Getting the patio ready for summer

Okay, I realise it's a little bit too early to be mentioning the S word and even thinking about those long, peaceful sunny Sundays lazing around in the garden with nothing but a good book and a jug of Pimms for company but a girl can dream can't she?  (I really am dreaming AND forgetting I have children to ruin that picture!) However we really need to plan ahead as there is big work to be done over the next few months!

We've spent so much time in the past 5 years concentrating on the inside of our house that it's only recently that we've been able to spend any time (or money!) on outside. In the autumn we got round to doing a bit of the driveway - it's an epic project - and now I've been looking longly at our patio. I call it a patio but really it's just a bunch of paving slabs. Don't get me wrong, in the years where the children have been riding bikes and scooters around, it's been totally fit for purpose but now I long for a nicer space and with that some nicer patio furniture to go on it. 

For the past 5 years we've had one small and slightly tatty wooden table and four green plastic chairs. Hardly the height of sophistication and I'm always a little embarrassed if we have people round. So right there on the top of my list is some tasty garden furniture.

I'm totally undecided on styles though. Something like this would be super-luxe wouldn't it? But I do like a brolly.

I always come back to wood but storage is a hassle, and then there's all the aftercare and treatment of the wood. Though I do love this very much.

And there's something like this which is probably more practical and I know would be Mr M's preferred option.  I'll take the view too please.

I definitely think that it's No 3 that we'll go for, it looks a bit more elegant and with a cover, will stand up to the elements quite well I think.

What do you think? What sort of furniture do you have on your patio?

Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Homebase.