Unless your patio is small enough that you really have no choice about where to put the furniture, it’s important to give some serious thought to the layout of your patio furniture.

One great time to think about this is before you buy patio furniture, or before you buy new pieces for upcoming parties.

Do yourself a favor and measure your space. Once you get into a showroom, it’s hard to keep a clear idea of how much space you have. When you shop online to get great deals, it can be even more difficult. You’re having to visualize the size of the furniture while also visualizing the size of your patio, and most of us aren’t that accurate.

Instead, get our your measuring tape and measure your space.

Use an online tool like the Room Layout Tool or draw the space out on paper. Use the same scale to measure out the sizes of the patio furniture you’re considering. You can do this very roughly. For example, our International Steel Patio umbrella stand takes up 28 square inches of floor space, so you can cut out a 3″ inch square to represent it. Do the same for each of the pieces you own and each of the new pieces you’re thinking of buying.

Now comes the fun part! Play around with the new pieces to see how they’ll fit together. Some tips to help find the best arrangement:

• Every room, indoors or out, needs a focal point. Yours might be an outdoor fireplace or a piece of sculpture.
• Group furniture according to the activities that will be taking place. You probably will want a conversation grouping, where people can sit comfortably and talk to one another. You might also want a grouping that includes a grill and a dining set. You’ll need to make sure that there’s room for the chef to move around the grill and that the chairs can be maneuvered without running into trees.
• Vary sizes of the furnishings for interest, but make sure that they are compatible and comfortable.

Have an imaginary walk through your plan in a common situation: an afternoon with the family watching the game and grilling up some burgers and brats, or an evening with friends enjoying a cup of coffee around the fire pit after a movie.

Taking this step before purchasing lets you buy your patio furniture with confidence. Massi Decor patio furniture has all the size information you’ll need.