Rooted in Comfort: Our Outdoor Teak Furniture

Amidst our lush green garden, a few gnarly pieces of outdoor furniture find their home. Each handcrafted from teak, they consist of a quirky café table with two stools, three hearty benches encircling our bonfire place, and a multi-tiered sideboard teeming with plants and interesting bric-a-brac, just outside our door.

Their forms are naturally twisted and entwined, giving the impression that they've sprung from the earth like ancient, weathered trees. And like driftwood, the teak weathers beautifully over time. The once honey-hued wood turns whiteish, evoking the bony, bleached look of driftwood. Even nature seems to appreciate our furniture, as moss begins to creep across the benches, and tiny critters find solace in the nooks and crannies.

First-time guests often ask, somewhat bemused, "Did these come with the cottage?" The idea that these pieces might have simply sprouted out of the woodland floor isn’t far-fetched. They seem so at home here, as though they have always been.

Our root furniture isn't immune to the ravages of time and roughhousing, particularly when Bear treats them like his personal playground. As such, they require occasional mending, an added leg here or a fixed piece there. But we accept this decay as part of their charm. Like an aging tree, they've grown hollow and beautiful in their decline. Their imperfections are a testament to their longevity and our commitment to their preservation. After all, a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts. It’s beautiful because it was loved, and because it was real.