Create an Aesthetically Appealing Site

When you want to outfit a beautiful outdoor site, you need to select and maintain furnishings with care. Depending on where your site is located, there are myriad options for materials and styles that can fit just about any context. When you want to celebrate the view and create an inviting, natural appeal, look to wood furnishings.

Q: We would like to furnish our site with wood furnishings. What should we consider?

A: Wood is one of the most common materials found in park and site furnishings, and with good reason. It has a warm, soft look and feel that can't be found in steel and plastic. When you take care to select high-quality wood furnishings and maintain them properly, wood ages beautifully and lasts a long time.

When choosing wood furnishings, you need to look for the highest grade woods possible. Durable and dense Ipe is a great choice for long-lasting furnishings that won't require regular application of preservative or paint.

You can find wood furnishings in a wide variety of off-the-shelf designs, or, if you're looking for something perfectly suited to your site, like a bench that curves around a tree or along a garden, ask your manufacturer about customization options.

Q: What do we need to know about maintaining our wood furnishings over time?

A: As a natural product, wood does weather when it's placed outdoors. The rich brown color of Ipe will patina gray over time if not treated annually. Unlike many other wood species, Ipe left gray and untreated will last a very long time outside. The original brown color can be preserved through maintenance, and weathered Ipe can even be brought back to its original appearance relatively easily. Remember if you're going to allow the bench to fade to its natural gray color to select metal components that will look nice next to the light gray wood.

Like all outdoor furniture, you'll want to inspect your furnishings at least once or twice a year. Tighten loose hardware and replace missing parts. You'll also want to check for wear and remove damaged furnishings until they've been repaired. Check the surface of wood components for splinters, and sand as needed.