To be brutally honest, I would start with less grand ideas. You say that you are a beginner- which is fine, we all are in the beginning. The forum is great for support, questions and ideas.
When you then mention custom tables, chairs and benches it sounds rather like you are planning to sell them from the offset. Which goes against being new to woodworking.
I would start with some simple projects. Chairs are not simple, let alone custom chairs. Tables are not too bad and an outdoor bench is a possibility, but you are going to need a reasonable amount of wood to make a bench or table. Fine if you are happy with that. By "not too bad", I dont mean easy- the joints need to be pretty good or they will disintegrate with a little use if sloppy.
Do you have any equipment/tools/workspace? Do you have a bench to build things on? If not, that would be my first project- it need not be flash, and can be built cheaply. It is excellent practice, and I can guarantee that your first table will be better if you practice by building the bench first, rather than making the bench having practiced on the table. If you dont have a workspace, and it will be a good old workmate, outside on good days, then so be it- people still make some great stuff.
have you seen something like
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... CDwQ9QEwBA
It is (can be) made from pallet wood (would need painting or treating), scaffold boards (ditto), so would be cheap. It could also be made from any other durable timber, suited for outside, so gives you some design options. There will be plans available online somewhere free of charge.
Just remember that whether you use finest ebony or cheap pallet wood, a saw cut in the wrong place still could ruin the board, so learn on the cheap stuff!
Do you have the means of planing/thicknessing sawn timber? Having to buy planed is one option, but can be an expensive one and will restrict your buying options. (It may work out cheaper than buying the equipment to do it if you don't do a lot).
I am not far from you- just up in Kirkstall- Horsforth end of Kirkstall.