8 ways to extend your outdoor living beyond summer

We kiwis are generally ‘summer people’, and most of us are not quite prepared to say goodbye to bright sunny mornings, long days and temperate evenings lounging around outside with family and friends. I myself choose not to go gently into that cold night, so here are my tips to help you extend your outdoor living in style (that don’t require on your builder or bank manager):

1. Throw it around. Keep a few throws or small blankets easily accessible for your outdoor living area.  Fabric choices range from basic to luxurious, depending on your budget. Buy enough for all, keep them single sizes, not too bulky. 

2. Look the part. Consider changing your summery accent cushions to ones with warmer tones and textured fabrics as it’s more inviting. I definitely cheat and pop my winter indoor cushions outside for a few hours when needed. Indoor cushions are simply more interesting with fabrics such as felt, jacquard and wool textures.  Pony Rider are a good source of cushion inspo, and some are featured on our Alfresco Outdoor Sofa below.

View our Outdoor Aluminium Sofa Suites | Click to buy the Pony Rider Cushions online

3. Heat helps. Source yourself an outdoor heater. Consider safety, portability as well as running costs when buying. Infrared heaters are cleaner, less bulky and are less costly to run than gas heaters.   

View our Outdoor Aluminium Sofa Suites |

4. Let there be light. On dark winter nights, warm lighting is incredibly inviting and mood-setting. There are many quick options to light your outdoor area from tea candles in jam jars to solar powered lighting.  Check out these super cool inflatable solar lanterns. (image below) Just google ‘Luci Lux’ to find NZ retailers that sell them.

Click to view the Luci Inflatable Solar Lanterns

5. Fire it up. Speaking of mood setting- if your space and circumstances allows it, an outdoor firepit is a fabulous season extender.  Don’t think it needs to be big or expensive- it doesn’t. Our humble portable firepit was purchased for approx. $149 and has been the focus of many, many evenings outdoor at the bach.     

6. Be on the ready: If your outdoor cushions have been packed under the box in the back shelves in the garage, you may be less motivated to pull them out on short notice. Have your outdoor essentials easily accessible. A weather proof outdoor box to store cushions and squabs is another great purchase if you’ve got the space.

7. Damp is a party killer. Investing in quality weather-resistant outdoor furniture is another way to extend your season of outdoor living. Water and moisture trapped in outdoor furniture makes sitting outside much less enticing so look for ranges with for Sunbrella® or Spuncrylic™ fabrics, as these are moisture resistant (as well as fade-resistant).

8. Forewarned is forearmed. If you’ve invited friends over, let them know you’ll be entertaining outside. Your guests will dress accordingly and will be less likely to politely suggest you move things inside. Those throws from tip #1 will also come in handy.

Cooler temperature and diminishing light shouldn’t be a deterrent to enjoying outdoor living in autumn and winter. Our NZ rain is an element that is simply best worked around by looking for the right opportunities and being ready to make it work.

Happy outdoor living, all year long. 

Kerry is the owner of OutsideSpace NZ, selling contemporary outdoor furniture for coastal living kiwis seeking quality product and design, at an achievable price. She only buys ranges she loves yet also suit the NZ lifestyle.

As our New Zealand winter approaches, it’s time to give your aluminium outdoor lounge suite some end-of-season lovin’ and to work out your winter storage plan.

Here’s our recommended 2-pronged approach:

1. Preparation: You’ll be a step ahead if you’ve been cleaning and maintaining your furniture regularly anyway, but be sure to give your fabric and frame an end-of-season clean. Your regime will depend on the material of your furniture.  If your set is powdercoated aluminium with quality fabric squabs, click here for a 5-step plan to cleaning and maintaining your lounge suite .  Once your outdoor cushion fabric and frame is clean and fully dry, the next step is working out your storage plan.

2. Storage: In the winter months, the best scenario is to keep your cleaned/dry outdoor furniture suite in a dry covered environment, and out of our killer sun.

At a minimum, your removable squabs and cushions should be brought inside. Agora and Sunbrella are examples of the better outdoor fabrics available that are both fade and moisture resistant. Although neither are waterproof, they are both engineered to resist moisture, mold and mildew.

If you purchased a quality set, your squabs will be made with quick drying foam or open cell foam which has pores that allow water and air to easily flow through it.  It is constructed with an antimicrobial agent that protects the foam from mold and mildew growth that can occur in the drying process. However, over time, any material that is constantly wet, damp or unclean from dirt/droppings, pollen and plant material will deteriorate in appearance and integrity. In other words, leave them outdoors and exposed over winter at your peril.

If your cushions are not removable or you do not have the space inside, investing in well-fitted UV and water-resistant fabric covers to protect your furniture is essential. Avoid plastic covers, as moisture will build up and lead to mildew.

You don’t want this little fella (I found him under a damp plastic tarpaulin covering a timber pile)  making himself at home on your furniture.

We have produced custom rain covers for our lounge suite ranges, but I also trust Stash-It to produce outdoor furniture covers(image below is their work). Simply visit their website and follow their easy instructions to get a quote.

Preventing the degradation of your outdoor furniture is better and far less expensive than cure.  There is a rule of thumb that all boat owners have heard of which is to expect to spend 10% of the purchase cost of your boat each year on its maintenance. It’s a great rule to apply to the investment in outdoor furniture covers as well. 

Finally, use your outdoor furniture over winter!  Pick a nice day, pull out those squabs, and remove those covers. You and your family will be happy you did and you’ll be able to identify any ‘problem spots’ that need attention. It will make that scary moment of removing those covers in spring (after months of not thinking about it) a lot less terrifying. Just make sure it’s dry again before re-covering it.

In summary, your efforts in prepping your outdoor furniture for winter will be rewarded when you set up your outside living area again for another glorious summer.

Kerry is the owner of OutsideSpace NZ, selling contemporary outdoor furniture for coastal living kiwis seeking quality product and design, at an achievable price. She only buys ranges she loves yet also suit the NZ lifestyle.