Teak considered hot trend in back yard

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Staff Writer

This teak bistro set by Gloster Furniture, which includes a 28-inch table with Weston folding chairs, is among the popular choices for outdoor furnishings. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Once considered too heavy and outdated for modern life, teak is showing up again in design magazines, home shows and furniture showrooms as part of a new push to bring traditional home styling into outdoor living areas.

"Teak is a real hot trend in the last five years," said John Fiedler, owner of the Lanai Things store on Kamake'e Street. "It's durable and beautiful. It's nearly impervious to weathering, and the furniture grade teak coming out of Asia these days is just gorgeous."

Interior designer and architect Paul Noborikawa, who just returned from a restaurant furniture show in Las Vegas, says teak was one of the hot materials this year.

"The teak designs are getting more and more refined," Noborikawa said. "With the proper care and maintenance, teak is really a good investment in outdoor style."

As the trend to more open-air living continues to grow in America, dozens of manufacturers have expanded their lines to include outdoor furniture.

At this spring's big furniture show in High Pointe, N.C., hundreds of new products suitable for indoor-outdoor use are on display. While many take advantage of advances in technology and material science to come up with new hybrid designs, others are returning to the stylish, heavy look of old-fashioned teak furniture, sometimes with a twist.

• Barlow Tyrie company is unveiling new solid teakwood dining tables that can seat six or eight people, and come with their own Lazy Susans and matching arm chairs.
• Gloster Furniture has an entire teak line, called the Madison collection.
• Terra Furniture has a collection of large-scale outdoor furniture in solid teak. The models come unfinished, oiled or pickled.

Fielder says teak can be left outdoors, even in Hawai'i's high humidity, for years without any damage to the wood. But Noborikawa says a regular oiling will help maintain the teak's rich original color. "Otherwise, the wood will start to turn a silver color, which has a nice aged look all its own," he said.

In Hawai'i, places to find teak include Lanai Things and major retailers such as Costco and Home Depot.

Teak's not the only change happening in outdoor furnishings, though.

"People who haven't looked in a while are sometimes staggered by how many options, finishings and fabrics are available these days," Fielder said. "In a way, there are almost too many options; it's too hard to make a decision."

Traditional wicker and English garden designs still abound, but manufacturers also are offering outdoor furniture made of brushed stainless steel, hammered and pre-cast aluminum, vinyl wickers, artificial bamboo Ü and combinations of all of them.

"The synthetic wickers and imitation rattan are really nice," Noborikawa said. "You can't tell the difference from the real thing, but they hold up much longer."

Fabrics that can weather outdoor rain and sun also have multiplied in recent years. Where once Sunbrella was the only such fabric, there are more than 100 other choices now, many of them suitable for being moved between indoor and outdoor spaces, Fielder said.

Noborikawa said one of his clients fashioned a formal dining area on a screened lanai from several sets of outdoor furniture.

"Clearly there are more design options," Fielder said. "The industry is becoming far more complex and exciting."

Ironically, though, the market hasn't expanded that much in Hawai'i, perhaps because we've always entertained outdoors and partly because we don't have that much room for growth.

"We don't have the same kind of yard space that homes have on the Mainland," Fielder said. "Many of us don't have back yards at all, and many lanais aren't big enough to put lots of furniture on. You'd always think those big sun umbrellas would do well here, but the reality is most of us don't have enough room to use them. Besides, most of the manufacturers recommend that they be closed when winds get over 15 mph, and that's pretty much a daily event here."

Caring tips for outdoor furniture

The American Furniture Manufacturers Association offers the following care and maintenance tips for outdoor furniture.

Aluminum frames: Clean with mild soap and water. On nontextured surfaces, apply an automotive wax every few months. On textured finishes, periodically apply baby or mineral oil.

Tempered glass tabletops: Clean regularly with a soft cloth, mild detergent and warm water. Buff dry with clean cloth.

Outdoor wicker: Vacuum or brush with a soft bristle brush. Hose off every few weeks and clean periodically with mild detergent and water.

Vinyl straps: Wash with mild detergent and warm water, using a soft sponge or cloth. Rinse thoroughly. Apply vinyl protectant to straps after cleaning.

Cushions: Vacuum as needed to remove organic material. Clean by sponging with mild detergent and warm water. If mildew occurs, use a solution of 1 cup bleach and a squirt of detergent per gallon of water. Scrub with sponge, rinse with clean water and air dry.

Wrought iron and steel: Clean with warm, soapy water. On textured finishes periodically apply mineral or baby oil. If rust develops, clean area by sanding lightly, then wipe thoroughly.

Hardwoods, including teak: Clean with mild detergent and water. Rinse well. Apply an occasional application of oil.

Umbrellas: Wash covers with mild soap and water, using a long-handled brush. Spray silicone on the joints of wire frames. Use wax or furniture polish on wooden umbrellas.