Choosing Garden Furniture For Your Rustic Retreat

    So you're looking for garden furniture that will sit in harmony with the natural, rugged landscape of your rural garden. The first place to look for inspiration is the garden itself. Look around at the colours, textures and materials in your garden. Get an idea of the type of trees that grow naturally in the local area. By integrating the garden furniture into the environment, you will achieve an authentic, timeless finish.

    Rustic garden furniture is all about uneven lines, crooked joints and rough edges, so stay away from flashy geometric pieces. Plastic and aluminium will contradict the rustic style so avoid them if you can. It's best to stick to natural materials like wood, stone and wrought iron.

    Mix it up a bit, if you've got a stone patio, think about complementing it with wood or wrought iron tables and chairs. Likewise a long green lawn can be broken up with some signature pieces of stone garden furniture.

    Wood furniture not only complements a rustic garden perfectly, it's functional too. Teak is probably the best type of wood you can get for outdoor tables and chairs. It's super hard so it won't warp like some softer woods. You will need to rub it with teak oil once in a while but it will last for ages.

    Consider acacia wood for a cheaper yet still beautiful alternative. Cheapest of all is pine, there is some lovely pine garden furniture available but beware it won't last as long as hard wood and has a tendency to warp when exposed to the elements for prolonged periods.

    Wrought iron is becoming something of a commodity these days. You're more likely to come across mild steel although the difference is so slight that it doesn't really matter. You can find some beautifully crafted wrought iron (or mild steel) garden furniture which will bring an ornate feel to your garden.

    Stone furniture will sit brilliantly among the lush greens and mature trees of a rural garden. The more it ages, the more harmonious the effect. The draw back is its weight. It may be more practical to go for small signature pieces of garden furniture like a bird bath or sundial.

    Now you know what style you're looking for don't get carried away with form over function. If you have a small garden, be sure to measure it before you buy garden furniture that will be too big for the space. It's also worth measuring the height of tables and chairs. Chairs should be 400 to 500mm while table tops should be between 800mm and 900mm. If these are either too high or low you won't be very comfortable. Think about safety too, a second hand bench may look the part but is simply impractical if there are rusty nails sticking out all over the place.

    Finish off your rustic garden furniture with some luscious soft furnishings. You'll need some comfy cushions on the chairs and it's a nice idea to set your outdoor table with placemats that match. Choose earthy, organic shades that will complement the environment as well as your furniture.