Are You Sitting Comfortably?

Monday, 13 April 2015

The good summers we’ve experienced recently means we’ve seen an increase in requests from clients to incorporate comfortable areas for outdoor seating and entertaining. That’s meant we’ve been drooling over some great designs for garden seats. As this week is National Gardening Week (13th-19th April) we thought we’d help you get comfortable to enjoy your garden too.

A well designed and comfortable seating area allows you to really appreciate your garden

Garden Seats: Points to consider

Before you buy new furniture you need to work out what you use your garden for. Is it for relaxing in the sunshine (with plenty of suncream on of course!), long weekend lunches with family or for more formal dining alfresco? Do you use it during the daytime or evening and at what time of year? Do you have storage space to move it inside in winter or do you need it to withstand all the elements of a UK winter (and summer!)? You can get outdoor furniture covers that may help. Is your decking or patio strong enough to take the weight of the furniture plus your guests? How big an area do you have for the furniture and how many people will be using it at any time?

What material?

Rattan effect
Good points: lightweight, available in wide range of colours, weather resistant and easy to clean.
Bad points may snag your clothes (less of an issue with modern rattan effect). Darker colours may get hot in sunshine.

Metal
Good points: comes in traditional and contemporary designs. Can have folding parts to ease storage, can be lightweight.
Bad points: Some designs can be quite heavy, can rust if not weatherproofed by manufacturer.

A metal bench in a garden we designed & built

Wooden
Good points: durable and strong. Can be stained or painted your choice of colour.
Bad points: heavier, can be harder to store. May need to be treated annually to prevent warping.

Plastic
Good points: affordable, lightweight, weather resistant and normally can stack for easy storage.
Bad points: can warp with prolonged sun exposure, strong winds can lead to plastic furniture being “relocated” around your garden!

Caring for your garden seats

Rattan effect: remove cushions and wipe with a damp cloth. May be fine to leave outside over winter (check with manufacturer).

Wooden: waxed woods should be cleaned with a soft, dry cloth. Hard woods can be scrubbed with warm soapy water. They may require annual treatments with oil or stain. It’s a good idea to keep in shade when not in use in summer to prevent the sunlight warping.

We built this garden room with a hidden rear storage area for the seat cushions

Metal: use warm soapy water but nothing abrasive to prevent scratches. Can be cleaned with a pressure washer on a low setting. Dry thoroughly to prevent water marks.

Plastic: use warm soapy water but nothing abrasive to prevent scratches. Can be cleaned with a pressure washer on a low setting. Good idea to keep it in the shade to prevent warping when not in use in summer.

Home made garden seats

At Vialii we are always keen to have a go at making our own. We’ve done some larger scale fixed seating areas like on these recent client projects:

Troughs for planting with integrated seating made for a multi-functional patio

We integrated a seat into the dry-stane dyke in this garden

Plus we’ve designed secluded areas perfect for a simple bench:

This bench is in the ideal area to watch the garden change with the seasons

And it just wouldn’t be a Vialii furniture blog if we didn’t mention some up-cycling would it? From a pallet seat to a stump stool there is plenty you can create.

Hopefully we’ve given you some inspiration to get your garden seats organised for maximum enjoyment this year. If you’d like to discuss your options for creating a bespoke seating area in your garden please get in touch.

Thanks for reading,

All at Vialii