Garden Furniture

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Garden Furniture

Garden furniture seems like a recent concept. However, this is not the case. In fact many of the common furnishing elements used for outdoor spaces today had precursors in ancient times. For instance, the Roman gardens at Pompeii and other locations exhibited a wide range of tables, seats, fountains, and statues created from stone.

These ancient garden furniture pieces were accentuated with fabrics. In the case of seats, cushions were created for a more comfortable arrangement. Although many of these artifacts have not survived, depictions of them have lasted. This is also true of illustrations dating back to the medieval time period. Common imagery depicted lovers of noble lineage enjoying each other's company on comfortable turf seats.

The contemporary types of garden furniture have taken their own focuses into account. It began with the modern approach of form following function. In the exploration of the concept of a garden, designers asked themselves what the purpose of the garden was. The conclusion they came to was that it was an outdoor living space. This lead to the idea of indoor furniture designs being transformed into garden furniture for the outdoors.

Catalogues then began to offer furnishing choices created from the concept of an outdoor room. The 1980s brought prosperity to the market. Coupled with the hard work on the part of manufactures, garden furniture became a sizeable industry.

Today, various items are offered. They serve a wide range of function, take on many different aesthetics, and may be created from a myriad of material options.

Within each potential category of materials to use, there is also a range in choices and quality. For instance, garden furniture created from wood may be created from softwoods or hardwoods. The softwoods tend to be cheaper, although less durable. Treatments are available to increase their strength. Hardwoods such as teak, oak, or iroko are naturally durable and have their own aesthetic.

Many people enjoy the appearance of cast iron furnishings within the garden. These are durable and heavy. A disadvantage is that they may not be so comfortable. Of course, like the ancient pieces mentioned, they can be softened with attractive cushions.

A more comfortable metal choice than cast iron is mild steel. Such products are prone to rust. However, they can be treated to prevent that. This material is often sold as "wrought iron," but genuine wrought iron has been created with a blacksmith's hammer. These purchases are both elegant and expensive.

On the softer side of materials are cane and rattan. In addition to being light and often graceful, they can be treated for more durability. Aluminum is chosen for lightness and durability. It is not as expensive as many people predict. Plastic options are another choice. These are common purchases because they are both cheap and waterproof. However, they are not very durable. This is particularly true of hot and dry climates. Also, people often have bad associations with plastic on the level of aesthetics.

The right garden furniture for a particular application will depend on a few different things. These include cost, comfort, ability to last, materials, and looks. If browsing within a store, consider testing out any chairs or benches for comfort before making a purchase.

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Garden furniture seems like a recent concept. However, this is not the case. In fact many of the common furnishing elements used for outdoor spaces today had precursors in ancient times. For instance, the Roman gardens at Pompeii and other locations exhibited a wide range of tables, seats, fountains, and statues created from stone.

These ancient garden furniture pieces were accentuated with fabrics. In the case of seats, cushions were created for a more comfortable arrangement. Although many of these artifacts have not survived, depictions of them have lasted. This is also true of illustrations dating back to the medieval time period. Common imagery depicted lovers of noble lineage enjoying each other's company on comfortable turf seats.

The contemporary types of garden furniture have taken their own focuses into account. It began with the modern approach of form following function. In the exploration of the concept of a garden, designers asked themselves what the purpose of the garden was. The conclusion they came to was that it was an outdoor living space. This lead to the idea of indoor furniture designs being transformed into garden furniture for the outdoors.

Catalogues then began to offer furnishing choices created from the concept of an outdoor room. The 1980s brought prosperity to the market. Coupled with the hard work on the part of manufactures, garden furniture became a sizeable industry.

Today, various items are offered. They serve a wide range of function, take on many different aesthetics, and may be created from a myriad of material options.

Within each potential category of materials to use, there is also a range in choices and quality. For instance, garden furniture created from wood may be created from softwoods or hardwoods. The softwoods tend to be cheaper, although less durable. Treatments are available to increase their strength. Hardwoods such as teak, oak, or iroko are naturally durable and have their own aesthetic.

Many people enjoy the appearance of cast iron furnishings within the garden. These are durable and heavy. A disadvantage is that they may not be so comfortable. Of course, like the ancient pieces mentioned, they can be softened with attractive cushions.

A more comfortable metal choice than cast iron is mild steel. Such products are prone to rust. However, they can be treated to prevent that. This material is often sold as "wrought iron," but genuine wrought iron has been created with a blacksmith's hammer. These purchases are both elegant and expensive.

On the softer side of materials are cane and rattan. In addition to being light and often graceful, they can be treated for more durability. Aluminum is chosen for lightness and durability. It is not as expensive as many people predict. Plastic options are another choice. These are common purchases because they are both cheap and waterproof. However, they are not very durable. This is particularly true of hot and dry climates. Also, people often have bad associations with plastic on the level of aesthetics.

The right garden furniture for a particular application will depend on a few different things. These include cost, comfort, ability to last, materials, and looks. If browsing within a store, consider testing out any chairs or benches for comfort before making a purchase.