We have all wrought iron (black) for patio, deck, poolside, etc. Basically all outside is black wrought iron. It made it easier to add pieces along the way. Some of the pieces are more than 20 yrs. old. I just clean them up in the Spring. Some pieces need sanding and a spruce up coat of Rustoleum flat black. So easy, best choice I ever made. Doesn't hurt that I love the look of wrought iron. Matches my urns and things too!

I can change out the umbrellas with practically any color, also, chair cushions can be chosen to match whatever umbrella color suits my fancy at any given time.

@work_in_progress_08 : does wrought iron see any rusting? That was one of the materials I was staying away from due to the rusting factor.

No, you're not crazy but it's not easy. I've been on the same kind of hunt and I'm piecing it together from various sources to get the type of things I want for..... well, I'll say it - for cheap!! Hopefully this will allflowtogether ok - not interested in matching but don't want it to look disjointed. Check HD for chairs, BB&B for chairs, Costco for tables. Ikea has nice chairs, too.

I've been searching for some pieces for a couple of months now and can say that I doubt you will find an outdoor wicker set for under $1K. I just need to add a sofa to my outdoor furniture and by the time I find something with sunbrella fabric and a design I like, the sofa alone is $1K.

Have you check out Pier 1? My local store had resin wicker yet it's not what I'd call high quality, but it's good enough if you want something short term.
My problem is finding something heavy enough so it won't blow away when the winds come up!

sonaliagrawal - very minimal rusting. As I posted, I've had many of the pieces for over 20 yrs. Also, I have inherited black wrought iron outdoor pieces from DH's grandmother which are still in great shape. Those pieces are probably over 50 yrs. old. Very, very durable. I like that and don't mind having a can of Rustoleum on hand for a touch up here or there once a year.

Craigslist. You can find a lot of used patio stuff on craigslist, you'd be surprised. The vintage stuff holds up better...

Did you check out Amaazon.com? They have alot of resin wicker. I bought my set for under $800 (including shipping) a few years ago. The three piece set came with white cushions but I added colorful ones for the backs. The cushions are not the best quality but for the price I think they are fine.

KK, I love your coffee table!

Are you being sarcastic, Amy? I think it was $10 from Target. I bought it in 2008 with the idea of making a mosaic table top for it. The wood is still in the garage. Tiles and glass in the basement. Maybe this year. Or maybe I can get flyleft to do it for me.

I know that wasn't sarcastic because I love it, too - great lines! Your deck looks incredible A+. Do you leave the cushions out all the time or do you store them and put them out when you are going to sit?

I had a vintage wrought iron set years ago - probably the best outdoor furniture I've ever owned. As wip said, rusting was minimal and a snap to touch up. What made me get rid of it was having to deal with the cushions. No matter what they say, when they stay out in the rain they do not shed all the water - you sit - you get wet butt. Having to drag them in and out all the time was a pain.

I bought my resin wicker set at Target 4 summers ago. It sits on a screened-in porch so it is not fully exposed to the elements, but not completely protected either. So far, it has held up very well. I don't remember what we paid, but it wasn't even close to $1000.

I bought a nice brown, faux wicker set also from Target last year. I think it was around $700. I even got free shipping (limited time only), which was going to be about $200. Was not available in any store within two hours of me. Includes two nice deep chairs, a love seat, coffee table and end table. I think I may have had to pay extra for the side table. Nice thick cushions (bottom and back) with throw pillows. I searched K-Mart, Walmart, Sears, Garden Ridge - could not find anything to compare to the cost and quality. I will say K-Mart had some nice things last year - the color was just wrong for me.

It is on a patio with a roof, but I see similar furniture exposed to the elements all the time. Not sure how long it takes the cushions to dry.

Tuesday

Ours is 16 years old and it is wrought iron. No rust. I touched up the chairs last summer for the first time. It still looks great and it is easy to match pieces to it as you go along. Another great thing is it is nice and heavy, so when strong winds come, they do not blow away. Wish I could say that about the umbrellas. I'm on our 4th. We purchased the table and 4 comfy matching rocker chairs from Menards all those years ago. I'm sure it was under 300.00 back then. I bought new cushions 5 years ago from Big Lots and love them. They have still held up, and I leave them out in the rain. Be careful if you are considering a glass table top. Our neighbors are on their 3rd replacement glass. The wind has come and tipped the table and broken their glass.

KK...have to say how lovely your space looks!

Remember to check out Sam's or Costco. We spent two full summers looking for our set before finding the perfect one at Sam's. You can go to their on-line sites and read reviews before purchasing at the store. We found a granite-top with wrought iron base and six comfy chairs for $900 two years ago. We looked at some high-end furniture stores and found comparable stuff over $3,000 which was completely out of our budget. The big drawback with Sam's is no delivery, but this table was worth running to Home Depot and renting one of their pick-up trucks for an hour to get the set home.

KK - totally agree that looks like a great spot to spend an afternoon with a book and also really like the table.

We bought ours from the Ballard Designs outlet. I'm VERY pleased!

Here is a link that might be useful: Amalfi Set

My criteria were similar - except I like curves. I ended up w/ 4 "Key Largo" campaign chairs (bronzy metal frame w/dark brown resin rattan backs and seats) from Lowe's and 2 ceramic garden stools (for tables or seating) from Pottery Barn. Grand total $918.

Recently purchased some from Menards and Pier 1. Reasonably priced and very happy with them.

Wish I could use this.

Here is a link that might be useful: 30 years old

What do you call a conversation set? I saw a resin wicker set (choice of black or white) with cushions, that's a loveseat, 2 chairs and coffee table for $199 at Price Chopper supermarket. Resin wicker might be heavier (steel frame?) than the real thing. I have a covered porch, real wicker (off CL) so hopefully it will last 5 years but it gets moved around by the wind.

I would love to have vintage black wrought iron, but had looked for a year or so, and never found a single piece. In the meantime, we needed something to sit on!

I bought 4 chairs, a bench, and 2 side tables from Lowes for less than $700. We've only had them a few months, but we love the set! They're cast aluminum, very comfortable, and sturdy. My criteria was similar to yours, but since some of the pieces would be totally exposed to the elements, I didn't want any steel construction at all. I also wanted them to comfortable without any cushions, since I knew it would be futile to put them on the pieces that sit in the sun and rain. I'd like to get at least some pillows for the pieces on the covered porch, but it's more for color than comfort.

Lowe's seems to have a good variety, so if there's one in your neighborhood ...

We bought a cast aluminum dining set from a patio store last year. It's lightweight and well made. No rust.

There was an Outdoor Living catalog from Sears in the mail today. It showcases 10 seating sets ... all under $1,000 ... made from aluminum or all-weather resin wicker.

Here is a link that might be useful: seating sets at Sears

We invested in a great patio furniture set from Tortuga brand. We love to entertain so the 7-piece set was perfect for our lifestyle and deck. Durably built, the finish on it is stain, weather, UV, crack and split resistant so we know it will last a long time. We shopped the web for awhile looking for the best price and finally found this patio furniture set at One Click Direct. We've been outside every night and chance we can since then :)

Here is a link that might be useful: One Click Direct