I don’t have any tips or wisdom regarding teak furniture today, but I did find an excellent idea for some summertime fun from a great little book by Lee Anne White called “Outdoor Living Idea Book” (2005, The Taunton Press). It provides a vast array of ideas for creatively sprucing up your outdoor room, be it in the garden or on the deck. And not only does it highlight the use of teak furniture, but it also shows every variety of outdoor furniture under the sun.

So here is a clipping from the book that just illustrates a few simple ways to have fun with your kids and your garden at the same time. With my affinity for forts, I wish my parents had stumbled across this when I was little. (Click on the image below to enlarge.)

Another hectic week, so I won’t be able to craft beautiful prose about teak furniture. Just another quick word about the emerging trend in outdoor furniture — the pulling of interior elements into the outdoor room.

Thanks to dramatic improvements in materials science, manufacturers have been able to produce a number of products traditionally reserved for the indoors that can now join you outside. Two weeks ago I talked about outdoor artwork. Today I’ll just briefly mention that two other items that are more commonly being used outside are outdoor rugs and outdoor lamps.

Amazingly, these rugs and lights would look at home inside of anyone’s house, but you can leave them outdoors season after season. Moreover, you can dramatically enhance the look of your outdoor furniture simply by adding the splashes of color and style brought by outdoor rugs and lamps.

By way of a little self promotion, Arthur Lauer has an extensive line of outdoor rugs and outdoor lighting that nicely complement our teak furniture. Take a look; I think you’ll enjoy.

Until Friday . . .

Take bold risks with outdoor throw pillows.

When it comes to teak furniture, deep seating collections in particular, color palettes are where many of us take our risks. However, there is a safe and easy way to be bold. To buy deep seating cushions in anything other than basic solids may be a bit much (imagine an outdoor furniture collection covered in Burberry© or polka dots). The best way to venture out is to buy outdoor throw pillows upholstered in decorative fabrics or exotic colors.

This strategy will allow you to add rich splashes of color that will really make your teak furniture pop. Additionally, since outdoor throw pillows are relatively inexpensive, you don’t have to be afraid to experiment, and you can buy new pillows with new colors and patterns as your tastes or color trends change.

Nowadays there are so many options available from teak trellises to teak dining tables, and beyond teak furniture there are a variety of materials available, including aluminum, stainless steel, and all-weather wicker. The variety can be daunting if not confusing. Creating a primer on everything you need to know about buying outdoor furniture would take months and months and hundreds of pages. Since I don’t want to bore you to tears or take up all of the memory on our server, I’ll just give you a helpful hint.

Ask yourself “How do I want to use my outdoor home?” Once you answer that question, you will have a much greater sense of what type of outdoor furniture meets your needs.

“I want a place to eat with family and entertain friends on special occasions.”� Obviously what suits you best is an outdoor dining set. Although a nice little bistro table and two side chairs may suit newlyweds or empty nesters, most families need a 4- or 6-seater (48″� or 60″�). If you entertain friends and relatives as much as you eat with your spouse and children, then an 8- or 10-seat arrangement better fits your lifestyle.

“I am looking for a relaxing setting to chat and enjoy the company of friends.”� Now what you’re talking about is an outdoor living room collection, often referred to as a deep seating or conversation group. This outdoor furniture style is fairly new, and its rise coincided with the vast improvement in outdoor fabrics. Large plush cushions on generous metal, resin, or teak furniture frames make this style ideal for relaxing outdoors. These collections typically consist of a club chair, ottoman, loveseat, sofa, and accent tables.

“I want to create a sanctuary in my garden or yard. A setting that creates a scenic view yet has some practicality.”� Here you’ll want to think about the traditional garden chairs and benches as well as trellises, arbors, and fencing. These pieces (especially the teak furniture versions, in my opinion) can really beautify your garden or yard by breaking up the endless rows of flora with elegant outdoor furniture that also can serve as a nice place to rest on a sunny day or a border to better define your yard or keep out nosy animals (no, I don’t mean your neighbors).

“I just want relax on the porch, read a nice book, and slowly sip a tall glass of lemonade.”� Swings, rockers, and Adirondack chairs are right up your alley. These simple, practical pieces have been around for decades, if not centuries, and are cost-effective ways to create a special place without purchasing an 11-piece outdoor dining set or 6-piece outdoor living room collection. If you simply want an area outside your home to relax alone or with your spouse, one or two rocking chairs will fit the bill nicely.

Don’t let me mislead you though; outdoor furniture today is very versatile. You can just as well buy two deep seating club chairs to relax on the porch rather than a swing or use garden chairs around your pool instead of a steamer. My point is, once you know how you want to live outdoors, you are better able to put everything into context and make the right purchasing decision for your lifestyle.

The biggest factor that has turned the outdoor furniture industry (teak furniture included) from a niche segment into a mainstream behemoth has been advances in materials science. From new protective coatings for metal furniture to resins that look like natural wicker, these advances have enabled us outdoor furniture manufacturers to create outdoor pieces with distinctively indoor looks.

One area that has seen the biggest advancements is outdoor fabric. Traditionally stiff with boring color pallets, outdoor fabrics were not very inspiring. However, in the last five years a number of companies (led by Sunbrella®) have perfected the area of solution-dyed acrylics, which have the look and feel of indoor fabrics but can repel the elements and resist fading for up to a decade. Simply amazing.

As can be seen in the January 2008 issue of Casual Living Magazine, my favorite trade journal, here are some recent fantastic fabric introductions across the color spectrum. By way of a little self promotion, click here to see some of our high-style outdoor fabrics as well.

SUMMER BLUES

GARDEN GREENS

AUTUMN BROWNS

MORE DARK SHADES

REDS THAT POP