Outdoor Dining | A Breath of Fresh Air
Ditch the holiday and make your garden the oasis you have dreamt of…
Making the most of the space within our home has never been more important. The past year has made us reassess and revaluate what our homes offer us. With travel still on hiatus, homes are being transformed into oases, and that is particularly true of gardens.
This refocussing on our outdoor spaces has led to an unprecedented demand in garden furniture. Prices are skyrocketing and those prices are not always a reflection of the quality. It is for that reason that Industrial Furniture Art want to offer a range of high-quality outdoor pieces that will not break the bank. Here in this blog, we look at our latest release, the Wooden Garden Dining Table. Thanks to some fabulous pictures from one of our valued customers, we not only show you a new piece, but we talk you through styling and placement. So, lets begin…
Garden Industry Boom
Ornamental horticulture and landscaping in the UK boomed during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns. The anxieties and stresses caused by the pandemic left people searching for ways to ease their concerns. Those lucky enough to own a garden, retreated out into the natural world to find some peace. Gardens were such an important sanctuary to many and throughout the first lockdown, gardens bloomed. This was in part due to the glorious weather but mainly, the care and energies put in by owners. Now moving into 2021, those same people are looking to nurture their passion for the garden by extending other parts of their life out into the great outdoors. What do we mean by that? People want to create seating spaces, dining areas and even outdoors cinemas.
Demand and Supply
This wave of new gardeners has fed a huge growth in the gardening industry, creating extraordinary demand for supplies. From seedlings to furniture, people are desperately sourcing materials to transform their gardens. However, a combination of demand and issues with shipping has left to a shortage, primarily in garden furniture.
BBC Article: Garden furniture shortage no picnic for retailers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56357221
Standing side by side with the shortage issue is prices. These two problems share one common denominator and that’s shipping costs. Garden Furniture companies are now being quoted £10,000.00 for what used to be a £1600.00 pallet. These cost inflations are then being passed onto customers, an almost crippling inflation. Pair that with the decision some Garden Furniture companies are making in not ordering new stock at all (due to the shipping hikes), then we have the perfect storm in shortages.
So, what is the solution? While the world is still in a state of flux, we need to turn to suppliers closer to home and rely upon local craftspeople and materials. We have everything we need right here in the UK so it is time to invest in British-made outdoor furniture.
Natural materials meet industrial styling:
Industrial Furniture Art have already been making the most of locally sourced materials. By creating a range of office furniture, they have provided an eco-friendly solution to those looking to create unique home offices. Now the team want to turn their attention to the great outdoors. Seeing the demand for outdoor garden furniture, it seems like a natural progression.
In response, we have created the Wooden Garden Dining Table. Made from reclaimed scaffolding boards and polished to the highest possible standard. Black metal legs make a statement contrast to the light finish wood. Each table is custom made to a customer’s satisfaction and thoughtfully constructed for longevity. This table you see featured in the blog is for one of our more fabulous customers, locally in Lutterworth. Amy very kindly shared her images with us and we couldn’t be more impressed! From the smallest details, this outdoor dining table has been styled to perfection.
Amy is a woman after our own heart and has been a whirlwind of action in transforming her home over the past year. Focussing on the garden, she put an order in for a customised table. Following a quick consultation with MD Gary, a table was sketched up and approved. Our team then sourced the best reclaimed boards they could find, with characterful knots and textured lines. Then in the warehouse those same boards were sanded, and biscuit joined together to form the tabletop. Legs were easily attached so it was just a matter of the finishing varnish. Wanting to keep the natural light wood, the team simply oiled the tabletop. The result, a beautiful table that the team was able to hand deliver to Amy’s home in Lutterworth.
A Lesson In Style
As we have said, when we received the pictures of the final piece in situ- we were blown away. Not only with how well it looked in the space but the fantastic styling that went with it.
Obviously with our background in Table Centres, you just know we appreciate a good centrepiece. Loving here the combination of gothic candlesticks with the fresh green plants and contrasting metal pots in gold and silver. This eclectic collection draws the eye without being distracting, then you have the black accents dotted throughout, from the seat textiles to the napkins. All of which works beautifully with the more natural elements in the placemats and the table top itself. The table dressing would not look out of place in a magazine. It just goes to show that with a little bit of time, you can transform an outdoor space into something truly spectacular.
Create Your Own Oasis
With delays to the restrictions, we are all approaching Summer 2021 with cautious optimism. We want desperately to have our freedom back but not at the cost of reverting back to lockdowns in the autumn. So for many of us, we want to proceed with restraint and continue with stay-cations where we invest in our homes and gardens. For this reason, outdoor furniture shows no sign of slowing down in popularity.
Avoid the overpriced and poorly made furniture and invest in some home-made pieces that can be custom made to your specifications. You will be pleasantly surprised by the costs and we can happily arrange shipment if you don’t live locally to Leamington Spa. Explore our Etsy page listing for more info or simply call the team for a custom quotation.
