How to Choose an Outdoor Dining Table for an Australian Backyard
At times, outdoor dining tables in an Australian backyard do more work than the one inside the house. Breakfast before the heat sets in, a laptop propped open in the shade, a birthday lunch that runs long, dinner outside because it is too warm to cook indoors. Then the table stays outside overnight, through rain, UV and whatever the season decides to do next.
That is a lot to ask of one piece of furniture. It is also why choosing an outdoor dining table is a different decision to choosing one for indoors. The look still matters, but what the table is actually made of matters more.
Pictured: Kiama Mocha 7pc outdoor dining table from the Lavita Outdoor range. Source: from lavitafurniture.com.au
What actually needs to survive outside
An outdoor dining table faces sun, rain and temperature swings every day, not only on the days you use it. Aluminium framed tables handle that without effort. The frame is powder coated to resist corrosion and UV fade, so a table left outside all year keeps its finish rather than chalking or rusting at the joins.
Wicker brings a warmer, more textural look to the same job. A quality synthetic wicker weave, built around an aluminium frame underneath, resists moisture and UV in the same way while reading as a softer material on the table.
Ceramic tabletops add a third option, usually paired with an aluminium base. Ceramic will not scratch, stain or fade the way a painted surface can, which matters on a table that sees spilled wine, hot dishes and sunscreen for years.
None of the three break down after one Australian summer.
How many people do you actually need to seat
Outdoor dining tables range from a compact two person table for a balcony to a genuine nine seater built for hosting the whole family. Before the look decides it for you, work out the number you actually feed on a normal weekend, then add two for the times everyone shows up at once.
An extendable outdoor dining table solves this properly rather than forcing a compromise. You get a table sized for daily use and the length to open it out when more people are coming.
That flexibility is worth paying for if your outdoor space hosts six most weekends and twelve a few times a year.
Aluminium, wicker or ceramic, which one actually suits your space
An aluminium table with a clean powder coated finish suits a contemporary outdoor space and needs almost no upkeep, a wipe down is usually all it takes. A wicker table brings warmth to an alfresco area that already leans toward timber decking or natural materials nearby. A ceramic top belongs in a space where the table takes visual centre stage, since the surface reads as considered rather than purely functional.
The frame underneath a wicker or ceramic top table is almost always aluminium, so durability is rarely what separates the three.
Look and feel usually is.
Check your table finish against the outdoor dining chairs you are pairing it with before you commit, so the table and chairs read as one considered set rather than two separate purchases.
Pictured: Aluminium, wicker and ceramic outdoor dining table finishes from the Lavita Outdoor range. Source: Flume aluminium outdoor dining table with ceramic top
Getting the finish right for your space
Finishes now run well beyond a plain silver or black frame. Oak, ebony, whitewash, anthracite and taupe are all available across the current range, which means the table can sit alongside almost any existing colour scheme rather than dictating one.
A darker finish, anthracite or ebony, tends to disappear into the space and let the surroundings do the visual work. A lighter finish, oak or whitewash, brings warmth and shows less dust between cleans in a bright, sun heavy courtyard.
Neither is the safe choice or the bold one. They just suit different spaces.
How an outdoor dining table actually holds up over time
Coastal air and direct sun do the most damage to lower quality outdoor furniture. A powder coated aluminium frame is built specifically to resist corrosion, colour fade and UV damage, whether your table sits right on the coast or a few suburbs back.
That is the difference between a table that needs replacing after a couple of summers and one still doing its job in five years.
The full outdoor dining tables range spans two seaters through to nine seater and extendable options, alongside the wider outdoor dining furniture collection if you are building the space from scratch.
Seeing the actual finish and scale in person is worth doing before committing to a table this size. Come and sit at a few options in our Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Wollongong showroom before deciding what goes in your backyard. Find your nearest showroom.
