Around Arcachon Bay, many gardens have their feet in the sand. Near the dune or under the pines, the soil is light, dries quickly, and gives way under weight. A lawn does not always hold there; nor does a lounge set, unless you think about what it stands on.
What loose ground does
A slender leg concentrates the whole weight of a piece on a few square centimetres. In sand, it sinks, and not evenly: the table leans, the chair tips as soon as you lean on it. The wider the bearing surface, the more the weight is spread, and the better the piece stays level. That is the first criterion, before style itself.
Three ways to settle the furniture
1. Give it a floor. Wooden decking, a few paving slabs laid flat or a bed of well-packed gravel are enough to create a firm surface under the lounge set or the table. Make it a little larger than the whole arrangement, so the chairs do not fall off the edge when they are pushed back.
2. Choose broad supports. A base of solid planks, a central pedestal, sturdy cylindrical legs sink far less than a silhouette on tapered legs.
3. Keep wheels for hard ground. A sun lounger on wheels moves effortlessly across a terrace or decking; in sand, the wheels no longer turn. Keep it for firm surfaces.
A few pieces that hold their ground
All of them are made for indoors as well as outdoors.
- Satriya, a lounge set made entirely of reclaimed teak slats, without a single cushion: nowhere for the sand to settle.
- Vairani, a very low coffee table in reclaimed teak, on a base of solid planks, with the straightforward stance of a bench.
- Bowo 150, a 150 cm round table in reclaimed teak, carried by three sturdy cylindrical legs, massive as columns.
- Adika, an oval table in reclaimed teak on an oval central pedestal.
Care, under the pines
Sand. It lodges between the slats and in the weaves, and wears the cushions. A soft brush, then a rinse with clean water. No pressure washer, which damages the wood fibres.
Needles and resin. Pine needles brush off. A drop of resin on a table comes off with a cloth dampened with a little methylated spirit, then you rinse.
Winter. Teak can stay outdoors. A breathable cover protects it from needles and dirt; let it dry before covering it, and bring the cushions in.
At the La Teste-de-Buch showroom, a stone’s throw from the dune and the forest, you can see these bases up close and choose the one that suits your garden.