Not every outdoor area wants a five-piece lounge set. The useable corner of your deck might be barely two and a half metres wide. The lift to your apartment might refuse anything bulkier than a single chair, or the budget might not stretch that far this year. There is an older, more flexible way to furnish the space. Start with one good outdoor armchair, add a second when you can, stand a table between them and let the corner grow with you.
This guide is for anyone building an outdoor lounge area piece by piece rather than in one delivery. It covers which armchairs can anchor a space on their own, how wicker, teak and resin compare, and the tables and extra seats that finish the job. Start by browsing the outdoor armchair range to see what is in stock right now.
Why pieces first, not the set?
A matched set answers every question at once, and that is its appeal. Piece-by-piece building answers a different set of problems. Individual chairs fit awkward spaces a corner lounge cannot, because you decide the layout rather than the module. You stagger the spend across a few months instead of one hit. And when one piece wears out, blows a colour trend or moves house with a family member, you replace that piece alone.
Delivery is simpler too. A single armchair comes up a stairwell or through a narrow side gate without drama, which matters in strata buildings where goods lifts need booking and common property rules apply. The trade-off is discipline: without a plan, piece-by-piece can drift into a jumble. The fix is to choose an anchor chair first and let everything else defer to it.
Choosing an outdoor armchair that can anchor the corner
An anchor chair needs enough visual weight to make the corner read as a destination rather than a spare seat. The New Hampton Chair ($520) is a natural pick for a covered alfresco. It is a full-sized chair in all-weather PE wicker, hand weaved over an aluminium frame, with base and back cushions included in a sand-and-taupe combination. At 63 cm wide and 77 cm deep it has real presence, and two of them facing each other instantly make a conversation corner.
If your corner is open to the weather, timber earns its keep. The San Remo Armchair ($539) is solid teak, hand made from 100% FSC-certified plantation Indonesian teak, with natural oils in the timber that make it water resistant. It is a heavy, stay-put chair. Like all teak it will age to a silvery-grey sheen unless you oil it or seal it to hold the colour, so decide which look you want before it starts turning.
Wicker, teak or resin: matching the material to the spot
Materials decide where a chair can live and how much attention it asks for. Match the material to the spot before you commit to a shape.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| PE wicker over aluminium | Covered alfresco areas used daily; cushioned comfort out of the rain | Cushions last longest stored dry between sessions |
| Solid teak | Exposed decks and gardens; chairs that stay out all year | Ages to silvery-grey unless oiled or sealed regularly |
| Moulded resin | Balconies, courtyards and budget builds; wipe-clean upkeep | Simple look; easy to move, so secure it in exposed, windy spots |
Resin is also the cheapest respectable way into the piece-by-piece approach. The Bondi Armchair ($139) is moulded from UV-stabilised polypropylene with no joins to catch dirt, so a wipe over keeps it tidy, and its white frame sits well against a pale wall or painted brick. Start with two, and if the corner earns its keep, promote them to overflow seating when the wicker or teak arrives.
Filling in around the anchors
Two chairs and nowhere to put a drink is not a lounge corner, it is a waiting room. A side table finishes the composition, and it is worth getting the scale right. The Casa Table ($260) is a 60 cm square in powder-coated aluminium, standing 72 cm tall. It works as a drinks side table beside a lounge chair or as a small breakfast table on a balcony. Sand matte white or charcoal keeps it neutral against whichever chairs you have chosen.
From there, add in the order the space demands. That might be a second table if the chairs sit far apart, a footstool if the corner is for reading, or a rug to define the zone. Browse side tables against your chair heights rather than buying on looks alone — a table well below the armrest makes every drink a stretch.
How the build changes around Australia
Climate should steer the order you buy in. On coastal balconies in Sydney or Wollongong, salt air rewards powder-coated aluminium and resin, so start with the easy-care pieces and add cushioned comfort under cover later. In Brisbane and further north, humidity is the enemy of stored fabric; teak that lives outside year-round often beats cushions that need managing. In Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide, where the corner may hibernate from May to September, favour pieces that are easy to shift or stack rather than a fixed arrangement.
Wind deserves a thought too. A heavy teak chair like the San Remo stays put in a Fremantle sea breeze; lighter resin pieces are the ones to bring in when a front comes through. And if the seats you are weighing up belong at a dining table rather than in a lounge corner, that is a different decision with different maths. Our guide to outdoor armchair dining vs armless chairs covers table fit, elbow room and stacking in detail.
Outdoor armchairs — frequently asked questions
Can two outdoor armchairs replace a lounge set?
Yes — for one or two people using the space at a time, two good armchairs and a table do everything a lounge set does in less floor area. The set only wins when you regularly seat four or more in the same zone, or when you want one long surface to stretch out on.
How much space do two armchairs and a side table need?
Allow roughly two to two and a half metres along a wall or balustrade for a comfortable pairing. Two full-sized chairs like the 63 cm wide New Hampton plus the 60 cm Casa Table span about 1.9 metres before you add breathing room between the pieces.
Should outdoor armchair cushions stay outside all the time?
Under a roof they can stay out through the season; fully exposed, they last far longer stored dry between uses. All-weather cushions are made to cope with the outdoors, not to sit soaked through a week of rain, so a lidded box or a dry shelf nearby makes the habit easy.
What height should a table beside an outdoor armchair be?
Around armrest height or a little above is the comfortable zone for drinks, so check the chair's arm height against the table before you buy. The 72 cm Casa Table sits just above the 64 cm arms of the New Hampton, which puts a glass within easy reach without leaning.
Can you mix different armchair styles in one outdoor area?
Yes, and mixed corners often look more considered than matched ones — the trick is repeating one element, such as frame colour, cushion fabric or timber tone, across every piece. Keep seat heights within a few centimetres of each other so nobody sits noticeably lower than their neighbour.
Shop the range
Start with the anchor chair, add the table, and let the rest follow as the corner proves itself. Keep a stackable Charlotte Chair ($283) or two on hand for overflow, since they are sold one at a time and stack away when not needed. If you land on wanting one decision after all, compare complete outdoor lounge settings instead. We deliver Australia-wide, and delivery is free on orders over $100.
