by: callumasterman
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Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 Time: 6:51 AM -
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There is perhaps nothing more common in the garden furniture sector than the classic garden bench, the seating design that has been produced in numerous materials, but whose design has stayed very consistent. For many people a good bench is made from hardwood, either teak, mahogany or the more sustainable iroko, but for cost purposes cheaper alternatives are available in softwoods like pine, but these are unlikely to be resilient enough, especially if left outdoors in climates like the UK. Alternative materials are now available such as cedar, and acacia which aim to improve weather resistance while keeping costs down. Design-wise the bench comes in one main version, normally with seating for 2 or 3 persons. The major choice to be made is whether to buy your garden bench with or without arms, but otherwise styling features are mainly reserved for the back height, lat style and leg styling.
Article Source: DirectoryArticles.com
The very simple and sturdy designs are the type you find in public parks and gardens all over the country. Some designs remain very clean and cheap to produce, including the styles that use cast iron end pieces joined by long planks of wood making up the seat and back. Besides being cheap to make, these classic designs were also simple to maintain and repair, but the long lengths of wood required could easily break if placed under excessive strain. A more ornate design is attributed to the architect and garden designer Edwin Lutyens. Lutyens was a famous 20th century for creating some of England's greatest private residences and worked alongside Gertrude Jekyll on commissions which still stand up today as classic creations. From his early beginnings in garden design Lutyens moved on to all kinds of grander commissions including water gardens in India, Liverpool Cathedral and even contributed to design work for British cities. Perhaps his smallest commission was a dolls house built to 1/12th scale and exhibited at Windsor Castle. The Lutyens-designed garden bench features a high, more ornate back and roll style arms that make the bench appear almost sofa-like. Lutyens designed a similar piece of furniture and called it the Thakeham bench, although modern designs use the designer's name itself. In 1902 Lutyens designed the house Little Thakeham, at Thakeham in Sussex for Ernest M. Blackburn.
Garden tables are another item of outdoor furniture that come in many different styles and quality levels. From simple and sturdy bench and table combinations, as seen in thousands of pub gardens up and down the country, to more ornate designs in cast iron that draw on designs from the Victorian era. In fact table designs made from teak and other hardwoods can heavy to lift or move. Modern materials have now brought garden table design to a level where stylish and functional items can be made produced from man-made materials, such as plastics and resins. These garden tables are both lightweight and hardy to inclement weather conditions. There are also useful in coastal areas where salty sea mists can be the undoing to cast irons designs, causing them to rust quickly.
Garden furniture styles also include the love seat, a combination of two seats with a central table area. This is one of several classic seating designs which include individual garden chairs, swinging seats and wooden sunloungers, deck chairs and steamer chairs, a specific design made from teak where a classic outdoor armchair is easily converted into a lounger through the use of foot extension piece. Outdoor director chairs are also a popular classic design, particularly as they fold quickly for out-of-season storage.
Garden parasols or umbrellas are increasingly popular. This folding design made from a hardwood frame and a canvas-type canopy is frequently erected by placing the centre pole through a specifically placed hole in a garden table top. There is also now a new style based on the classic centre pole parasol which uses a cantilever design to support the cover. This allows larger spreads and avoids the unsociable centre pole which restricts vision across the table. These cantilever parasols are often more expensive due to the heavier and sturdier base required.
Those proud of their home and garden will be interested in great design and well made products. The choice of garden furniture these days is bewildering so do you go with something funcky or select a safer design. Callum Asterman can help you with a range of options.
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