It’s now the time of year when many of us will be going out to invest in some new garden furniture. The summer weather is almost upon us so our attention is now drawn to the garden and how we can entertain and enjoy the weather. The one thing we forget to think about is what we do with our furniture when winter arrives?

Leaving your rattan furniture outside during the summer months unprotected is relatively ok. We will always get a few summer showers and a few days of heavy wind but most quality furniture sets will handle this very easily. When the winter months come these will be almost daily events, as well as plunging temperatures and the possibility of snow.

If you have decided to invest in a high-quality rattan furniture set then the likely hood is that you can leave this set out in all weathers and very little, if any damage will be done to it all year round. It may need a quick clean off when you come to use it but this should be manageable.

Other furniture or even furniture accessories like cushions, tableware, heaters, parasols etc may need a bit more loving care to ensure that they get through the winter months. This is when you need to consider how and where you will store your garden furniture.

Thinking about how you store your garden furniture and accessories should be done when you come to buy your furniture. It can cause all sorts of headaches when the end of summer comes and you have now where to store your furniture.

A very quick and simple solution is a protective cover. These garden furniture covers often come in the right shape for your furniture. If you are savvy and don’t mind haggling, then ask the shop if they would be willing to throw a cover in free of charge. Worst case you will get it cheaper than the normal price. This at least gives your furniture some basic cover and protection.

If you have not yet made your final decision on purchasing your furniture then read on and we have some great tips that may just help you make decide.

If space is at a premium, then cube sets are a great option. Storage is built-in!  They are very compact pieces of furniture with the footstool going under the chair, the chair then goes under the table to form a cube shape. This is a great way of not compromising on the size and seating capacity of the furniture but also takes up the least amount of space. With the footstools and chairs being stored under the table when not in use, they make excellent choices for a rattan dining set.

These cube dining sets only require the size of the table itself for storage. This means that they can be very easily tucked away and covered up. With no need to find a separate area for the table and then try to accommodate the chairs, it’s a win-win scenario for all!

If you are not a fan of the rattan cube sets, but still want a full dining experience then it’s off to look at the standard rattan dining sets. These again offer you your standard dining table and a selection of rattan chairs, usually in pairs. These as standard go up to 8 seater dining sets but some companies do offer 10 seater dining sets if you shop around.

The storage of these standard rattan dining sets is very similar to your indoor dining setup. The chairs simply push under the table when not in use. If you want something a bit easier for storage then you will need to ask about rattan stacking chairs. These are specially designed so that they can be stacked up when not in use. Not all rattan chairs can be stacked so ensure you check this out when purchasing.

For both dining sets and sofa sets, you are likely to have cushions. Both seat cushions and scatter cushions. Depending on the brand and the shop, these cushions may or may not be weatherproof. This is always worth checking out, just so you are aware for the summer months!

Cushions are usually best stored in a rattan storage box. These boxes are a great addition to your garden furniture and can store anything from your furniture cushions to your garden toys. They will very often match your other furniture which is always an added bonus.

Most of the rattan storage boxes are waterproof but that doesn’t always mean that they won’t let water in. It’s a great added precaution, especially during the winter months to store your cushions in a storage box but add an extra layer of protection with a storage box cover.

Rattan furniture is still by far the best furniture for the UK weather. It has been specially designed to withstand the hot and cold as well as the wet weather that we always have. Just with a few extra precautions, you can ensure that your furniture stays in great condition for use year after year.