12 tips for choosing garden furniture: material, size, style

Regardless of whether the cottage is intended for growing vegetables and fruits or for unity with nature, a recreation area is always organized on it. There are times when the site was equipped according to the residual principle: all the furniture that it is a pity to throw away was taken out to the country. Today, the assortment of finished furniture is the widest, and the ideas of advanced summer residents make it possible to build a nice, functional and stylish garden furniture from improvised materials. What to consider when choosing garden furniture? What style and size should it be, and most importantly, what material of garden furniture is preferable?

Serious loads are imposed on country furniture, therefore it must be:

• resistant to precipitation;
• resistant to sunlight, it is advisable not to fade;
• easy to clean;
• match landscape design and house facade.

If everything is not very good with the first two parameters, it is important that the furniture is folding and not very heavy - if necessary, it can be hidden in the room.

No. 1. Garden furniture material

The first thing that every summer clerk takes into account when choosing garden furniture is the material from which it is made. There are several options:

• plastic;
• tree;
• metal and forging;
• natural and artificial rattan;
• a rock;
• improvised materials: pallets, stumps, tires, logs, old furniture, barrels, etc. - here the possible options are limited by your imagination and skills.

No. 2. Plastic garden furniture

Plastic garden furniture is one of the most popular options, as it is distinguished by an affordable price and a mass of options. It can be whole, folding and collapsible - the choice depends on the purpose of use and the free space for storing such furniture.

Benefits:

• low price;
• light weight, which greatly simplifies transportation;
• huge assortment. You can find both the simplest plastic furniture, and the one that imitates wood, vine and even antiques. Separately, it is worth highlighting transparent polycarbonate - such furniture will not look cheap, but very modern, stylish and dignified - an option for sites in the style of minimalism;
• easy care, because to maintain cleanliness it is enough to wash the furniture from the hose and let it dry.

Minuses:

• the material is afraid of sunlight, quickly burns out, so it is advisable to use plastic furniture in the shade of trees or in pergolas;
• during operation, quickly covered with scratches, which reduces its aesthetics;
• low durability;
• for the winter, such furniture will have to be hidden in the room;
• low durability and almost complete unrepairability, because it will be almost impossible to repair a broken leg or a damaged plastic countertop.

Tables, chairs, deckchairs are made of plastic, benches and other elements of garden furniture. You can refine and improve the appearance of plastic furniture with the help of soft pillows.

No. 3. Wooden garden furniture

Wood, a natural natural material, is the best suited for arrangement of a suburban area and will be appropriate in almost any style of landscape design. Teak wood is used to produce garden wood furniture. larch trees, in budget options - pines. A tree goes through several stages of special processing that protects it from moisture, insects and fire, but even so, it’s better to choose mobile furniture, which can be moved to the room for the winter, it will be more difficult to take care of stationary products.

Benefits:

• excellent appearance;
• full environmental friendliness and naturalness;
• strength and durability (subject to regular care);
• plasticity of a tree allows to make furniture of any shape and design from it;
• maintainability.

disadvantages:

• dependence on weather conditions;
• flammability;
• rotting;
• the need for constant care;
• price.

So that expensive, durable and beautiful wooden furniture lasts for many years, get ready for the fact that it will need to be regularly covered special compounds and varnishes that protect the wood from moisture, insects and prevent fire. For the winter, it is better to hide all wooden products in a room with a stable level of humidity. If scratches or stains have formed on the surface, they can be smoothed out by grinding and coated on top. protective varnish. Often a tree combines with forging elements, glass and textiles. When purchasing wooden furniture, pay attention that there are no chips, cracks or other deformations on it.

Number 4. Metal and forged garden furniture

Metal garden furniture is not a cheap, but a very durable solution that will last for years with minimal maintenance. The design can be either very minimalistic (simple aluminum chairs and tables), or with forging elements. Steel forged products have a considerable weight, so they can leave their legs in loose soil - it is better to install them on paved or paved areas.

Benefits:

• durability and record strength;
• excellent appearance of forged furniture;
• resistance to sunlight and temperature fluctuations;
• the possibility of coloring and repainting in any color.

Minuses:

• high price, especially for furniture with forging elements, because it is often exclusive handmade work;
• the ability to heat up in the sun and get very cold in frost, therefore you cannot do without arranging soft or wooden seats.

Initially, metal furniture is covered with special anti-corrosion coatings, so it is not afraid of rainfall. For the longest possible preservation of the appearance of such products, it is better to cover them every 2-3 years anticorrosion paint.

No. 5. Outdoor rattan garden furniture

Rattan is the peeled and dried stalks of a rattan palm tree that grows in the tropics of Asia. Despite the exotic origin, natural rattan has become very widespread today and is used both for the production of home furniture and garden furniture.

Benefits:

• environmental friendliness;
• excellent appearance;
• light weight;
• the flexibility of rattan allows you to create the most bizarre shapes of furniture;
• relative durability.

disadvantages:

• fragility, therefore, such furniture must be handled with extreme caution;
• under the constant influence of sunlight and high humidity, rattan products can be deformed, therefore they are more suitable for indoor veranda, arbors and terraces under a canopy, and with the onset of cold weather, furniture must be hidden in the room.

To clean rattan furniture, you can use a vacuum cleaner with a special nozzle for furniture. It is allowed to occasionally wash products with soapy water, after which they must be thoroughly rinsed from the hose. Do not use furniture until completely dry.

No. 6. Artificial rattan garden furniture

Almost all the shortcomings of natural rattan lack its artificial counterpart.It is made from polymers, sometimes a metal frame is used to strengthen furniture. Looks faux rattan furniture excellent, which is why today it is often installed in summer cottages and suburban areas, terraces, balconies, summer areas of cafes, but appearance not the only advantage of such products. Among other advantages:

• a light weight;
• excellent wear resistance;
• resistance to sunlight and moisture, so you can not worry if such furniture gets wet in the rain - it dries quickly, and performance is not lost. Artificial rattan does not decay, does not fade and does not dry out;
• strength and durability;
• easy care;
• huge variety;
• the absence of burrs, which are integral to natural rattan, can also be considered a virtue;
• acceptable price.

Often, artificial rattan is combined with glass (when organizing tables) and soft pillows (chairs, armchairs, sofas, chaise lounges). Artificial Rattan - ideal material for garden furniture, since he has practically no shortcomings. They note only the ability to crunch a little under the influence of loads, but this is all from the characteristics of the production. True, some products may cost even more than their natural counterpart - this is a fee for the original design and durability.

Number 7. Garden furniture made of stone

Stone is a rather rare solution in terms of organizing garden furniture. It is suitable mainly for large suburban areas, as it looks monumental. The stone is not afraid of the effects of moisture, any precipitation, fire, pests - it is strong, durable, natural and beautiful, can stand for centuries. Stone furniture has a high price and can heat up and cool down so that the seats will have to be covered with something.

Number 8. Garden furniture from pallets

If you want to decorate your site with original furniture that you can’t buy in the store, or just save money, you can build garden furniture from improvised materials. One of the most popular such options is wooden pallets or pallets. These are large-size trays in which building materials are usually transported, so you should look for empty pallets in large construction stores - there is a lot of this good and they can give it for a small fee.

The pallets consist of boards, but they are stacked not close to each other, but at a distance of half a board. The sizes may vary significantly, but, as a rule, there are pallets measuring 100 * 120 cm (domestic standard) and 80 * 120 cm (European standard, and the boards can be stacked close to each other) with a side height of 10-14.5 cm. Before starting work, the pallets are thoroughly dried and ground, sometimes coated paintworkto reduce the risk of splintering.

From pallets you can make:

• coffee table. It will take two pallets, nails to connect them, a sheet of chipboard, plywood or glass to form a countertop and a fantasy to give the table an original appearance. Castors can be installed for ease of movement around the terrace;
• dinner table will require more effort. To form the countertop, you need to use two pallets, and for the legs one will fit, but it must be divided into 4 parts and nail them in the corners;
• deck chair. It involves the creation of a base from two pallets, and the backs from one, while several boards are removed from it so that it can be installed at an angle to the base;
• sofa. The number of pallets used depends on the desired height and length. The back and sides are also made of pallets, all elements are fastened with thick screws and additionally fixed with metal corners. From above, the blank of the sofa is covered with plywood, and the mattress with pillows can be bought ready-made or made independently from foam rubber and the necessary fabric.

No. 9. Garden furniture from an old chair

Do not rush to throw away the old, but still strong, furniture - Soviet chairs and stools can be ennobled and reused. Seats and backs are removed from them, leaving only the frame, and then a hedgehog is a matter of fantasy. You can take a thick rope, cord, strong wire and braid the frame with interesting patterns. With little effort, it will be possible to create original garden furniture and give it exactly the appearance that is required of it.

No. 10. Garden furniture made of stumps and logs

Stumps and logs are natural and affordable materials from which you can easily build nice furniture with your own hands. Depending on the size of the source material and your own wishes, stumps can be used as stools, chairs, countertops or table legs.

From a log it can turn out pretty shop. The easiest option is to lay the log on the ground, and lay a few pillows on top for convenience and beauty. You can squeeze the log a bit to get a flat surface, make two recesses for the supporting elements on the reverse side, and use smaller logs as legs, on which they also make a small saw cut for structural stability.

Something similar can happen if you put boulder boardthat sink into the ground so that the surface of the bench was flat. Holes are drilled in stones and in a board for future fastening with special anchor bolts.

It is unnecessary to paint furniture from stumps and logs - it is enough to saturate the tree with warmed drying oil and cover it with several layers colorless varnish, the ends can be treated with stain.

No. 11. Other materials for garden furniture

In addition to all of the above options, you can use:

• old barrelsthat are cut with the formation of a seat and back;

  

  

  

  
  
• concrete can be used to independently create garden furniture, pouring it into a form, and decorating in parts ceramic tiles or glass;
• old tires - huge scope for imagination. For example, two tires can be folded on top of each other to get a seat, install a third tire at an angle to them, make armrests from the parts of the tires and paint the finished chair in the desired color. As a seat, you can use a pillow, or you can make a mesh of kapron threads and ropes. You can go further and install tires on wooden legs - you get a full-fledged chair. Enterprising summer residents make sofas, tables and full chairs from old tires. Another idea is to wrap the tire with a scourge, use it as a strong worktop for a small coffee table;

  

  

  

  

  
  
• plastic bottles also fit in the manufacture of garden furniture. You can build an excellent chair out of them, however, you will need at least 250 bottles, which are folded in a special way, tied and covered with a fabric cover. Sofas are constructed in a similar manner. Such furniture is not afraid of sunshine and rainfall, suitable for a small cottage. From bottles you can build a base for the table, gluing together the individual elements, the tabletop can be made of plywood or plastic.

  

  

  

  
  

They decorate furniture not only with cute pillows and rugs, but also with LEDs, garlands, flowers and tablecloths.

No. 12. Size and style of garden furniture

The size and design of garden furniture depends on plot sizes and the style of its design. Small terrace or gazebo It will not tolerate large and massive furniture - it is better in this case to use light plastic, folding wooden products or compact chairs and tables made of artificial rattan. Owners of spacious seating areas can afford roomy sofas made of rattan, wood and with forging elements.

When choosing a style of furniture repel from house features and the site itself. If the cottage is made in a modern style, then you can opt for metal chrome furniture or polycarbonate.Rough and massive furniture made of logs, stumps and logs is suitable for a country style site. Gardens, which are surrounded by greenery and flowers, can be supplemented with openwork wrought-iron furniture. If the facade of the house is decorated with wood, then garden furniture should be wooden. The universal option is artificial rattan.

Own plot can be made stylish and functional for any budget. If the means allow, you can choose the finished garden furniture, and if necessary, save money or if you want to create something that is not in the collection of any manufacturer, you can build your own exclusive garden furniture using improvised materials.