When I picture my backyard, it’s got bright summer sunshine, lots of laughter, the smell of barbecue, and a perfect place to eat where I sip a cup of tea or enjoy evening drinks. I picture a happy space with comfortable (and durable!) outdoor furniture. The one hiccup is how short our Canadian summers actually are. There is usually a feeling of having “just” brought the patio furniture outside before we’re putting it away again for the fall and winter.

EXCEPT! The powers that be in patio-furniture-design land have finally heard the cries, and we are seeing an ever-increasing number of outdoor furniture styled and designed with a key element in mind: it can be used outdoors and indoors.

Say what now!? Bringing the outdoors inside (and vice versa) makes these unique furniture and accessories like toss cushions and area rugs so incredibly versatile. Their versatility is also what makes them a great bang for your design buck. Cost effective and stylish, outdoor furniture and accessories are coming inside in a big way.

Want some inspiration before you shop our outdoor furniture? We’ve rounded up our top five favourite (and easy) ways to do just that:

Kids Indoor Playroom

Let’s face it, kids are the destroyers of things. They use markers and glue in places they shouldn’t, they hide cookies in the couch (for the dog to find later!), and generally wreak havoc being their awesome little selves. While a basement or indoor playroom needs furniture, you want it to be both industrial in strength and friendly in décor style.

Enter what you would typically think of as patio furniture to the rescue!

Today’s outdoor sofa sets are made with high performance fabrics, ready for a quick wipe clean and almost immune to what the average toddler and unaccompanied family pet can do in a quiet half hour. Not only is looking to outdoor furniture to furnish and accessorize the inside of your playroom a practical solution, it’s also a very economical one. Where a big messy spill would ruin an indoor area rug or cost a bunch in cleaning, an outdoor area rug can be hosed off and hung to dry. Kids cannot outsmart the outdoor furniture design people, they’ve thought of everything! The kids room, or any room heavily used by a growing family, makes a great place to use outdoor furniture inside.

Seasonal Seating & Décor Supplements

In the summertime we’re outside; we eat outside, we entertain outside, we do all our living outside as long as the weather lets us. But when winter comes the entertaining moves inside and I find myself needing an extra sofa in the living room, or an extra table & chairs in the kitchen to help be the host with the most. With my outdoor furniture so stylish and easy to move (it’s light y’all!), I can easily move a little outdoor love seat into the living room for holiday parties.

Want to justify buying all those outdoor toss cushions? A great use for all those outdoor cushions is to make them double as your holiday décor cushions. Just cover the outdoor cushion with all your reindeer cushions and you’re off to the races! Now you longer have outdoor cushions to store all winter, and holiday cushions to store all year long! (you just got more storage space for shoes…you are welcome!)

Mix N’ Match

Thinking outdoor furniture can only be used outside is so 1992. Stylish, comfortable, multi-use, and very economically priced, today’s outdoor furniture and accessories choices are quickly becoming “everyday” choices we can use in any room inside or out; no matter the season. We’re seeing more and more mixing and matching, bringing the outdoors in – in a big way. Imagine a nice wicker chair at your dressing table, or an outdoor rug in your heavily trafficked laundry room!

Kitchen Eating & Seating All Year Long

Who says you can’t use a fabulous patio set in your kitchen all year long? This is a great way to add relaxed seating into your kitchen without the cost of a traditional kitchen table and chairs. With a huge selection of small bistro sets to larger tables seating groups up to 10; looking to outdoor furniture or patio sets for your kitchen is a great option.

Small Space, Growing Family

Most families start out in a smaller family home, slowing growing into a home with more space. Making big purchases – like a living room set, or dining or kitchen tables can take a big chunk out of your budget. It also means that expensive quality sofa, or new dining set must come to the new house and you’ll have to “make it work”.

Why not invest in a quality outdoor dining patio set for your eating space? Or use outdoor living room furniture in your smaller living room? This way you are investing your dollars into an awesome patio set for your new (bigger) yard AND getting the furniture your small family home needs right now. It’s the best of both worlds!

Inspired? Be sure to shop our selection of outdoor furniture.

Rebecca, Your Furniture Expert