Our furniture defines the personality of our homes. Without it, our houses will be dull and lifeless and so generic that you would not even want to be it. But essentially of course our pieces of furniture have functions that address the simplest of our daily needs. There are two kinds of furniture that we can cluster; there are the indoor furniture which we often see like tables, chairs, cabinets, and racks among others. Meanwhile there is another group of furniture that exists outside our homes: outdoor furniture or to some parts of the world garden or patio furniture. Both types have the same functions of storage and aesthetic. The latter will be the focus of this article since very little is known about it. We would try and highlight the types, the materials and when should you buy outdoor furniture.
The contemporary time is not the only time in our history that outdoor furniture has been used. The doomed cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Rome (before of they were destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius) boasted of intricate outdoor furniture. These are very much evident in wall paintings, jar art, and even the ones preserved after it was discovered. Then and now, the use has never changed. Storage and aesthetic were the prime reasons why they were made.
One important thing one has to remember about garden or patio furniture is that they are made of weather resistant materials. Meaning they are made of durable materials that can withstand the harsh effects of weather and climate. This is especially true to those countries that have extreme weather conditions like snow, rain, and heat. These elements can be very damaging to your outdoor furniture. Hence the need to carefully choose the kind of material is very important. There are many types of patio sets sold in the market today. However, the most common types would be iron (wrought), wood (strong ones like narra), plastic (which the cheapest), and wicker. There are many others but for the sake of argument let’s just stick to these.
The most unique and perhaps one of the most innovative of these materials is the wicker. Outdoor wicker furniture is originally made from any of the more than 600 species of the palm plant. These plants are found in the tropical regions of the world like the Philippines and Indonesia. At production stage, the stems of the palm are woven tightly into panels until it has the desired design. In more recent times, resin becomes a substitute for palm plants since they are more durable and lasts usually longer, some say up to 20 years.
The contemporary time is not the only time in our history that outdoor furniture has been used. The doomed cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Rome (before of they were destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius) boasted of intricate outdoor furniture. These are very much evident in wall paintings, jar art, and even the ones preserved after it was discovered. Then and now, the use has never changed. Storage and aesthetic were the prime reasons why they were made.
One important thing one has to remember about garden or patio furniture is that they are made of weather resistant materials. Meaning they are made of durable materials that can withstand the harsh effects of weather and climate. This is especially true to those countries that have extreme weather conditions like snow, rain, and heat. These elements can be very damaging to your outdoor furniture. Hence the need to carefully choose the kind of material is very important. There are many types of patio sets sold in the market today. However, the most common types would be iron (wrought), wood (strong ones like narra), plastic (which the cheapest), and wicker. There are many others but for the sake of argument let’s just stick to these.
The most unique and perhaps one of the most innovative of these materials is the wicker. Outdoor wicker furniture is originally made from any of the more than 600 species of the palm plant. These plants are found in the tropical regions of the world like the Philippines and Indonesia. At production stage, the stems of the palm are woven tightly into panels until it has the desired design. In more recent times, resin becomes a substitute for palm plants since they are more durable and lasts usually longer, some say up to 20 years.