Investing in beautiful patio and garden decor is one of the best moves you will ever make. It’s an investment you will enjoy for years to come, and it also makes a huge impact when it comes to selling your home. Making your lawn and garden attractive and appealing is just as important as decorating the inside of your home to make it beautiful and welcoming.

Deck and patio furniture can add tremendous beauty to the look of your decor. If you have a contemporary home, use furniture to match your style. Wooden benches, tables and chairs add charm to a country style home. Add some wood flowerboxes to your windowsills for extra charm!

There are many different things you can do to decorate your lawn. Outdoor fountains are very popular and can be found in any style from country to contemporary and even inspirational. An added bonus of outdoor fountains is the soothing and relaxing sound of trickling water.

Birdfeeders are another item easily used to add color and beauty to your garden decor. Standing and hanging birdfeeders come in many different varieties from very simple to extremely decorative and exotic. It’s so enjoyable watching the birds flutter from the trees to the feeder.

Garden statues are yet another beautiful way to add interest and character to your garden decor. There are endless varieties of statues you can use, again according to your decorating style. Stately lions look elegant guarding each side of your drive entrance if you have a large and luxurious home. Wooden ducks, rooster statues and ceramic flower pots are charming for the country style home.

There are many other accessories that can be used to decorate your patio and garden. Wrought iron benches, windchimes, stepping stones - just use your imagination. With little time and effort, your patio and garden will have curb appeal - it may even cause a traffic jam!

By Tess Tackett

It seems that you have to wait all year for summer to finally come around the bend and shine its rays on you and your home. But when summer finally does come, it is a very welcome warmth. When summer comes, or even spring, you can begin to live not just indoors, but outdoors, too. You can spend more time up in the mountains hiking or out on the river fishing. You might even decide to walk to the market instead of drive.

In fact, many folks don’t simply spend more time outdoors during the warmer months, they practically move outdoors. Many will also invest in an entirely separate set of furniture that is designed and constructed for the outdoors and used during those warmer months. Why sit and drink your morning coffee and read the paper in your kitchen when you can do the same thing on your comfortable outdoor furniture, in the beauty of the great outdoors?

And it’s not just that you can sit outdoors to enjoy your breakfast or lunch or dinner. You can also go ahead and make your food while still outside. Just heat of the grill and throw some fish or kabobs on it. Goodness, you never need to go back inside. Even if when it starts to rain a bit – just put up your giant umbrella that expands over your outdoor table and chairs. This umbrella is also great for protecting you during the sunniest days.

Once you are sitting down to your meal at your outdoor table and chairs, you may worry that bugs will want to come join you. Well, just light up a citronella candle and those insects won’t want to come near you.

There is practically no reason to go back inside during those wonderful, warm months. You could go back in to watch the television, but who needs television when you’re surrounded by nature?

So, are you loving this picture of outdoor living? Even if you don’t have an expansive yard to set up your lawn furniture, you can still enjoy outdoor furniture. A quick look online will reveal hundreds of  different sized pieces of outdoor furniture that can fit even small apartment porches. Many outdoor furniture designs are also portable. Why not take a comfortable chair to your child’s soccer game or on a picnic?

Outdoor furniture is made to take the rigors of the weather that comes with outdoor living. That basic couch that you have set up inside your home in front of your TV can certainly not handle mid-April showers. Sending that couch outside would be like sending a baby out to do a man’s job – it just isn’t prepared for it. Most quality pieces of outdoor furniture are made with teak, cedar, mahogany, or other equally sturdy and weather resistant woods.

The only bad thing about outdoor furniture is that eventually, summer is over, and the furniture must head back into storage, not to be seen for several months. Just like getting your outdoor furniture out marks the beginning of summer, putting it away most certainly marks the end of it.

Whether you’re looking for a traditional or contemporary design, we have an Adirondack chair that fits your needs. The Adirondack chair is used primarily in an outdoor setting, although many of our customers over the years have used their Adirondack chairs and other Adirondack furniture in sunrooms, porches, or even living rooms.

Thomas Lee designed the precursor to today’s Adirondack chair in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, New York and needed outdoor chairs for his summer home. The original Adirondack chair was made with eleven pieces of wood, cut from a single large board. It had a straight back and seat, which was set at a slant to provide a comfortable seating angle on the steep slopes of the area. This Adirondack chair design also featured wide armrests that became a hallmark of all Adirondack chair design.

Today’s Adirondack chairs usually feature a rounded or flat back and contoured seat. The style has also been translated to other pieces of furniture (as you will see in our online offerings), from swings to love seats to dining sets.

Not only do we carry a variety of Adirondack chair designs at a variety of price points, we also the accessories that you’ll need to complete the grouping’s look. Matching footrests, matching tables, chaise loungers, Adirondack rocking chairs and more are available to you at Iowa Adirondack Company, truly making us the one-stop source for your high quality outdoor furniture needs.

We understand you have many options from many different furniture providers. Our company has an impeccable customer service record and years of dedication to our customers. Not every company can make that claim. Any time you have questions while you’re shopping, we’re here to help! Simply give us a call, and we’ll be happy to help any way we can.

Enjoy shopping at Iowa-Adirondack.com!

In our final installment of the ten things you should look for in an online furniture dealer, we will cover the last few items dealing with website security, customer service, site design and more. We hope you’ve gotten some good tips out of these posts, as it is always our priority that you are armed with the best information to make great online buying decisions.

Watch for the “Padlock” When Checking Out.

Outdoor furniture websites worth your time have invested in a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate and will use credit card processing by reputable, reliable companies (Paypal, Google and Authorize.net for example). When entering the checkout process from the shopping cart, look at the beginning of the site address. If it begins with “https://” and you see a padlock in either the address bar or another portion of the browser, your information is being encrypted as it is sent, and is secure. If you don’t see this happen, think twice about sending your information.

Look for a Site Pleasing to the Eye.

If a site is put together well, it is worth your browsing time. In all actuality, if it looks good to you, you’ll stick around even if you don’t remember this rule! A business that wants your business will make it easy for you to find what you want and set you at ease with the shopping experience. Outdoor furniture websites come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from the “mom and pop” small, simple website to the slick, ultra refined furniture clearinghouse. Shop where you are comfortable!

Expect Your Email/Phone Questions Answered Quickly and Courteously.

How much does it appear an online retailer wants your business? If they do, they will respond to your questions and requests in a timely fashion. Emails sent to an online outdoor furniture website should be responded to the same business day with either an answer or an acknowledgment that your email has been received and will be replied to shortly. Further, phone calls should be answered promptly or, if a message is left, the voice message is responded to in a timely fashion. You as the customer should always feel that you are the most important person to a retailer, be they around the corner or half way around the world online. The online business that treats its customers well is the business you want to highly consider.

Check a Website’s Track Record and Longevity in Business

Although a newer business doesn’t necessarily mean it is less reliable or less trustworthy, finding an online outdoor furniture retailer that has a longer track record can give you more peace of mind when spending large amounts of money on furniture.

There are a few ways you can determine the length of a website’s time in business. Many sites will have a copyright statement in the footer. This is a good place to begin. Another hint to a website’s vintage is to look at the number of customer testimonials or customer comments. Sometimes comments will be date stamped, giving a clue to how long ago purchases were made. You can also look at the “About Us” area of the website for hints to how long a website has been in business. You may find that the website you’re browsing is fairly new, but the company behind it has been around for years and years.

Keeping these things in mind when shopping for outdoor furniture should result in a very satisfying experience for you. Shopping online today has become as ubiquitous as running out to the mall to shop. Armed with the right knowledge and the right questions, you will be happy with the outcome.

In a previous post, we highlighted two things to look for when shopping for outdoor furniture online. We’d like to follow-up with four additional things to look for as you continue on your quest for great outdoor furniture.

Take Note of Shipping Policies and Charges

Shipping outdoor furniture can be expensive. Shippers are now charging businesses by box volume and not by actual weight. Some companies will offer very low prices to snag you early on, only to surprise you with higher than expected shipping charges. Stay away from these outfits. The best online retailers will be up front with their shipping charges or even offer free shipping (while still offering good and fair pricing.)

Most outdoor furniture sellers will offer one standard shipping service through a major national carrier. Don’t fret if you find this to be the case with your chosen retailer. Most customers will receive their shipment within 10-14 business days depending on the online seller, although sooner is becoming more common. If one shipping method is offered and you need your furniture sooner, don’t hesitate to email or call the online store (they’ll have their contact information clearly posted if they’re reputable (see below)) and ask for a quote on faster delivery. Be warned, though. Expedited shipping service can be very expensive.

Look for Quality Pictures and Thorough, Descriptive and Grammatically Correct Descriptions.

When you read the product descriptions and look at the pictures, do you get the impression that the online business understands what they’re selling? Is it clear that the business has taken time to present it’s products in the best way possible to its potential customers? You as the customer should have a clear idea of what the outdoor furniture product is, how it looks, and how it may look in your home setting. A business that makes it difficult for you to view and understand the products may not be worth your time. This could be an indication of potential future customer service snags.

Read Customer Testimonials

Probably the best way to gage your potential future relationship with an outdoor furniture business, customer testimonials are your window into business practices and product quality. Look for happy customers satisfied with their outdoor furniture purchases. Even more, however, look for those testimonials that may mention a hitch or snag in the purchase process and how that customer is now satisfied with their purchase – perhaps even to the point of recommending that business to their friends and family. This kind of testimonial should carry almost more weight than a whole string of gushing customer comments.

Be Sure the Outdoor Furniture Website is Easy to Contact With Questions.

Does the “contact us” link display more than a box for you to enter your email address and question? It should. Look for a physical address and a phone number (preferably a toll free number) when browsing the outdoor furniture website. This information should be easy to find and up to date. You’ll want to spend your money at a business that is unafraid to list its physical address and a customer service phone number. When making a purchase of this size, dealing with an anonymous online seller is tantamount to gambling. Don’t do it.

Tax day has come and gone… hopefully you’ve all escaped unscathed and maybe with a little (or a lot) back from Uncle Sam. You’ve probably noticed more outdoor furniture appearing in your neighborhood Home Depot or Lowes, too. Chances are most of that furniture is wicker, plastic, or metal, without much wood in sight.

True, there are a lot of choices out there; hundreds of styles, dozens of colors, and more. Pretty daunting. If you are looking to spend some of your tax refund on some outdoor furniture, however, there are a few things you should keep in mind that go beyond just the furniture. Today, I’ll discuss two: Warranties and Guarantees.

Look for the Warranty Statements

Any Outdoor furniture retailer or discounter worth considering will have a clear, well written and definitive statement of warranty OR clearly state there is no warranty on their products. It is recommended, however, that you strongly consider patronizing online sellers that will back their products with a warranty on manufacturing defects for a certain period of time. These statements should be easy for you to find, and make sense without having a law degree. Many online outdoor furniture websites will warranty the furniture they sell for a certain period of days after the furniture is received. Others worth considering highly will warranty their furniture for 5 years, 10 years, or longer.

Read Guarantee Policies and Return Policies

When considering an online purchase for smaller, less expensive items, these policies are still important, but not nearly as important as when you’re spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on outdoor furniture. An online furniture shop worth its weight in gold will clearly state its guarantee and return policies, and those policies will more favor the customer, and not the shop’s interests. What happens if you receive shipment and are not comfortable in your furniture or it is clearly not what you had expected? Look for a money back guarantee to help with peace of mind. Most good outdoor furniture websites will guarantee your satisfaction within the first few weeks or longer.

If you DO need to return the furniture, be sure you understand the return policies BEFORE you buy. The standard practice for online outdoor furniture companies is to require the purchaser to pay return postage and a restocking fee of anywhere from 10% to 20%. So be prepared, just in case. However, some retailers will pick-up the tab for return shipping and charge no fee. Of course, if you do your homework on a site you’re interested in (keep reading), you should be a satisfied and happy customer!

More soon!

Up here in the heartland, spring is trying to make an appearance… I’m thinking the snow and cold nights will be leaving soon, allowing us to get out and finally do what many of you have probably begun doing: fertilizing, power raking, aerating, and cleaning up your outdoor areas in preparation for outdoor living.

I’ll also be getting out out the adirondack chairs and adirondack furniture, give it all a quick cleaning with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, and set it up! From time to time, too, when the wood furniture has darkened with use, I’ll use a deck brightener with the non-stained, “natural” items in our collection. Even the items treated with a UV protector or waterseal like Thompson’s can use a going-over like this at the beginning of the outdoor living season.

For those of you lucky enough to be able to enjoy the outdoors all year long, a quick cleaning every 6 months will keep your outdoor furniture investment looking great for many, many seasons.

What do you think? Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share on cleaning your outdoor furniture? Let us know!