Why we carry indoor and outdoor-under-cover furniture…

“It’s so beautiful, it should be inside!”

A friend was just asking me whether the outdoor furniture we were selling was actually going for outside use at our clients’ homes – she said “It’s so beautiful, it should be inside!”. That’s a sentiment that I happen to firmly believe, but I’d not heard articulated by anyone else before! Since my own pieces look so lovely, I ‘store’ my Cottage Culture outdoor furniture in my living room overwinter, as it suits the room, and looks like it was chosen to be there! And of course, my cat thinks the furniture is there for her…

There are good reasons for, and benefits to using outdoor furniture inside – here are just a few:

• Style and design

• Being ‘green’ – eco-friendly

• Budget conscious

• Kiddos and dogs

• Maximizing your investment

Now let us explain.

Reason and Benefits to use outdoor furniture inside

• Style and Design

Fashionable outdoor furniture can be found in a variety of different styles, configurations, patterns and themes. Choose from chaise lounge chairs and club chairs, outdoor day bed configurations, unique sectional sets, nesting tables and elegant outdoor dining tables and chairs that are fashionable even by interior design standards. You can use outdoor furniture indoors without having to sacrifice the aesthetic appeal of your  home, especially if choosing the versatile and stylish Scandinavian design furniture at Cottage Culture.

• Being Green – eco friendly

Being green and environmentally-conscious is something that we may wish to consider. While there are options when it comes to traditional furnishing, materials like sustainable teak, and polyethylene synthetic wood (such as POLYWOOD® Furniture, the company that was the first to create all-weather furniture using recycled plastics) and wicker are much more sustainable.

• Budget Conscious

When compared to traditional upholstered furniture, you can actually save money by opting for a stylish outdoor arrangement for your indoors. Not only that, but the furniture may well outlast traditional furniture that can tear or sag over time. Something to keep in mind!

• Kiddos and Dogs

Plato’s observation that necessity is the mother of invention might apply here. Kids will be kids, right? and there is a natural tendency to spill, break or tear things. Dogs are not excluded from these activities either! What is a parent to do if they wish to cut down on the stress of protecting “the good furniture”, cleaning up messes and working to get stains out of furniture? Bring your outdoor furniture inside!

Outdoor furniture is built to be extremely durable and it is possible to find very stylish and fashionable outdoor furniture. Outdoor sets are manufactured using resilient materials designed to withstand extreme conditions, and many frames are made or reinforced with metal which kids won’t be able to bend or warp when jumping on it. Plus, Olefin (the European version) or Sunbrella fabric is stain-resistant and easy to clean Your stress with kiddos and dogs is alleviated!

• Maximizing Your Investment

Given the winter climate we enjoy here in Southwestern Ontario, homeowners tend to place their outdoor furniture in storage, (unless it’s our Polywood which can withstand ice and snow, or it’s well-covered and protected metal furniture) in order to safeguard it against the harsh winter elements we experience, thereby protecting their investment. But there is an alternative! Why not ‘think differently’ as an old Apple slogan suggests?

That is, let’s think differently about some of our outdoor furniture storage requirements! What if we have some extra space in our homes, whether an underutilized family room or space that can be created by rearranging furniture; why not opt for this solution to your outdoor furniture storage needs? By doing so, you will be able to use your outdoor furniture year-round, extending the life span – and enjoyment! – of your investment. And why not extend the enjoyment, rather than using it for only a fraction of a year, especially as the Scandinavian design of the outdoor furniture at Cottage Culture doesn’t always look as such, meaning it’s very versatile and stylish to spice up your indoor space in addition to outdoors. These benefits are in addition to creating additional seating to accommodate friends and family who will gather with you indoors over the winter season, not to mention holidays.

Now that you have realized the benefits of using outdoor furniture indoors, you might want to consider a trip to Cottage Culture to see our outdoor furniture selection which was chosen for its lovely Scandinavian esthetic. What is that esthetic? Let us explain…

Scandinavian Design

Scandinavian design is characterized by beautiful, simple clean lines, minimalism and functionality and, key here – without eliminating grace and beauty, inspired by nature and an emphasis on enjoying the domestic environment.  It was developed in the 1950s in the five Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The importance of balance between beauty and making the design as easy to use as possible was identified by Scandinavians early on and has been maintained ever since.

Scandinavian Colours

The most-used Scandinavian colors are neutral and monochromatic – bright, warm whites with black and oatmeal – plus splashes of color added as accents. Lush pinks, true blue – think the stone lapis lazuli, grayish blues, and colors rooted in nature – like sage – are the most popular in Scandinavian design.

Scandinavian Aesthetic

Organic and natural materials often take pride of place in Scandinavian design, reflecting the Scandinavian and Nordic countries relationship to nature. Wood, lightened to fit with a neutral color palette, stone, cotton, and wool feature heavily in Scandinavian design, as do house plants.

This clean but warm theme, alongside the calming nature of a large, light-filled space without any clutter, is partly why Scandinavian design is so popular. Don’t you already feel more calm and relaxed, and breathing more deeply, as you read this? And once immersed in this feeling, why would a person not want that same sense surrounding them indoors?

This Scandinavian style furniture possesses the innate characteristics of well-designed fashion and streamlined and clean, architecturally advanced structures, natural and natural-looking materials, and neutral colours. So why not expand this esthetic beyond the boundaries of the outdoors?

That is why we at Cottage Culture have chosen to include some lovely natural rattan furniture in our collection. The natural material and clean, architectural lines of the furniture are in keeping with the Scandinavian aesthetic. While this natural rattan means that the furniture must be placed under a roof to be enjoyed, its style aligns with our Scandinavian outdoor furniture, and so allows clients to extend that clean but warm theme into their covered porches and three-season rooms.

The Rossvik natural rattan armchiar is one example.  It’s elegant and distinct, with clean straight lines and inviting proportions – just beckoning to you to come and relax.

And the hand-woven authentic rattan Bonete dining chair by skilled artisans is another beautiful example:

In addition to the design concept of using Scandinavian-style outdoor furniture indoors, we at Cottage Culture have chosen to extend the Scandinavian esthetic by bringing into the showroom a few exceptional pieces of indoor furniture from Conform, a Swedish sister company to our Swedish outdoor furniture supplier, Brafab. Conform has chosen to limit their production portfolio to making armchairs and footstools and doing it exceedingly well.

As the Conform company itself explains:

“No matter which road you take through the Swedish province of Småland, miles and miles of dense forest will be your constant companion. But every now and then the landscape opens up, and what you will see is likely a furniture factory.

In the old days, our part of the country demanded hard, laborious work. This would shape the people of Småland, who became sensible, honest and enduring – qualities that also became the framework of the furniture industry. Småland furniture did not say “Here I am,” but rather “I am here for you.”

The well-known Swedish Furniture District of today still rests on that original approach. It’s a heritage we are very proud to be a part of.”

Every piece of furniture from Conform is designed to be the most comfortable seat in your home.

All the Conform armchairs created by their skilled craftsmen have arched surfaces and moving lines with a natural direction, as well as built-in technology to support a person’s body in every position. Understanding how a user’s lower back changes and how a body’s centre of gravity shifts is essential in Conform’s product development. The company calls it the “sitting curve” and has been following it for decades. It has pushed their furniture to the international front lines of comfort.

Seeing and sitting are the first two words in the Conform dictionary. The company believes that each one of their armchairs should look so inviting that you just have to try it. The company also believes that once you’ve sat down in one of their chairs, you should never want to get back up again.

People coming into Cottage Culture, upon sitting in our Conform Timeout armchairs second this sentiment. In particular, those who already own a Stressless chair, when trying our Conform Timeout chairs are quick to point out that the Timeout feels more comfortable, and its reclining mechanism works more smoothly than their Stressless (which makes sense as the built-in Synchro Backup provides comfortable and ergonomically correct sitting in all positions). Also, that once seated, they don’t want to move! Huge praise indeed! and confirmation of the success of the Conform company’s design philosophy.

We encourage you to come in to Cottage Culture and try the classic, organically shaped Timeout swivel recliner armchair by Conform for yourself. It’s worth the drive to Hensall !