Luxury outdoor furniture is the key that unlocks a particular standard of garden living, one to which we all aspire.
The right furniture transforms your garden from a simple outdoor area to chic sanctuary, ready for a summer of cocktail-drenched soirees.
When considering which style of outdoor furniture to choose, you’ll need to first select your primary material. Here are the main options available.
- Rattan
Rattan is the most popular material for outdoor furniture due to the casual, beachy vibe it exudes. If your style is boho with a contemporary flourish, this is the outdoor furniture choice for you.
While it’s made for the outdoors and stands the test of time and weather, rattan furniture tends to be a bit bulky and can be difficult to store during winter. Buying protective covers will solve the problem and protect your investment.
- Metal
Industrial-style metal furniture reflects the rawness of urban landscapes with a sleek yet tough simplicity. It is strong and weather-resistant, making it perfect to withstand the most temperamental of elements.
Top tip: make sure you buy high-end products. Cheap, untreated metal items will rust and pee and they are pricey to fix up. Explore the outdoor range at FCI London for some quality metal furniture options.
- Rope
Sustainability is the buzzword du jour for luxury furniture choices and none is a stronger contender than rope. When woven through a metal frame, it creates an unexpectedly sophisticated feel that wouldn’t be out of place in an opulent country estate.
Rope can be woven in a variety of ways to create visual interest, from twists to braiding to tessellation, which is the formation of geometric patterns. Rope furniture is naturally light and easy to move around, but it is harder to clean than some other outdoor materials.
- Wood
The big draw of wooden furniture is that its very nature connects it with the earth. With so many furniture trends tending towards fusing our homes with the outside world, wood is a natural and timeless choice for your garden pieces.
Teak is one of the most popular choices as it is both low maintenance and rot-resistant, an important consideration if your furniture will stay outdoors all year round.
Tip: the denser the grain of the wood, the more rot-resistant it is. However, even with oils, sealants and varnishes, time does eventually take its toll on wooden furniture, so waterproof covers or winter storage is a must.
- Upholstered
Upholstered furniture may seem more suited to indoors, but increasingly, luxury outdoor brands are experimenting with weather-resistant fabrics that allow you to bring the richness of quality upholstery into your garden.
From plain and sleek to intricately detailed with piping, buttons and tufting, upholstered outdoor pieces radiate class and taste. Before you rush out and buy your fancy fabric sofa, however, it’s important to know that despite the advances in textile technology, upholstered outdoor furniture doesn’t have the same durability as metal, rattan and wood. Storage plans should be carefully considered before you invest.
With a wide choice of luxury outdoor furniture available in a multitude of materials and styles, these options should give you everything you need to start your outdoor furniture adventure.
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