Let's Go Shopping for Outdoor Furniture

Decorating an average backyard is all about taste, said Mr. Saladino. But he pointed out that a basic outdoor table and chair set is a quintessential ingredient no matter what.

“I could put that together for under $1,000,” he said. “But if you’re doing it on your own, watch out for a lot of cheap furniture out there. Look for the way it’s put together, the type of hardware that’s used. Make sure it’s fairly solid and doesn’t wobble.”

Slapping his hand on a post of a white cedar porch swing, which costs $299, he shook it to show it was sturdy. “They’re really cool, and we sell a lot of these,” he said.

Another best-seller at East End Outdoor Supply is the classic Hamptons picnic table, which Mr. Saladino gets from Amish country in Pennsylvania. The 3-by-6-foot treated fir table is sold with two unfixed benches for $325. A square table with four benches costs $425.

“Most of the furniture you see today have the fixed sides where the benches are part of the table and they weigh a million pounds,” he said. “Don’t have that problem with these.”

Even though outdoor furniture is meant to withstand the elements, it’s essential to clean it, said Roger Thayer, owner of Thayer’s Hardware and Patio in Bridgehampton.

“A good-quality piece of furniture can be handed down to the next generation if you take care of it a little bit,” he said. “It’s outdoor furniture, it can get wet. Don’t be afraid to hose it down. Just clean it. That’s the trick to all of this.”

Furniture quality is improving every year, Mr. Thayer said, from teak sets to vinyl and resin weaves, which are becoming increasingly more weatherproof. A 10-foot-long teak table can run $3,000 and a resin weave sofa costs about $6,000, he said.

And just like with fashion, there are definite trends in outdoor furniture, Mr. Thayer said, though he added that quality should always come first.

“Designs are constantly changing. It’s like women’s clothing,” he said. “The furniture gets more stylish. But don’t become enslaved to your furniture. Buy quality materials and you’ll enjoy it. If you buy cheap stuff, it is going to haunt you and fall apart. Just buy good stuff and go out and have fun!”