Garden and Patio Furniture in Kenya

Buying advice

Choosing garden and patio furniture in Kenya

Outdoor furniture has a harder life than anything indoors: sun, rain, dust and, at the coast, salty humid air. Choosing the right material for where it will stand matters as much as the look.

Decide how you will use the space

A covered patio where the family relaxes in the evening suits a lounge set. A garden where you eat outside suits a dining set with a parasol. Pool decks, villas and lodges need sunbeds with shade between them. A balcony usually has room for one or two chairs and a planter.

Rattan or timber

Our outdoor sofas and sets are mostly synthetic rattan over a metal frame, with cushions, in brown, grey and white. They are light enough to move and suit covered spaces. Wooden outdoor furniture is heavier, sits well in an open garden and takes a yearly oil to keep its colour.

Shade first

Garden parasols come as cantilever designs, which stand to one side and leave the space beneath clear, and centre-pole umbrellas for dining tables. For cars, car parking shades come in cantilever, canopy and single-pole styles.

Add a favourite seat and some green

Egg and swing chairs are the piece people fight over: single and double hanging chairs for verandas, balconies and garden corners. Woven planters soften a patio and match rattan sets.

Care by the climate

• Coast: rinse salt off frames with fresh water and dry cushions in the shade.
• Highlands: bring cushions in at night when dew is heavy.
• Everywhere: close parasols in strong wind and cover sets you will not use for a while.

Holiday homes, lodges and villas

Owners of holiday homes and lodges usually furnish a whole terrace at once: a lounge set facing the view, a dining set under a parasol and a row of sunbeds by the pool. Matching colours across the pieces make a space look planned. Order a few spare cushions for busy seasons, and choose frames that are easy for staff to move when cleaning the deck.

Our guides compare rattan and wooden sets and parasol types. Garden and pool furniture is ordered most for homes and villas in Mombasa, Malindi and Watamu and lodges around Naivasha.