We’ve already looked at the key outdoor furniture trends for summer 2022 but we wanted to do something that focused more on what is actually selling from our own outdoor furniture collection.
At Lazy Susan we understand good garden design and our insight allows us to make predictions on what we think will be hot in our gardens and on our patios this summer. And usually, we're pretty much spot on, however, this doesn’t always tally with what’s popular in our customer's gardens.
The customer photographs you send us for our Do Some Good charity campaign are a great way to see what’s what though. What real people are doing in their gardens.
Take the Chelsea Flower Show for example. The show gardens always look stunning but much of what the leading designers do would not necessarily work in our own gardens. Limited space, children, pets, budget, time, space, there’s a whole host of reasons.
With our customer photos, there’s no editing or styling though. What you see is what we’ve been sent for our charity campaign. But we think they look better than any magazine-style photoshoot, and that’s why we use them across our product pages.
They help people visualise what our outdoor furniture could look like in their own gardens, and much of what our customers are doing feeds directly into many of the hot trends right now (and with many of them having Chelsea-worthy plots too).
Those who choose our furniture are generally not looking for the latest fad design trend. They want to get something a little more classically styled, refined and designed to stand up to the UK climate.
So, this post is some of our favourite outdoor furniture inspirations from real Lazy Susan customers. What pieces they’re buying, how they are positioning on their patios, what they’re using to accessorise and style it, etc...
Large outdoor dining tables
The customer photo above of our Victoria set is the perfect example of this trend for going big with 8-seater, 10-seater and bigger sets selling incredibly well at the moment.
Whilst our 6-seater sets are our best seller, we are seeing a significant increase in demand for our larger 10+ seater outdoor tables such as our Jennifer above.
Post-pandemic we not only have a greater appreciation for gardens but we are looking at ways we can spend more quality time in them with our loved ones.
Large sets such as a 2.6m Madison Table (above) require a large footprint but are perfect for both semi-formal and casual style dining.
If you have the space and a large family/circle of friends, then our large outdoor dining tables are the perfect solution!
Bistros on balconies and small patios
At the other end of the scale to those large 10+ Seater Outdoor Tables are our Outdoor Bistro Tables.
However, what they both have in common is that this is another outdoor furniture trend that saw many inspired during the pandemic, such as the photo we received above of our London Rose on a beautifully tiled balcony.
We recently published our balcony garden design tips and that article was inspired by the boom of homeowners transferring tiny spaces such as balconies into functional outdoor oases like above with our Eve Bistro Set.
A Bistro Table such as our Tulip (above) is perfect for those with very little room but the need for a proper place to sit and enjoy a drink or a bite to eat outside.
Garden benches at large outdoor tables
This is the perfect example of a trend we did not predict but was brought to our attention by a spike in sales and subsequent customer photos.
Our garden benches have always been popular with many people purchasing them as part of our bundle deals. For example, if you purchase our popular June 6 Seater Outdoor Table Set, at checkout there’s the option to add our Jasmine Garden Bench for £120. That’s a saving of £79.95 off RRP!
However, our assumption was that people were placing them in different parts of their gardens to create different seating zones.
And whilst that is still super popular, many are using them as additional seating they can pull up to their garden table as shown with our April Bench photo (above top) and with Jasmine Bench photos (above and below).
It's a great idea if you need to squeeze a few extra in at your next garden party as they’re robust but light enough that you can easily pick up and move.
Outdoor side tables
Our outdoor side tables are another of those handy little pieces of furniture that our customers use in some fab and interesting ways such as our Willow Table with Kate Outdoor Chairs around the fire pit below.
Again, they can be purchased as part of our bundle deals, so they make a great practical addition if you’re purchasing multiple pieces for a large patio (as shown below with our Alice Set, Willow Side Table in Slate and April Bench) or for creating a more intimate spot if space is limited.
In terms of outdoor furniture inspiration from Lazy Susan customers, some of the more popular trends are to pair them with our garden benches as shown below with our Jasmine Bench.
Alternatively, we have received loads of photos where people have also paired with a couple of sun loungers or even just a couple of our garden chairs to create a nice little tea and coffee spot as shown below.
Coordinating parasols and cushions
This is another one that is a more logical choice than a trend... Of course you’re going to coordinate, just as the customer has done below with our June Table with Stone Parasol and Seat Cushions.
However, we wanted to include it because there are definitely more customers who purchase a parasol and cushions than don’t.
The great bundle deal discounts we offer obviously play a big part in that but an outdoor table set is expensive and our chairs are comfortable without cushions. That said, as shown in the photo of our Catherine Table with Green Parasol and Cushions, they just finish things off.
Cast aluminium can get hot to the touch on a sunny day, so a parasol and cushions negate that. Plus, sitting in direct sun isn’t ideal when enjoying a spot of lunch in the garden, so a Parasol such as our Terracotta on our June Set above can be titled to keep it out of your eyes.
Verandas, awnings and gazebos
Garden structures over garden furniture are definitely one of the biggest trends we’ve seen emerge in the last 12 months or so.
The customer photo above shows how they can be used to create a picture-perfect quiet seating area by pairing our Jasmine Bench with a Rose Bistro.
The gazebo above incorporates a more classical style that pairs perfectly with our Alice 6-Seater Table.
They add visual interest and help to frame your outdoor dining area, taking off multiple points on the design checklist. Not to mention the fact they can provide excellent shade from the sun and shelter from any sudden downpours as the customer has done above our Gloria Table Set (above).
In terms of outdoor furniture inspiration, I think this is one of our favourites in terms of making our furniture look great as with our Mia 4-Seater Set and Gloria Set (above and below respectively).
Style your outdoor table like an indoor table
We had a full section on how to set your outdoor table in our recent outdoor furniture styling tips article.
Adding a floral centrepiece as shown in the photo of our June Table above is a great way to do this. It just pulls the whole space together.
Others have opted to pair our Olivia Table with a revolving Lazy Susan (above) to further emphasise the centrepiece.
The photographs above and below of our Rosemary Table show us how to bring a touch of inside style outside.
Hopefully, there’s some outdoor furniture inspiration for you in the customer photos we’ve used throughout this article.
If you don’t own Lazy Susan Outdoor Furniture, maybe they’ll convince you to buy, and if you already own it, then maybe what others have done will inspire you in terms of garden design.
If you’ve got any photos of our outdoor furniture in situ then we’d love to see them for our Do Some Good charity campaign. Maybe your garden will be featured in our next article!
You can tag us @LazySusanFurniture on Instagram or Facebook or email them to us at [email protected].