Time for new outdoor furniture? San Diego design experts share their must-ask questions

Summer is the season for making the most of outdoor living spaces; choose quality furniture and accessories with durability

Now that the sun is finally breaking out and San Diego is ready to return to outdoor living after a chilly wet winter and gray spring, that furniture of yours may be ready for a reset. If your Adirondack chairs are splitting, your lounge chairs are rusting and that dining set is cracking, it’s probably time to invest in new outdoor furnishings.

You aren’t alone. Research firm IBISWorld measured the U.S. market for outdoor furniture by revenue, at $9.2 billion in 2022, and expects it to continue to grow.

But unless you like “fast furniture,” which has a short life span and is usually made of cheap plastic that’s not environmentally sound, you are probably going to want to look for pieces made of quality materials, some of which could require some maintenance to keep them in good condition, instead of rusting, fading, cracking or otherwise falling apart within a season or two.

“A bench is also wonderful because you can move it from the table to a fire pit,” she pointed out. “If most of the time you use the space with four to six people, but once a month you entertain between 10 and 12 people, having benches means you don’t have to have six extra chairs sitting around when it’s just the six of you.”

Depending on the size of your space — especially if you’re outfitting a small- to medium-size balcony, patio or terrace — be sure to measure the space and take the measurements, a tape measure and photos with you to stores. That way, a sales assistant can help you determine what size pieces will work, based on how you want to organize the space. You need enough room to maneuver between lounge chairs, a grill and a dining set — and, yes, plants — without feeling cramped. And don’t forget that you may want to include a coffee table or side table or two, so keep that in mind.