It’s Time For a Change

Most of you know how much we enjoy our back porch. It has three different areas which include the covered seating area, the dining area, and the seating area right outside the french doors. Each of these areas has a lot of patio furniture. Of these three areas, the one we use the least is this seating area. And let me tell you why.

First off, I should mention where we got our teak furniture. Over twenty years ago, Dave and I took a trip to Bali with a group of people and we ended up buying some teak furniture. Actually, it was a LOT of teak furniture. Like a container load. The price of the teak furniture compared to what it cost here at home was a fraction of the cost. Even after we calculated the shipping costs.

So we bought a lot of teak furniture. “A lot” can be defined as two large dining tables, twenty chairs, nine benches, two coffee tables, four lounge chairs, and two end tables. I never really thought about how long the teak would last. But it seemed good quality and I loved it. 

Fast forward twenty plus years and it’s still holding up pretty well. It has aged beautifully as I love the natural grey color. A few of the pieces have fallen apart (such as the lounge chairs) and we have replaced the cushions quite a few times.

I should admit that I didn’t put in a lot of effort to care for our teak furniture. It aged very well and looked great. I cleaned the furniture every few years with a teak cleaner. But that was about it. One time, when we filmed a commercial in our back yard, someone decided (without asking me) to oil one of our coffee tables to “make it look like new”. I was beyond hysterical and yelling because I assumed they had ruined my table. I billed them $2500 for a new one, only to find out that all I had to do was clean it a few times and leave it in the sun for a month before it looked just like every other piece. 

But I still think we are ready for a change. Why?

First off, the furniture is a bit small. When we bought these benches, our kids were 5, 3 and 2 years old. Now that they are in their mid-twenties and are 6’7″, 6’6″, and 6’5″ tall, the benches are a bit small for our family. Plus, the benches and chairs aren’t that comfortable. In fact, they are not very comfortable at all. I find it’s hard to coax my family outside to relax and enjoy the view of our backyard. 

I finally made a decision and decided after 23 years, it was time for new outdoor patio furniture. I want larger furniture that is more comfortable and seats at least six people. I may have to invest in stages, but I am so excited to start shopping. If you have any suggestions where I should look, please let me know!

In case you are wondering what I am going to do with the old teak furniture, I have decided to send it to Waco. We added a wrap around porch to our new home. It is huge and it needs a lot of furniture. So these benches and table (and maybe the dining table) are headed to Waco. Have I mentioned I might be driving a truck myself to Waco? Yes, it is true. Is anybody up for a road trip?

I would love some company.