garden furniture - advice needed

For anything to do with the garden and pool
Tealight
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 11:13 am
Location: Southern England

garden furniture - advice needed

Post by Tealight »

What would you recommend to be provided by way of garden furniture, and what materials are best to use/avoid?

We are in the south of England, so warm (mostly), but not coastal. We have a large garden with patio and currently have a wooden picnic table/bench which is bearing up well, having had it for 2 years we have just re-treated it with Cuprinol and it looks good as new.

When we are staying, we often just spread out an old rug and lie on the grass to relax. Friends and family do the same I think; they have never mentioned a lack of garden furniture. However I think some paying guests might prefer/expect deck chairs, sunloungers, outdoor sofas etc.

I have seen these available in a range of prices and materials but am unsure whether they are essential and if so, which are the best type to get.

There is also the minor issue of storage during winter/when not in use. While deck chairs (and folding sunloungers) could be stored in the shed (we have a small "visitors shed" which contains the parasols, some tiki lights and outdoor lanterns), an outdoor sofa/coffee table would need to be hardwearing and left outside, perhaps with a cover.

I guess I would also need to provide cushions for these, which would also need to be stored in the shed. Everytime I have visited a house which has these sorts of cushions, they tend to be discoloured and quite manky-looking.

Thanks in advance for any tips!
AndrewH
Posts: 1499
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:17 pm
Location: Kefalonia, Greece
Contact:

Post by AndrewH »

Sitting on a rug on the grass is great for the younger agile guests, whereas for older guests with creaking bones, it's not even an option! I am in the latter category and would be much happier to see comfy outdoor chairs etc. with cushions for both seat and back.
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

I agree with Andrew.

If you don’t have enough room to store chairs, or for another shed, John Lewis do a range called Kettler which can be left out all year round, although I would suggest covers for the winter.
Cushions can be stored in the house to prevent them going manky.
User avatar
Mouse
Posts: 7277
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:47 pm
Location: Balearics
Contact:

Post by Mouse »

Agree with the others....comfy setting is expected now and depending what price bracket you are in also dictates the quality level I think. Kettle is an upmarket brand, great stuff but expensive.
In Ibizan we had the plastic rattan effect outdoor stuff. It was left out constantly and is great. It is also easy to wash down too. There are many types on the market as it's fairly popular now. It is light and maintenance free unlike wood.
The cushions on ours were of a material that shrugged off rain as they dried really quickly due to a different type of filling but they did get stained and we found we were washing them almost every changeover although at times they could just be wiped down. Obviously ours got hammered in Ibiza.

I don't think people mind the staining so much. I did at one stage leave out throws to put over them but they were never used.

Storage of the cushions will be need in winter or you can get covers that completely cover the sofa and chairs, in which case the rain and snow won't get to them.

Hope some of that helps.

Mousie
x
p.s. we brought the outside furniture with us back to England and so far seems fine.
annedab
Posts: 762
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 5:02 pm
Location: Midi Pyrenees

Post by annedab »

We had the rattan-style sets - similar to what Mouse describes above. The set came with a square table with a lift off lid.

My friend acquired a similar set and I watched amazed as she popped all the cushions in the (perfectly sized) box at the end of the evening :oops:
Regards

Anne

If there's no such thing as co-incidence, then why is there a word for it?
Tealight
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 11:13 am
Location: Southern England

Post by Tealight »

Thanks everyone. It seems plastic rattan is the way forward! I'll see what deals are available at the end of the summer.

What about sunloungers, or will generally people only expect them when there is a pool to lounge besides?
SPJ
Posts: 468
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 9:01 am
Location: Aquitaine
Contact:

Post by SPJ »

By the cottage we have the metal chairs with an extended bit that tip back by adjusting the arms rather than the full length sun loungers. That way people can sit up and natter to one another but if they want to recline for reading or snoozing they just have to adjust the arms and the extended bit swings out.
https://www.homebase.co.uk/reclining-me ... ey_p498849
AlexCaro
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:08 am

Post by AlexCaro »

we use metal chairs because plastic can break easily. one more important thing for us to make seats as comfortable as possible by using pillows and set cushions.
The more you know
Post Reply