How to furnish a perfect patio: homeowners are turning this once-humble backyard area into the utmost in beauty, convenience, and luxurious living - Lifestyles - Gloster Furniture Inc

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), March, 2003 by Robert S. Rothenberg

DURING THE 1840s, the cry of "Manifest Destiny" was at the lips of American politicians, setting forth the need to continue westward expansion until the U.S. occupied all land coast to coast and from Canada to Mexico. This was accomplished in 1912, when New Mexico and Arizona joined the Union, completing the continental U.S.

With geographic expansion on a major scale a fait accompli, American homeowners today have turned their sights on a new version of growth, this time from the back doors of their houses. Once a minor adjunct with a couple of pieces of web furniture for taking in the sun on pleasant afternoons and a charcoal grill to cook a few frankfurters and hamburgers on, the patio has become the latest example of conspicuous consumption and oneups-manship. People who have conquered the frontiers of interior design have mined their gazes to the outdoors, determined to make this once-humble backyard area the utmost in beauty, convenience, and luxurious living.

With a keen eye on this growing trend in Americans' lifestyle, we set out to furnish what might be considered the ideal patio, the envy of one's neighbors and the pride and joy of the entire family, combining comfortable leisure, decorative dining, and outdoor haute cuisine. The following furniture and accessories work well, whether the patio is a simple, unadorned concrete slab, shaded by an awning, or roofed. The one criterion is that it remains configured for outdoor living, in contrast, say, to a sunroom or other enclosed part of the house.

Tackling fresh-air dining first, we turned to Gloster Furniture Inc., South Boston, Va., manufacturers of classic traditional teakwood garden furniture, opting for the rich look of wood in preference to wrought iron, glass, aluminum, or other alternatives meant to cope with the elements. Teak, in mm, offers two options for how you want your furniture to look. Left untreated, the wood will mellow to an attractive weathered gray; oiled and polished on a regular basis, it will maintain its rich, natural wood appearance, despite the ravages of direct sunlight, humidity, cold, rain, snow, or whatever else Mother Nature's capricious moods might throw its way.

With a wide range of shapes and seating capacity to choose from, we ultimately settled on the Bristol extending table ($1,510) with its distinctive rectangular sides, graceful rounded ends, and slender, but sturdy, rectangular legs anchored by a crosspiece for perfect balance. The table measures 67" x 35 1/2", more than comfortable for a half-dozen diners, with a pair of extension leaves that nest under the tabletop adding 21 1/2" to the length, increasing room for another two to four people. The leaves are designed to form a center hole for an umbrella/parasol, while an extension bar allows for similar use when the table is not opened.

For seating, the Kingston dining chair comes either in an armchair style ($455) with a 22" seat or an 18" model without arms ($400), each with a slightly curved back that, combined with the 35 1/2" height, is exceedingly kind to the spine. Both seat and back are slatted, allowing air to circulate freely on hot days and avoiding puddling from inclement weather. Although very comfortable as is, the chairs can be made even more so with the addition of seat and back cushions. Gloster's come in a 2-2 1/2" thickness with machine-washable acrylic fabric in a half-dozen colors and press-stud fitting that provides easy removal when the covers have to be popped into the wash. For a full catalogue of Gloster's fine furniture, go online at usa@gloster.com or call 1-888-GLOSTER.

Since we love the glowing look of teak, we made the decision to maintain its natural finish, rather than let it weather. This, of course, meant we would have to put in the effort of keeping the wood oiled on a regular basis, not that disagreeable a chore if you stay ahead of the job. We found an ideal marriage between the teak and Weiman Lemon Oil from the Herbert Stanley Company, Gurnee, Ill. The oil nourishes the wood to retain the finish and, in the case of neglect, can restore it so that it virtually looks brand-new. What makes this oil distinctive from the many competitors on the market is the UVX-15 sunscreen that protects wood from the elements. A 16-ounce bottle runs $3.69-4.69 at supermarkets, hardware stores, and mass merchandisers.

Considering that patios invariably are built on concrete, brick, or some other unforgiving surface, they are not the place for your finest china to be trotted out, no matter how elegant the meal. (Keep in mind that, as luxuriously as you are furnishing it, the patio remains, at heart, a casual place, so plan your table settings accordingly.) Thus, the object was to unearth dinnerware that was utilitarian without sacrificing attractiveness. We found the ideal compromise in a pair of products from World Kitchen, Inc., Elmira, N.Y., the umbrella company now encompassing, among a wide range of products, a couple of venerable brands with shining new looks. From Corelle Dinnerware, we selected the Sunblossoms pattern with its whimsical border of bumblebees, pineapples, and garden seed-sale signs, the green-yellow-and-black coloration bright and cheerful against the off-white background. A basic 16-piece set ($19.99) includes four each of 10 1/4" dinner and 6 3/4" salad plates; 18-ounce bowls suitable for everything from soup to fruit to ice cream; and hefty 11-ounce stoneware mugs. As usual with Corelle, they're chip- and break-resistant, microwavable, and lightweight.