Aluminum sling furniture is very popular right now, says Mark Mansa, the owner of Casual Living. This furniture consists of a hollow tubular frame with fabric stretched tauntly over it. It's aluminum, so it will never rust, and it can remain outside in the winter with a cover. Another advantage to the aluminum sling style is that it's relatively inexpensive. Cast aluminum has the look of wrought iron, but it's much lighter and easier to move around, and it never needs to be repainted.
Cast aluminum requires absolutely no maintenance and in the winter it can just be left outside.
It also comes in over 21 different finishes, so you're sure to find a good match. Both Lilian and Mansa also said that teak, which has been popular through most of the 90's, continues in popularity. Teak is a tropical wood, used for boat decking, and some companies have 75-year warranties on their teak outdoor furnishings. Although teak, when it is first sold, is a strawberry blonde color, it eventually weathers to a soft, Cape Cod gray. Even though it's wood, it never has to be sprayed with preservatives or stains, and can be left out all winter with no covering.