I’m having a look at the rattan daybed today and wanted to give you a feel for the type of things to look out for when making a purchase.  First and foremost I would give the same advice as I would for any purchase of rattan garden furniture which is it to make sure the quality is up to scratch.  You don’t want a steel frame that will rust and corrode.  You also don’t want the cheap plastic looking weave that is considerable more brittle than the weave that we use.  Here at Zebrano you can rest assured that the quality issues as we offer the same great quality throughout our range of daybeds.

The daybeds are a relatively new concept that has only really been on the market for three or four years.  Before that is was possible to get a rattan daybed but they were very highly priced and really only intended for commercial use.  Here at Zebrano we started off by selling the Venice Daybed which was seen as somewhat unique at the time.  The Venice had a large canopy that could be raised so that you could get some shade and could also be lowered so that you were exposed to the sun.

In the few years since the Venice Daybed was first launched we have had several new additions to our daybed range and you can now see more than five different style on our daybed page.  Before buying a daybed you will need to consider what you intend to use the bed for.  Is it simple to relax and lounge in the sun or shade?  If that’s the case then something like the classic Venice is the daybed for you.  It is a large oval shape and is perfect for Sunday afternoon naps.

If you require a bit more flexibility to your daybed and perhaps need it to double up as a sofa or you intend to sit up and not just sleep then there are others to choose from.  We have a couple of versatile daybeds that can also be used as sofas such as the Chelsea Daybed or the Jade daybed.  Both of these can be pushed together to form a daybed that you can fully lay down on and yet they can also be pulled apart to create extra seating so that you can use the set as a sofa suite.

Therefore the first step is to consider the intended use.  Once you have done this you can narrow down the set that is right for you.  If you are looking throughout the market place then a key point to consider is the quality of the daybed.  All of our daybeds have an aluminum frame which is rust resistant and all our rattan is fade and water resistant and can be left outside all year round

Today I thought I would have a look at the key points to look out for when considering purchasing rattan garden sun loungers.  First up you have to look at the comfort of the loungers.  I am a great believer in function before form and therefore I would rather know that the item fits my intended use and doesn’t just look pretty.  In the case of Zebrano Rattan Garden Furniture all of our rattan sun loungers are comfortable.  We have designed them with the end user in mind and have included five position recliners with all of our loungers.  Our cushions are all nice and thick which ensures a comfortable lounging position.

As far as the style and looks of a sun lounger we are all very different.  As I said I am one for making sure anything I buy works as I intended it to, but once you have established that it is comfortable it’s down to you on the looks.  It all depends on your own personal style or indeed how you want your outdoor space to look.  For the more contemporary among you it could well be the minimal sleek design of the Verona sun loungers that fits the bill.  The Verona’s are both practical and ultra modern at the same time.  They come in both black rattan and brown rattan and as with all of our synthetic rattan they can be left outside all year round.

For those that think they may be sat slightly more upright in there loungers or perhaps you intend to do a lot of reading the Pescara Sun Loungers are the ones for you.  The Pescara has arms on them that give added comfort when in an upright position.  They can however be reclined to lay flat if the mood takes you.

Another consideration is the rattan weave you would like to have.  In most cases people want to make there dining sets with there sun loungers and here at Zebrano this is easily done.  We have a sun lounger to make every one of our rattan dining sets and for that matter we also have sofa sets that make as well.  Therefore you can have matching dining, sofa and sun loungers if you so choose.  We have two types of all weather rattan, flat weave and tubular weave.  To find out more about rattan garden furniture and the different weaves you can click the link.

I have highlighted two of our more popular rattan sun loungers but there are many more to choose from.  I will be back soon with more rattan buying guides very soon.

We spend alot of time explaining the durability of the rattan to customers but in all fairness it’s not often you can show customers for real.  Well for the next few days at least we have a snow filled car park and we can literally show our customers how well the rattan behaves in these types of conditions.  As predicted the snow came late on Saturday afternoon and it is still here now.  I have my rattan cube outside under a cover sp I thought i”d take a look to see if there was any obvious problems.

There wasn’t any obvious problems but then I guess it is hard to see with all this snow around!  Suffice to say that the cover kept all the snow off the set and as far as the very chilly temperatures that structure of the set is very much intact.  To be honest I did not expect any other outcome as the aluminium frame has no problems in freezing conditions and the snow is simply cold water!  As we have said a million times the all weather rattan is water resistant and colour fast so there is nothing that the snow can do to harm the suite.

I wonder if the same can be said of the hardwood garden suites that so many of us have had over the years?  Extreme temperatures are not the best for wooden furniture.  Very hot and the wood can expand and warp and extreme cold and the wood will contract.  At either extreme there is a good chance that the structure of the furniture will be harmed.  Worse case senario at this moment in time is that the wood had absorbed some moisture over the last few weeks and the freezing conditions may well have caused this water to freeze which of course leads it to expand.  Long story short this will result in cracks in the wood. 

Thankfully we are safe from any such problems in the world of rattan garden furniture and in fact welcome some extreme weather conditions so that we can demonstarte the qualities of our products.  I hope you have all managed to stay safe over the weekend as we all know the chaos a little snow can bring.  Wrap up and keep warm and if the conditions remain cold then watch out for the ice as it is often more hazardous than the initial snow.  Whatever the conditions you can rest easy in the knowledge that your rattan is safe and well in the garden even in the current weather conditions.

Having started our buying Guide series with rattan garden chairs I am back today with our guide on rattan garden tables.  Some of the sentiment in the rattan garden chairs guide is relevant again today on the tables as we will again need to ensure that the quality of the product lives up to its intended use.  In the case of rattan garden furniture we need to ensure that the products are capable of living outside all year round.  With Zebrano there are no worries on that front as all our rattan garden furniture is suitable for use in all weathers.  We have spent some considerable time and effort to ensure that the quality control is met at every level.

After the quality you need to consider your own personal patio area.  It is easy to be led astray by a fancy showroom that has a nice display.  I suggest measuring up your patio area prior to looking for the furniture.  That way you are able to discount some furniture sets before you have had a chance to fall in love with them.  The amount of people that have ask me to hold a set for them while they go home and measure only to find that the set would not fit in the area they had hoped is amazing.  The trouble is you feel a little disappointed that the suite you really wanted is not the one you end up getting.  Better then to come prepared and only look at the sets that fit.

Next up is making sure the set you choose is right for your needs.  Are you going to be hosting formal dining parties?  Are you looking for a more sociable dining experience?  These things matter as if formal is your thing then perhaps a rectangular table may suit you.  The rectangular tables give a grander, formal dining look whereas a round table is though to be more informal.  A round table is more sociable as everyone can see one another and that means everyone can be included in the conversation.  On a rectangular table you are restricted to the people opposite and directly next to you for conversation.  You could always plump for the oval table as this is the best of both worlds.

So to conclude I would say that quality control, patio space and your intended use are the three most significant factors when choosing a rattan garden dining set.  Whichever way you decide to go why not check out our rattan dining sets for our latest deals?  If you need any further help, why not give us a call on 01296 334450 or email on info@rattanfurnitureuk.co.uk

We have been adding to our resource page – about rattan garden furniture – a series of buying guides for our rattan furniture and I thought that the blog may benefit from some of the same information. I have decided to start with a buying guide for rattan garden chairs. First thing to consider when looking into rattan garden furniture in general is the quality of the manufacture. It’s no good buying a cheap rattan suite and then getting home to discover that it is poorly made and not really fit for purpose. The worse ones are the flat packed brigade. You do not want to be putting together flat packed outdoor furniture. Remember that this furniture is outdoors all year round and you don’t want it to start wobbling around straight away.

In our opinion rattan garden chairs need to be manufactured to a high quality with welded aluminum frames and woven weather proof rattan. We have started to see more and more flat packed frames that bolt together with the rattan woven around the outside. Sometimes they look ok in the photo but the bolts do not last well in the varied weather patterns we see in the UK and they start to corrode. Any corroding of these bolts and you end up with chairs that start to wobble and shake. Solid frames are a necessity for outdoor rattan garden chairs.

Suffice to say that Zebrano Rattan only supply rattan garden chairs that have been made using the best materials and none of our rattan dining chairs are flat packed. Having established a good quality build the next thing to consider is the intended use. Sounds obvious but it does make a difference to the chair you will end up buying. Take dining for example. If you think that you will be mainly eating at the table and perhaps have a sofa set which you will move to after the meal then you may want a more upright chair. A more upright chair will give you a more pleasant dining experience than say a reclining chair that is to low and laid back to be comfortable to sit at a table.

If dining is your aim then I would recommend the Cadiz or the Girona rattan chairs as they are both upright and this leads to a better dining position. If you are looking to relax more and perhaps only occasionally intend to eat at the table then I would recommend the Bilbao rattan chair. The Bilbao is a larger chair that has a slightly more reclined back which makes it a slightly more comfortable long term seat.

If you are undecided on your intended use and think that you will be relaxing just as much as eating then you may want to look at the Barcelona rattan chair. The Barcelona is a large chair than the Cadiz or Girona but it is slightly more upright than the Bilbao, therefore you get the best of both worlds. It may be only marginal but this is worth taking into consideration as it will have an impact in the long term.

Consumer confidence is the biggest worry for UK Businesses.

I find it interesting that the mood of the nation plays a significant role in how successful us small to medium sized businesses are. It seems almost irrelevant whether people can afford or desire to purchase goods and services and rather more important whether they are confident about the future of the economy.

A very good friend of mine has an extremely positive take on life and believes that with positive thoughts come positive results. Here at Zebrano we try to ‘Flip it’ so that when anything negative happens, we flip it and try to find the positive. It is a good way of looking at things and one that I would highly recommend.

A survey out this week from GfK-NOP on behalf of Jobsafe.me, an insurance provider, shows that around 8 million adults in the UK are reining in there purchases even although they have the money and the desire to purchase.
Richard Davies is the director at Jobsafe.me said “Many consumers do have the money but due to concerns around job security are storing up their cash for a rainy day.” He added that around £7bn worth of sales in bigger ticket items such as furniture and electrical goods could be released if confidence could be boosted.

I feel that the constant bombardment of negative press on the state of Europe or even our own economy has a self for filling eminent to it. People that are perfectly comfortable and unaffected by the macro issues find themselves acting like squirrels and hoarding there money away until the government tell them everything is Ok again. I say lets get positive and not talk everything down all the time. Here at Zebrano we say flip it are really looking forward to a wonderful spring and summer.

Following on from our Rattan Garden Furniture Trends series today I am looking at the rattan garden chairs. The rise of rattan garden furniture is well documented from its origin in the high end hotels and restaurants of Europe to the current well priced rattan suites available on the high street. In the case of Zebrano rattan we offer a well balanced range of rattan garden furniture that is intended for both commercial and residential.

The rattan chair trends have developed over the years starting of with the contemporary, clean lines of the Manuka arm chair. The Manuka arm chair has a squared of edge to it and is very boxy in design. The idea is that it has a crisp minimal design and this is why it best fitted into the modern hotels and restaurants in the more up market locations throughout Europe. As demand for dining furniture increased so to did demand for dining chairs increase. The first chair to emerge was the Girona rattan dining chair. The Girona fits perfectly with any of our rattan dining tables as it is simple in design and not to imposing. It can blend in with any table set which is why many of the commercial customers prefer this chair.

The Girona is perfect for the commercial market but the general public require a little more refinement when it comes to choosing there furniture. For starters they like arms on there chair. It follows then that the next chair to become popular was the Cadiz rattan chair. The Cadiz is basically a Girona with arms. If you are buying some garden furniture for your own personal use then you tend to look fro comfort as well as affordability. Arm chair with arms tends to be more comfortable than one without arms.

The Cadiz is still popular today but last year saw the emergence of the Bilbao Arm chair which is set to challenge the dominance of the Cadiz. The Bilbao is a larger, bulkier chair with flamboyant curves. The Bilbao has a more laid back appeal to it and would be considered a more comfortable chair to sit in for an extended period. The Cadiz has a more upright seated position and is considered more comfortable to eat at. Therefore customer tend to decide which function is best for there requirements. The Cadiz is more popular in the commercial environment due to its more upright position and because it a has a smaller footprint and therefore more efficient from the point of view of taking up valuable space.

Who knows what 2012 will bring us as far as top selling rattan chairs but my tip is to check out the Barcelona chair. It bridges the benefits of both the Cadiz and the Bilbao. It has a better dining position than that of the Bilbao and yet has a larger more reclined position than that of the Cadiz. It’s the best of both worlds. The design looks great and the overall appearance of the Barcelona suites is stunning.

Let’s keep the suspense to a maximum and do the best selling items in reverse order…

Number 5: Pescara Sun Lounger.

Crazy to think that sun Loungers are selling well at the moment and to be honest they have caught us by surprise as we do not have very good stock levels at the moment. Normally sun loungers are items that sell better later no in the season but this year seems to have bucked the trend. The Pescara’s are in stock at the moment in both the brown and black rattan and selling well. That said 25% of the sales for the Pescara Loungers were for people sending them off to there holiday homes in Spain. That makes a bit more sense as you can’t imagine getting a great deal of use out of them in the UK at the moment. Currently available for just £399 for the pair. (incudes the cushions and a free coffee table)

Number 4: Rattan storage Box

A great seller all year round, the rattan storage box is a favorite for all our customers. If customer haven’t already added a rattan storage box to there original order they tend to come back to us in the winter months to purchase them.  They are great for storing away the cushions from either sofa sets or dining sets and in my own personal case we store the kids’ outdoor toys in one. Currently available for just £149

Number 3: Leon Rattan Love seat

Not normally a best seller the Leon rattan love seat has snuck into the top five thanks to a large order from a commercial customer of ours. Idea for a little area in the garden that has a sun trap where you can enjoy a cup of tea or better still a glass of wine. Sale price £299.

Number2:  Rattan Cube set with footstools.

A year round favorite the rattan cube is both the height of fashion and the most practical set we do. The backs on the chairs all fold down and then they slide underneath the table for easy storage. Better still the footstools also slide under each chair so the whole suite can be closed into a cube. We have covers that neatly fit over the top so even in its winter hibernation stage it looks good!  Sure to gain the top selling spot at some point this summer the cube set will probably stay in the top five all year round. Currently on sale for £749

Number1: Toledo Rattan Sofa Suite

In first place is Zebrano’s Toledo Rattan Sofa Suite. Thanks to a favorable write up in the Daily Telegraph the Toledo Rattan sofa suite is the best selling item in January 2012. This suite has been a best seller for the last two seasons and is set to be one of our best selling sofas again this year. The suite comes with a three seater rattan sofa, one rattan arm chair, one footstool and a coffee table as well.  Contemporary, clean lines mean that this suite is both minimal in design and classy in looks. The Toledo is is both practical and best of all great value. Currently on sale for £599.