AIBU to despise outdoor sofa and coffee table sets?

[1950swallpaper]

I don't know why I have taken such a dislike to them. Maybe it is because it is "indoor" furniture but outside. Maybe it is because they are all made out of grey plastic wicker which is not environmentally friendly. Maybe it is because I find them very "show-offy keeping up with the Jones' smug". Maybe it is because I know if I had one, I'd find bringing the cushions in from the rain a pain in the bum. I dunno but I really find them tacky and vulgar. Am I on my own?

SoupDragon
having borders lined with stones picked from Atlantic beaches on near the paths on mountains.

So, you say you like gardens that "encourage wildlife, those that work with nature" whilst helping to destroy the natural environment by taking stones from beaches or mountains...? 😂

Just the odd one - hardly a cart-load.

If everyone took ‘just the odd one’ the beaches would be stripped bare. Why are you so special that you are permitted to destroy natural habitats?

but I think moss lawns look really cool.
Not the most practical for a teenager to be kicking a ball round and cartwheeling on though, although I do love a chamomile lawn. But it will be staying concrete for the foreseeable I think.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

*The point, surely, is that the rattan sofa, table, etc - be they “real” or plastic - are ubiquitous. It makes you a follower not someone who is an individual with taste.

The gardens which strike a chord with me are those that encourage wildlife, those that work with nature and those that have logs, for instance, under which insects can make their homes. Gardens are outside and as such are not “rooms”.*

Well, i warn you, this may make you piss your pants with excitement, but when we got our new sofa set in the summer, a load of what I'm guessing we're wood bees found the holes in the metal legs and made that their new home. They would fly back and forward for hours, even while we were out sitting on the furniture! So my garden sofa set is definitely doing its bit for the insects. It's still out there now, they may still be I it (not sure what bees do in winter), and I haven't had to steal any natural resources from beaches or woods to do it either! Win win!

this may make you piss your pants with excitement

How charmingly expressed.

That was to Janegrey by the way.

[quote UnityUnited]@Bluntness100 Your garden sounds idyllic. Mine is small but I make the most of every inch of it. Reading this thread makes me so happy because it’s lovely to hear how people enjoy their gardens whatever it is they choose to park their bottom on.[/quote]
Two of my close friends gardens are small. Both of them have sofa sets, both small and suitable for the space. We spend a lot of time out there.

Gardens are meant to be used and enjoyed. No one buys a house with a garden so they can peer at it from inside and spend limited time outside on uncomfortable hard seating and only go out to tend it like it’s the Galapagos isles . If they do then it’s very sad. You can habe a beautiful garden that encourages wildlife and also comfy seating.

However I think it’s fairly clear everyone knows that.

If you prefer small hard seating then that’s fine, crack on. Leave the rest of us to our fresh air and big comfy seats..

@Janegrey333

The point, surely, is that the rattan sofa, table, etc - be they “real” or plastic - are ubiquitous. It makes you a follower not someone who is an individual with taste.

The gardens which strike a chord with me are those that encourage wildlife, those that work with nature and those that have logs, for instance, under which insects can make their homes. Gardens are outside and as such are not “rooms”.

I love allowing moss to grow naturally over gravel, terracotta pots that are weathered naturally, having borders lined with stones picked from Atlantic beaches on near the paths on mountains.
Some French gardens are natural in this way and all the more charming for it.

Is this a serious post?

I'd love a rattan sofa set, specifically an l shaped sofa so I can bask in comfort in the sun. But I'm a bit mean so instead I bought a sofa bed for £40 off FB marketplace last year and that did the trick! I put a tarpaulin over it when it rained. I'd actually really like one those covered day bed things in grey rattan, but I appreciate that I've have to spend some money. Sadly, no one can even see my scruffy choices at all as the nearest neighbour is 1/4 mile away. Perhaps delivery drivers and the postman are judging me!

There's loads of insects supported by my muck heap, but I have to pay the cost of a decent rattan sofa set from John Lewis every year to have it taken away. And I use pesticide and fertiliser and roll and top because land produces better grass for hay if you do. I bought in "organic hay" once and it was so full of weeds that I ended up burning it to get rid of it. I do have an old plank which I use on my muck heap though, so does that qualify?

@Tellmetruth4

SoupDragon having borders lined with stones picked from Atlantic beaches on near the paths on mountains.

So, you say you like gardens that "encourage wildlife, those that work with nature" whilst helping to destroy the natural environment by taking stones from beaches or mountains...? 😂

Just the odd one - hardly a cart-load.

If everyone took ‘just the odd one’ the beaches would be stripped bare. Why are you so special that you are permitted to destroy natural habitats?

Excellent argument.

I love ours, we eat outside all summer long. The expensive sets do not look at all cheap! it’s nothing to do with keeping up with the Joneses and everything to do with how we live as a family

Just the odd one - hardly a cart-load.

Still a good chance that you ruined some little creatures home when you took the odd one though. Got to think about these things.

Has anyone mentioned the people who make their seating from wooden pallets? I think that’s great too. Very resourceful. I think the more time people spend outside the more likely they are to plant a tree or a shrub at the very least.

@SusannaSpider

but I think moss lawns look really cool. Not the most practical for a teenager to be kicking a ball round and cartwheeling on though, although I do love a chamomile lawn. But it will be staying concrete for the foreseeable I think.

Doesn’t concrete hurt their feet? (/hands!) Moss is lovely and soft on the toes

You would hate us OP. We have an outdoor set up with the dreaded plastic wicker set, complete with coffee table. We also have a bistro heater and a fire pit for cold months. It’s under cover but in extreme weather it gets a battering from elements.

We spent a truck tonne on it all. The setting (incl coffee table) has a 10 year warranty incl the PE wicker and the setting cushions plus scatter cushions are water, mould and fade resistant. We have had it 5 years and so far no issues on any front. We love it as it basically gives a large entertaining space when people are over and even just with us family it creates an extra ‘room’ even in middle of winter. It’s great to go curl up outside in front of fire pit under heater with an iPad and Netflix. Yes, we also have a nice light set strung up .

Why would anyone want to entertain outside in the middle of winter?

I think you should look at the post named Snobbery on AIBU.
You really don't have a clue. What about a single parent who can't afford much but has a bit of "tacky" outdoor furniture so that their child can have a nice time in the garden on a hot day??

@Janegrey333 I’d be so curious as to your thoughts on my garden. I have neglected it to the point that the wildlife is very much encouraged, though I cannot attest as to the origin of my pleasingly-mossed border stones. My logs are indeed natural and scattered about, providing a bountiful habitat for large abs very angry frogs. So much so we’ve let them have that area now.

I do however have multiple furniture sets of all media, plus the aforementioned lights and water feature and, I clean forgot to mention, a fire pit.

Janegrey333 sounds like you're trolling or trying too hard. Some people see gardens as a room because it's a reasonable way to use your own space, not because they are too stupid or tasteless to do otherwise.

We had the patio re-done in autumn so it's now actually flat (it really wasn't before). This thread has made me think we should look at getting an outdoor sofa... Right up until the post about the bees living in it, which has terrified me instead.

Doesn’t concrete hurt their feet?

She wears trainers😆. But she's only just grown out of the stage of cartwheeling down pavements and being upside down generally. So the question should probably be doesn't it hurt her hands?
Moss isn't deeply rooted, I can't imagine it being any use for anything other than gently padding over with bare feet. It would look lovely though.

@Jetatyeovilaerodrome

The other thing that seemed to be the 'garden day bed' as well.

Blimey, I must be advanced tacky and vulgar! One daybed and two large swing seats as well 🤣

I love ours. We got it last year and got so much use out of it over the summer! The cushions live in the shed and can handle the odd shower. We spend a lot more time outdoors now that we have our tacky garden furniture set.

So yeah, feeling pretty smug about it.

Am chuckling at 'stones picked from Atlantic beaches'.

What's so special about Atlantic beaches in particular?

Can highly recommend this if anyone wants to up their “tacky” rating 😂

It’s 9 years old now and I blooming love it. Really comfy as a swing seat. Plus the back folds down so that it’s a large double sunbed. It’s the most used piece out of my tacky collection. It’s not rattan though.

The smaller swing seat is rattan though. I’ll definitely think of this thread when I’m chilling out this summer 🥂

1950swallpaper at least you have a garden. Lucky you. I dream about having a garden. I don't even have a balcony.

YABU. Our house is tiny, so we use our patio garden as an extra room, Love me an outside sofa!

And a massive propane Broil King barbecue right next to it that we use all year round.