The garden is no longer a big stretch of green. It is an outdoor room that requires thoughtful furnishing like the rest of the house, including pieces that can weather the damp Irish climate. For the past decade, the weatherproof solution was pu rattan, a woven plastic that could take some seasonal adjustments but came in only two colour options, light grey and a dark anthracite. With Scandinavian styles in vogue, homeowners are now looking for something more natural.
Karl Barnes of Formality at The Cowshed in Glasthule, Co Dublin, has noted a return to teak, a classic exterior timber. “Outside rattan has become a bit tired and a bit too plasticky,” he says. Teak is also more sustainable. He says you should get 20-25 years from good-quality teak furniture.
He has tested many of the Ethimo pieces he stocks by leaving them outdoors in the holiday home he owned in Newport, Co Mayo, on the Wild Atlantic Way. “I left them out all year round and they survived the rigours of the western seaboard.” It’s an impressive endorsement, as salt air is hard on everything.
Caragh Nurseries is also investing in teak following feedback from its customers. Its own in-house brand, Finn & Elder, is made of solid teak sourced from Indonesia. “It creates a layer of oils to protect itself, silvering nicely over time,” says marketing director Jo McGarry. She too wear-tested the range, leaving it out over winter. While happy to report that it survived the damp, it still isn’t something she recommends. It also needs oiling every year to maintain. These mainly dining and lounge sets, with six cushion colour options, made using showerproof fabric from Sunbrella, cost €3,500-€7,000.
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Colour is important, and bright colours work really well in Irish exteriors. Pieces sells a great range of affordable items from its Prussia Street shop in Dublin and its Arnotts concession. Its Net chair, €105 each, comes in a hot mustard yellow or a soothing sage green — shades that will work on decks and terraces. They are made of fibreglass resin and can be left outside all year round and are also stackable.
Impromptu al fresco
Investing in nice garden furniture doesn’t come cheap. Canny buyers are beginning to wonder: if the pieces are only going to be used occasionally, doesn’t it make more sense to buy furniture that can be used both indoors and outdoors? Cool cane, polypropylene, aluminium and teak pieces will do both.
A decorati favourite is the sexy S-shaped Panton chair by Verner Panton that was first conceived in 1959 but was developed for mass production by Vitra in 1967. It was the first all-plastic chair made in one piece, and has a cantilever design and comes in seven colour options, some of which may fade slightly if exposed to intense sunlight. The white option will brighten the dreariest terrace, and costs from €319 per chair from Vitra’s website.
Ligne Roset’s Murtoli sofa by Christian Werner is a large daybed, 240cm x 120cm, capable of double duty. It is Upholstered in a water-repellent cover with a matt black aluminium base and fibreglass slats and includes upright cushions that you can position in myriad ways to create a lounge or more formal-seating arrangement. Prices start from €5,658 to order from Arena.
When you want to invite friends round for drinks on the deck, a really simple and affordable option is a fold-up, powder-coated steel tray table — perfect for bringing drinks from A to B. It costs €44 from The Blue Door. formalityonline.com; caraghnurseries.ie; thebluedoordirect.com; arenakitchens.com; pieces.ie
Teak is trending
Caragh Nurseries own brand Finn & Elder Dunmore is a sofa, two armchairs, an ottoman and a coffee table, and comes with gently curved back and arms and costs €5,200; while the move sloping arms of St Ives, also a sofa, two armchairs and coffee table, costs €4,800.
The very upscale Nodi, by Ethimo, makes use of synthetic fabrics but these are interwoven using hemp to give them a soft and natural feel. The enormous sofa pictured will cost from €23,000 upwards from Formality at the Cowshed.
Multi-functional designer pieces
While many mid-century classics are now being offered in an outdoor version, the Panton chair by Verner Panton might be the finest option, one that will work indoors and outside and is incredibly comfortable to sit in. From €319 from Vitra.
Recycled plastic
Ikea’s Scarpo chair (€50) is a sizeable seat that can take everything the Irish climate throws at it. It is made of polypropylene, 20 per cent of which is recycled, and its sloping shape looks quite sculptural in a garden even when you’re looking out at it through the rain. It is stackable and comes in white or beige and with a drain hole to run off excess water.
Lounge around
The welded aluminium frame of Manutti’s Kobo lounger is made entirely of hand-woven rope with a deep cushioned top. It comes in an anthracite grey or pepper black and costs €7,180 to order from Minima Home. The sculptural Tsuki side table, made of teak, comes in two sizes with prices from €1,400.
Dining al fresco
Danish chain JYSK is selling a neat teak table, Versterhavet, that is just 90cm wide and extends to 210cm. It costs €699. Pictured in a natural colour but made of a polyethylene rattan, a plastic-look. The powder-coated steel frame dining chairs cost €99 each.
The return of the picnic bench
A picnic bench is easy to install and creates a focal point, no matter how relaxed or ungroomed your outdoor area. It also feels less formal than some other dining options. Woodies’ extra durable wood design has fold-up seats to prevent soggy-bottom syndrome. Its costs €249.99. A posh picnic option is this oak table (€4,000) and matching bench (€1,580), made of recycled train carriages and aged for 20 years. The rug underfoot costs €1,970. All are available to order from Roche Bobois.
