When choosing garden furniture, people often come into our showrooms and are confident that they know what they want. For example, let’s say they’re sure they want an 8-seat dining set, but when we get talking to them and dig a little deeper, we find out there are only two of them and they never dine outdoors. But what they do often is sunbathe, and therefore we show them our wonderful range of outdoor loungers.
Understanding what you use your garden for and when you use it will help you choose the perfect furniture for your space. This guide will point you in the right direction, offering exclusive insight into what furniture fits each purpose.
"Whether you’ve got two, four, six, or eight guests or family members that you need space for, we have options for every family and every garden shape."
- White Stores
Formal dining
Our outdoor dining sets start with two-seater bistro sets to sets with ten seats, ideal for entertaining large groups. If you’re conscious of space but still want a space to dine, our cube sets are great for this.
However, if you need more space, our larger sets come with oval, round, or rectangular tables with the choice of rattan, aluminium, and outdoor fabric furniture. Starting at 1.3m our larger dining tables give you the space needed to enjoy endless dinner parties.
The size of the dining set will dictate the features. Our tables have the option of a gas firepit, ice bucket or parasol hole. Sets 6-seat and above include gas firepits and ice bucket options, whereas smaller sets offer parasol holes as standard (excluding bistro sets).
All our dining sets offer a memorable moment, from high-backed chairs to chairs which are wider set and have curved armrests, you can sit however you wish. High-backed chairs are made for dining, as they keep your back upright and in a suitable position to eat.
All our dining chairs come with padded seat cushions as standard, and many of our ranges also include back cushions as well because we want everyone to sit happily.
Shop dining sets here.
Casual BBQs
If you prefer an informal dining experience or a BBQ, then the casual dining ranges are for you.
If you want to switch from a coffee table to a dining setting, then our rising table is for you. This gives you flexibility and changes the vibe in just a moment.
Similarly, you can have a gas firepit table. While these aren’t adjustable in the same way as their rising counterparts, they come with a stainless-steel lid to extend your dining space when not in use.
There’s an extending table option which gives you more table space, effectively extending the dining area. This is brilliant if you have more guests than usual, as it allows everyone to be involved.
Our sets also come with tables that have parasol holes. The parasol hole is 58mm and comes with 48mm and 38mm ring spacers, and these can be used with our parasol collections.
Our casual dining sets have different orientations to fit your space, and we have left-hand and right-hand corner sofas. We’re one of the few retailers to offer right-hand orientations, which furthers our narrative of being a customer-first business.
As mentioned above, we want our furniture to fit the space you have, which is why we do compact and deluxe versions of our most popular collections. The compact casual dining sets are smaller and have pieces such as stools that can be tucked away once you’re finished. Whereas the deluxe versions are larger and give you more possibilities.
With some of our corner sofas, the side pieces are fitted with reclining functionality, and armchairs which come with them also have this feature.
Shop casual dining here.
Meet with friends
If you regularly host friends for a catchup in your garden then a sofa set would be ideal. Our Outdoor Living Sofa Sets have been designed so no matter what shape or size your garden is, there’s a sofa set for you. Many of our sofa sets come with a comfy footstool, a nifty coffee table, and padded cushions throughout.
It’s safe to say the sofa collection is broad, with nine collections and three varied materials, including the much-loved rattan and the sleek and sharp aluminium. Each set has been made with your outdoor space in mind, with all three materials being weatherproof and finished with the highest quality coatings.
It really comes down to what you want and how you envision your garden. Rattan is versatile as it can withstand various weather conditions and you can mix and match with other pieces, like our rattan-based heaters. But then you may like the modern appeal of aluminium furniture which looks as striking as it does comfortable. Or you may want the luscious textures and convenience our fabric sofas give you. At White Stores there’s no wrong choice, only what’s best for you.
Regarding size, we have two-seaters, three-seaters, and modular sofa sets. Our two-seater sofas can accommodate four people and our three-seater can comfortably seat five. Some of our sofas come with armchairs that recline, and larger sets have more coffee tables and footstools.
Shop sofa sets here.
Sunbathing
If you like lounging in the sun and catching rays, then look no further as we have a wide variety of sun loungers suitable for sunbathing sensibly.
Our sun loungers come in different shapes, with some featuring armrests. In terms of utility, they either recline or have adjustable headrests, helping you position yourself for that sun-kissed skin. Their fitted, padded cushioning will allow you to chill out without worrying about ill-fitted cushioning, so it won’t move if you get up or switch position.
All our sun lounger sets come with a tempered glass topped coffee table which is useful for keeping food and drink nearby.
If you want loungers that can withstand the great British rainfall, then the fabric sun lounger range has been created with this in mind. They’ve been designed in partnership with Sunbrella, meaning they’ll survive those summer downpours.
We also have sun loungers with wheels making it easier to chase the sun!
Shop sun loungers here.
Year round garden use
If you're the type of person who is eating outdoors in November for some fresh air, then our pergola range is for you. Perfect for shelter and privacy, our award-winning pergolas are exactly what you’re looking for. Our pergola range includes the Titan, Proteus and the Shadow, which require no planning permission so they’re a hassle-free choice to make.
The Titan is made from aluminium, so it’s fully weatherproof, whereas the Proteus has aluminium framework and galvanised steel legs, meaning it’s weather resistant but not fully weatherproof or rust resistant. And the Shadow is fully steel, offering a cheaper solution.
If the sun is shining, simply shut the louvres for shade, or with the Titan collection, fit some accessories which give you shade as well as a quiet moment to yourself. If it’s raining, the u-shaped guttering will wash the water away and even if you open the louvres while it’s raining, it won’t drip beneath the pergola, keeping you dry.
Hopefully, you’ll agree that with our pergolas you’ll stay dry and sheltered no matter the weather, and that our award-winning design brings confidence when choosing our products. Regardless of the pergola you choose, you’ll be happy all year round.
Shop our pergolas here.
Always cold
If you're always cold, even in the summer, or you love toasting marshmallows on bonfire night, our firepit coffee tables are what you need. When the sun sets, it can get a bit chilly, so our firepit coffee tables are fantastic for warmth and atmosphere.
The firepits come in different shapes, square, round and rectangular and they’re made from one of three materials, rattan, aluminium or GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete). No matter the material you choose, you’ll receive a quality statement piece that’s been safely made for hosting and entertaining.
All firepits are CE-certified and weatherproof. They also have 304 stainless steel lids which are weatherproof, and when shut, it gives you more room for refreshments. On average, all firepits have a system rated at 40,000 BTUS, however, this has a high of 60,000. The heat output varies, ranging from 11kW to 16kW. On full power, you can expect a minimum of 6 hours of burn time, which is more than enough time to keep your garden gatherings alive well into the night.
Our Classic and Heritage collections include firepit coffee tables that’ll fit in nicely with rattan furniture and have enough style to be unaccompanied. You’ll find they’ll have thick, tempered glass edges so you can leave food and drink but have peace of mind too. They also have a wind guard to protect you and your guests from the flames.
Aluminium firepits have the same details, however, they match aluminium and fabric furniture. One other exciting twist is that the Venus collection is the only extending gas firepit table we have. If you want to match a firepit with existing aluminium furniture, then look for the RAL colour code.
Shop all heating accessories here.
