Garden Furniture Care

I did something really rash a year ago, which is that I bought dining room furniture, eight chairs and a table, for a house that has not yet been built. In truth, the house has not even been designed yet. However, my love for this dining room set was so overpowering, that I bought it anyway, knowing that I had no where to store it in the interim. So here it sits, a set of dining room furniture in the middle of my living room covered in plasitc, for the last year. Let me describe its charms: the table is square, allowing for 2 seats on each side. This is an unusual seat arrangement, and I like it. It means the hosts are not 10 feet apart with the guests lined up like bowling pins on each side. The table has a wooden base, with a cut-out carved top, covered by a large piece of glass. The combined practicality and elegance of this arrangement was compelling. I can keep the table clean without having to do extensive polishing. The seats have the same cut-out carving on the backs, and a simple dark apricot nubby fabric cushion. The carved backs don’t end at the seat, but continue down to the floor. Now I just need to build a dining room to fit my table.

I am going to build a media loft area in a new house we are building and I am looking to furnish the area with a large leather couch, with a minimum of three seats. I might consider an L-shaped piece as well, or a sectional. The problem is that I am really picky about the leather itself. I don’t want leather that looks shiny, or thin. I am looking for a really nice thick leather that has a weathered or brushed appearance, but not suede. Also the color is really important, I am looking for something in a nice deep brown, no hints of red, taupe, orange or other colors. I prefer rich colors, but that have tonality and depth. I don’t like things that look fussy. I am in favor or a more rustic, durable style. I also like turned wooden feet which I feel give an cool antique look. Sometimes the Sundance Catalog carries items of this type. This is the type of couch I am looking for, but without the heavy price tag.