Whether you love entertaining, dining al fresco with family or simply relaxing with a book, furniture is an essential investment for the garden. While it might be too hot and sticky to think about buying garden furniture this month, with sales galore coming up there are certainly some bargains to be found. However, before rushing off to the shops to grab a great deal, you need to do your homework.
Ana E Gastaldi, partner at Ambar Garden Furniture, says, "When you start planning your garden furniture, for sure one of the first things you have to do is check the size of the terrace or balcony. Depending on the size, you could make plans for a sitting area and also a dining area. Many people think about decorations only for inside the home and don't realise that because, here in Dubai, you have lovely weather for so many months you can also enjoy living outside. Because of this I recommend investing time in dreaming about how you can get your terrace/balcony to become an enjoyable place."
Once you've determined the size of your area you can look at the options available, which are certainly numerous; from rattan to iron, wood to plastic, there are plenty of choices. But before opting for any particular style, think about how you will maintain the furniture. If you buy teak, for example, you will need to do monthly maintenance, according to Ana, while she says iron will rust quickly.
Darko Obadic, sales manager, Sun and Shades Trading, Dubai, says, "The definite trend is that people are switching from wooden furniture to wicker furniture, as wicker furniture is much more durable in harsh climate conditions than wood. The second trend is that people would like to enjoy their outside areas, so furniture has to be very comfortable." According to Darko synthetic wicker is very easy to maintain and does not need any additional care. However, the quality of the raw material is very important, he adds, and you should always look for furniture that is made by a quality producer who gives a minimum warranty of three years.
In the busy world we live in not all of us have time to take care of our outdoor furniture as much as we would like to, but when it comes to cushions taking the time to cover them will undoubtedly make them last longer and prevent bright colours from fading.
With cushions appearing in the shops in bright shades of green, vibrant orange and deep colours such as black, this summer preventing fabrics from fading should definitely be a top priority. Taking care of your furniture now means that your beautiful garden furniture will last for many years to come.
Information
Ambar Garden Furniture www.ambargardenfurniture.com
Sun and Shades General Trading LLC www.sunandshadesgulf.com
