A house is made of walls and floors; a home is made of furniture and memories. Furniture is such a common and integral part of our home that we never think twice about its origin or history. The history of furniture is very intriguing; different civilizations came up with their versions of furniture. In prehistoric times, when men started farming, they build their homes as well as their basic furnishings (such as dressers) with stone. The Sara Brae village of Scotland is a monument to this way of living. The ancient Egyptian civilization was the closest to our present day furnishings. Their rich had furniture (tables, chairs, chests etc.) made of wood, however, the poor lived in mud houses with stone furniture. The Greeks emphasized on wooden chests; hung by pegs on the wall; and couches used as beds.

Wicker is, basically, any material woven into a rigid pattern to form any kind of furniture. The materials usually used for wicker furniture are flexible branches, grass or vine, as well as, willow, bamboo, rattan, reed or synthetic materials such as plastic. Wicker is very popular for outdoor wicker furniture, wicker patio and porch furniture.

The above was a brief history of furniture as a whole; the history of wicker furniture, and outdoor wicker furniture is quite different. Wicker furniture was first used by the Ancient Egyptian civilization in 3000 B.C; they used reed and swamp grasses to make them. The popularity of wicker furniture was passed on from Egypt to Rome and from Rome to Europe and America. The Americans did not take to wicker furniture immediately, but, after a while, outdoor wicker furniture became very popular.

Working and living, all day, in confined spaces, makes you want to scream. Instead, you make do with breaking the pattern. As human beings, it is our natural instinct to revolt or feel free from our constraints. That is why, after a long and exhausting day at work you want to go out in the open, and may be watch the sky and stars for relaxation. This is where your furniture comes in; you need furniture that is suitable for all seasons to remain outdoors.

Wicker is any material that has been woven into a rigid pattern to create furniture. The material could be anything ranging from wood, cane, plastic, grass or iron.

Porch, derived from the Catalan word “proxo”, is any structure that is connected to or is covering the entrance of a doorway. The porch is the pathway that is covered and leads to the main building. Most common porch furniture includes porch swings.

The outdoor dining sets can be categorized on the basis of folding dining sets, as well as, on the basis of materials such as rattan, fusion, and aluminum and wooden.

Wicker furniture is the best for outdoor dining; it requires low maintenance, is safe to have around children, lightweight and most convenient to clean and move around whenever you have to host a party or dinner on your patio.

Gabriel Meriwether is a writer for Brookside Patio Furniture.com. They offer porch furniture as well as a wide variety of other items.