F4A #3: The Balcony Edit
Outdoor furniture in London, Liverpool, Sheffield, Berlin, Glasgow and more
I’m going to keep this short and sweet because I’d rather be outside. I grew up near the sea and under a thin but constant drone of rain, so the heat of a summer like this makes me suspicious. Outdoor furniture only aggravates me further. I hate plasticky lawn chairs that feel like they should prop up pizza boxes, and I’ve despised every single polyester poolside lounge on which I’ve sat. I think the IKEA TÄRNÖ garden set is one of the least comfortable products brought to mass market, and it’s impossible to clean anyway. Metal seating is blistering in the sun, and I’m getting too old to prop myself up on picnic blankets in the park.
As I sweat out the final hours of the work week from my office, here are a few pieces of outdoor furniture that I’m longing to lounge on.
There’s a lot to love about rattan furniture. It’s deceptively easy to clean, and to maintain. Yes, sometimes the screens splinter – the rocking chair above, available in London for £85, is no exception. But it’s lightweight, surprisingly versatile and timeless according to recent report in the Guardian featuring a panel of furniture insiders (myself included). If you’re looking to lean back and relax – this is for you.
“But Nathan, cane chairs are scratchy, and itchy, and squeaky,” you whine. Well, grow up. Not sure how to start? Maybe: This pair of cane egg chairs available for £80 in Liverpool. Dress them up with waterproof cushions from Etsy, or a softer and more pliant upholster if you’re parking them under a shade.
I’m not a DJ, but I do take requests: I’m always happy to help find furniture, so let me know what you’re looking for. Reply to this email or send me a message on Twitter what you want, where you are (generally! don’t send me your address – I don’t want it!), and what price point fits your budget, and I’ll see what I can do.
It’s no secret that I love lacquered bamboo. About a year and a half ago, I picked up a coffee table not unlike the one above, available for £30 in Sheffield. I love it, to be honest: They’re easy to wipe down, sturdy enough for a tray of aperitifs or finger foods and light enough that you can carry it inside when the weather starts to cool off.
For those with a bit more space, this four-piece set is a dream. It includes two armchairs, a circular table and a double-seater sofa for cosying up as the sun goes down. Available for £50 in Glasgow, this set is a steal – if you’re elsewhere in the UK, it’d be worth checking in with the vendor to see if they’d be happy to work with a courier as a price like this is hard to beat.
Sometime last summer, I sat outside a bar with a lemonade, idly watching the owner fret about where to seat his friends. They offered to head inside where there were plenty of seats, but he waved them away. Instead, he dipped behind the bar and came back with what looked like a long and thin briefcase. With a swift and steady hand, he inverted the briefcase and we watched in awe as it transformed into a four-seat picnic table that was sturdy enough to stand on its own on the cobblestone sidewalk. I haven’t seen many on the market, but here’s one in Berlin for 25€ that went live earlier today – click through the photos to see the set-up in action.
Here’s the secret about the best pieces of outdoor furniture: They don’t have to live outside! Stand a few plants on this stool (available in Sheffield for £30), then drag it outside for extra seating when you have company.
Is £100 more than I’d ever pay for a folding chair? Until today, yes. But there’s something particularly charming about this bamboo folding chair, available on the outskirts of London for, yes, £100. If you’re looking for a treat, I think it’s worth checking out: It’s sleek and sophisticated, and the seat can likely be replaced if you want something fresher, something more neutral or something more waterproof.
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