Time to break out the patio furniture

It’s May and East Enders can finally start living, at least occasionally, outdoors. It’s nearing the time when one can traipse in and out of the house without giving a thought to adding layers.

For many, the month instills the siren song of the outdoors. Every year, the thrill returns as the desolate and gray days suddenly burst into a fragrant, sun-dappled, blossom-filled paradise.

Some might feel the need to kick back in an Adirondack chair while soaking up the afternoon sun. Others might enjoy sitting out at night with a cold beer or glass of wine while taking in the crescent moon as bunnies scamper about in the brush.

Regardless, now is the time to hang up the hammock and roll out the patio furniture. Or maybe sink the tiki torches and plan a moonlit dinner party.

Outdoor styles vary widely. While a blanket, some grass, a big tree and a rope hammock might be enough for some, there is a whole world of outdoor furniture that can shape a yard into a luxurious extension of interior comforts.

Before buying any outdoor furniture, or adding or upgrading a collection, one should really decide on a look for one’s yard.

Perhaps the most quintessential is woven furniture, which recalls a more tranquil time, perhaps Sundays spent strolling around the park with the entire family with parasols and a baby carriage. In fact, one of the most ubiquitous woven furniture companies, Lloyd Loom of the United Kingdom, got its start making baby carriages at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to the invention of a new weaving technique by Marshall Burns Lloyd, according to Zerach Michel of Hildreth’s Patio in Southampton.

“That evolved into making furniture which was originally on a wooden frame,” Mr. Michel said. “The problem is the wood frame outside would soak up the water from ground and eventually rot,” he said, adding that Lloyd Loom now uses a hidden aluminum frame for outdoor furniture, which is much more durable.

Besides loom furniture, Hildreth’s also carries resin woven furniture, which is a similar look and never needs to be refinished. Lloyd Flanders is another brand Mr. Michel recommended for patio furniture. He said that he prefers “deep seating” woven furniture for patios, such as lounge chairs, love seats, steamer chairs and chaise lounges.

But while woven furniture is a classic, teak is another big seller, according to Southampton-based patio.com salesman John Coppa.

“Teak is always very popular in the Hamptons,” he said, because it can withstand the elements and last 70 years or more, even if consistently left outside. Another chit in teak’s favor is the fact that it is relatively rare, as it primarily comes from plantations in Indonesia.

Teak can be a good choice for dining sets, as well as for pool furniture such as chaise lounges and small tables. Virginia-based Kingsley-Bate is a well-recognized American brand, as is the English company Barlow Tyrie, the oldest surviving teak imports company in the world.

Mr. Michel said that Hildreth’s currently sells more teak furniture than anything else, though that has not always been the case. “A lot of what has really exploded for us is the teak and stainless steel furniture, which works well as a contrast with traditional homes ... It was not as popular 10 years ago,” he said.

Mr. Michel mentioned the Royal Botanica manufacturer, an international company that focuses in upscale pieces, as being very popular. That company makes a teak table with a bull’s-eye design that features a stainless steel lazy Susan. “These such designs, they’re not so modern that they won’t fit into a traditional setting,” said Mr. Michel. “That’s where we have been hitting a home run over the years.”

At the Furniture Garden in Water Mill, Deanna Annis also specializes in outdoor teak furniture, “but not the classic teak that a lot of people deal in,” she said. “I have very organic pieces ... The shape as well. They look like artwork.” Her company also sells slab teak tables, from 8 to 16 feet in length.

A popular option for outdoor dining sets is cast aluminum, a thicker, heavier and more ornate aluminum that works well outdoors, Mr. Coppa said.

Umbrellas are also de rigueur for eating or lounging areas. Patio.com has new cantilever umbrellas this year, which are single umbrellas that overhang any setting—a table and chairs or a loveseat and chaise lounge. This type of umbrella is much larger than regular umbrellas and comes in hundreds of different fabrics, colors and prints, which can be custom-ordered to match cushions.

Another outdoor staple is the Adirondack chair, reminiscent of time spent lost in a daydream on a grassy, sea-sprayed cliff, framed by evergreens. Mr. Michel said that most of the Adirondack chairs that Hildreth’s carries are teak, which have the advantage of not requiring a finish.

The Southampton patio store also sells many painted Adirondack chairs made of Brazilian cherry wood from the Virginia-based company New River. These environmentally friendly and casual pieces carry a three-year warranty. Hildreth’s carries the line in white, burgundy, black and forest green and each color also comes in a weathered style.

But for those who prefer to swing with the breeze, a hammock is an absolute necessity. The options range from a simple rope-style tied between two trees, to the luxurious quilted-weave hammock on a Roman arc cypress wood stand, the latter of which Mr. Michel reported is a very big seller at his store.

Patio.com also sells hammocks, such as the original Pawleys Island rope hammock and the classic Hatteras Hammocks. And the Furniture Garden sells hammocks that “look like they’re made from parachute material ... Singles and doubles and children’s sizes,” said Ms. Annis.

Despite many retailers closing during these tough economic times, Mr. Michel said that Hildreth’s experienced the best April it has had in the past 10 years, perhaps due to people who are desirous of staying close to home in an effort to save money.

“We see a lot of good activity ... ” he said, adding that with tight times, outdoor furniture is not a bad place to invest money as East Enders plan for more time spent at home for meals and entertainment this spring and summer.