2021 Outdoor Furniture Trends

In 2020, staying home and entertaining outdoors became a way of life. In 2021, we’ll see the same focus on outdoor living spaces, built for comfort and to best accommodate family and friends. Spurred further along by the pandemic but with lasting power, outdoor living trends focus much on transforming your outdoor spaces, namely decks, porches, patios and poolside spaces, to be an extension of our indoor spaces. This is exemplified through durable furniture that rivals indoor furniture in quality and style, as well as “homey” touches that make our outdoor living spaces more functional and fashionable.

Outdoors with the Comforts of Indoors

Instead of expensive vacations and spendy nights out, many people are investing in their homes—completing that home improvement project that’s been on the back burner for ages, upgrading outdated furniture and décor, and revitalizing spaces with new paint and treatments. Much of that focus extends to outdoor living spaces, which are being treated as extensions of the indoors.

Patios and decks are being updated to, in a sense, expand livable square-footage for people who are logging more hours than ever before in their homes. Upgrades are also designed around making outdoor living spaces ideal for open-air, safe and socially-distanced entertaining. From larger patio dining sets to accommodate guests and distancing space to rugged, yet cozy outdoor seating, outdoor furniture is both practical and stylish in 2021. Additionally, items such as outdoor fire tables, patio heaters and outdoor lighting make entertaining even throughout cold-spells plausible, and enjoyable into the evenings, at least as long as the hot chocolate lasts.

We’ll take a closer look at 2021 outdoor furniture trends inspired by our love, and need, for outdoor entertaining.

Durable, Long-Lasting Furniture

While the move to outdoor living has been amplified by the pandemic, it’s not likely to fade as the need to socially distance diminishes. There’s much to love about the outdoors, and al fresco dining will never go out of style. As such, we are seeing an increased interest in high-quality patio furniture that may cost more initially, but can save money through a long life and lots of use.

One of the first things to look for in quality patio furniture is the materials. Here are some popular options to suit different budgets and styles in 2021 and the years to come:

• Stainless steel is durable and corrosion resistant. It also lends a modern look to outdoor furniture, making it a good choice for making your outdoor living space expand upon your contemporary design style.
• Wrought iron is one of the heaviest and most durable patio frame materials, making it a still-popular choice in 2021, and one that can be enjoyed for decades to come.
• Wrought aluminum gives a similar look to wrought iron, but with the cost and maintenance benefits of aluminum.
• Cast aluminum is heavier than aluminum and due to the furniture production process, can be molded into intricate designs that are ideal for a more formal outdoor living space and fanciful entertaining style.
• Wicker or “woven” furniture offers casual style, and is a popular trend in 2021 that is even making its way indoors.
• Recycled materials are more than just novelty items in 2021. New developments in construction have made recycled materials robust and environmentally-friendly options for outdoor use.
• Mixed materials add visual interest to your pieces. Examples in outdoor furniture include: wicker weaves with metal or wood accents; wicker sofas and chairs paired with slat metal to slat wood top table; metal frames with soft Sunbrella woven straps.

Another key to long-lasting outdoor, patio and porch furniture has long been stain resistance and fade resistance. In the past, outdoor cushions and pillows have had notoriously lousy stain and fade resistance, leading to a long-time trend of darker colors like deep browns and greys, and neutrals that won’t show the fade. However, with new technology offered by industry-leading brands like Sunbrella™ fabrics, we have been able to do away with this old paradigm and add brighter color options. The best part is, these vibrant colors will maintain their pigment and offer superior levels of stain resistance, as well as easy maintenance.

Dining Al-Fresco

One of the biggest shifts to outdoor living has been the number of meals, especially with family and friends, consumed in the great outdoors. Due to this, we are seeing an increase in sales of patio dining sets, in particular large sets that can comfortably seat family and guests. Custom patio sets are also popular, often best for outfitting uniquely shaped outdoor dining spaces and allowing for more personized colors and styles to, once again, reflect indoor color palettes and design styles.

Outdoor extension dining tables are popular for accommodating larger dining groups. We are also seeing multiple outdoor dining sets in the same area. For instance, a large set paired with smaller dining set or chat height dining group allows for added dining while keeping the distance.

Outdoor Deep Seating

In 2021, we’re not just spending mealtime outdoors. Our homes have become our work spaces, our school spaces and our entertainment venues; and our backyards can make all of these activities more enjoyable. Outdoor deep seating, including outdoor loveseats, sofas and sectionals, are a popular investment as more hours are logged outside. Lively conversations with guests occur from our outdoor chat areas. Even movie theaters are moving to backyards, as outdoor projectors are set-up to screen the latest direct-to-rental titles. Outdoor deep seating provides the comfort we need to enjoy all these activities throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons.

Some hot finds for 2021 include modular sectionals, with pieces that will enable you to mix/match to your liking, allowing suitability of your own unique space and design set-up. Wicker is a popular choice for frames, offering casual style for all types of entertaining. Look for curved sofas and sectionals for a transitional or modern look that will make a fresh statement in your large outdoor living space.

Working from Home?

Outdoor furniture can be part of the experience. With home Wi-Fi having great range around the house, a patio table can also function as a desk top for a lap top. Imagine taking a Zoom or Google Meet call with your backyard as your backdrop.

Colors and Trends

Pantone’s Colors of the Year in 2021 are perfect for patios and decks. Ultimate Gray is a neutral shade that goes great in the outdoors, and Illuminating, a cheery yellow color, can add pops of color to your space through pillows and outdoor décor. Not your cup of tea? There are many color options. You’ll find more lighter colors and tones on outdoor cushion fabrics, since today’s fabrics are easier to care for. Earth and clay tones are also popular, as well as vibrant blues and greens that are inspired by nature’s own shades.

Outdoor accessories in brighter colors are being used to accent more neutrals on the furniture. Along with the brighter yellows, blues and greens, melon tones are found in this year’s outdoor table top accents, dining accessories, and toss pillows and outdoor fabric throws. Stripe patterns in outdoor fabrics in both bold and muted color waves are also strong in 2021.

One easy way to bring these or your other favorite hues into your patio is with the addition of an indoor-outdoor area rug. These versatile rugs help make your outdoor space feel a bit more like the indoors; and they are available in a range of styles from traditional to modern, bringing your design personality to your deck or other space. The new rug styles and sizes are reasonably priced to the point that they can be changed out each year to update an outdoor space.

Extending the Outdoor Living Season

Fire tables are one of the hottest (see what we did here?!) trends in outdoor furniture for 2021. They make entertaining on chilly days and evenings more feasible and, in general, just make outdoor entertaining more enjoyable. Not convinced? One word: s’mores!

With substantially greater seating available, the latest pits are well equipped to seat everyone you invite over for late-night gatherings. The incredible assortment of designs, from solid metal to brick, provides you the ability to completely personalize your space, letting you blend and balance the area without interfering with your existing style.

In order to get the most out of the season, you may also want to consider a patio heater. The same heaters that were once found only at restaurants and for commercial use are now available for residential use, such as an infrared patio heater that can heat up to 210 square feet. Don’t forget patio umbrellas for when the cold days turn sunny and bright. This year is bringing larger and multiple patio umbrellas set up in the same space for sun protection.

Best Time to Purchase Outdoor Furniture

When is the best time to purchase outdoor furniture? The short answer: now! In the Midwest, we know how to get the most out of the outdoor living season, and the COVID-19 pandemic, was no exception. In fact, hardy Midwesterners didn’t hibernate this past winter. Instead, they supported restaurants through outdoor dining in bitter cold temperatures. They bundled up and headed outdoors to drop off treats and gifts at loved ones’ doors en lieu of large holiday parties and meals. They stayed in touch with family and friends through drive-way meet-ups and bonfire get-togethers throughout the cold months. And now that warmer weather is on the horizon, outdoor entertaining will continue to flourish.

Another effect of the pandemic, supply chains continue to struggle to keep up with demand. Due to this, you can expect lead times for custom order furniture to be 4-12 weeks in 2021, and many in-stock items have switched to on-order availability. Retailers know the outdoor living trend is strong right now and are ramping up in-stock inventories for this year’s spring and summer consumer demands. Get the most out of the season by investing in outdoor heaters and fire tables that can extend the outdoor season, and the durable and comfortable patio furniture updates you’ve been eyeing now, so you can enjoy them through early season entertaining and well into the cooler months. Don’t forget protective patio covers to help keep your outdoor furniture investment in good shape for years to come!