At Home: Ready to relax

Ready to relax outside this summer? You'll likely have plenty of friends to join you.

'Patio furniture is probably one of the hottest things right now,” says Deb Emmert, co-owner of Simpson Furniture.

Thanks to advances in material and fabric, patio furniture now lasts longer and looks better.

Rot not

Adirondack chairs, now available in deck composite boards, will last around 20 years and won't rot away or need treatment the way traditional wood chairs did.

Wicker furniture is now available in plastic, which also has an extended life span.

Don't fade away

New wicker lines are also available that are treated to keep from fading in the sun.

Similarly, Sunbrella fabric for umbrellas and cushion covers is designed to stay bright and keep colors vibrant day after day under the bright summer sun.

Cushions are also designed to be self-draining. They'll dry more quickly after rain, and you don't need to move them inside every time clouds roll in.

Size it up

A patio is typically smaller than indoor rooms, and people often misjudge how much furniture will fit.

'My favorite trick is to measure and put masking tape down where the furniture will go,” Emmert says. 'That way you can visually see how much room you're taking up and can see if you still have room for walkways.”

Sponsored by Simpson Furniture

2300 Jones Blvd., Coralville; (319) 545-5005 and 2300 Main St., Cedar Falls

(319) 266-3535; www.simpsonfurniture.com

Simpson Furniture has been a premier retailer for home furniture, flooring and home decor since 1946.