paper and do some drawing. Doing this as the first step in your rearrangement project will save you time and prevent you from turning this project into an exhausting workout.

While doing this, keep in mind some of the tips mentioned earlier. Your furniture placement should be strategic. By taking your time and looking at your deck from multiple angles, you will be able to find the best to maximize the area that you have and create an outdoor living space worth spending countless evenings. If you’ve determined that you are in need of another piece of furniture to complete your outdoor living space, check out King’s Impressions’ collection of poly furniture today