First and foremost, let me state that for ecological and quality reasons, Indonesian teak is #1.

Whats so great about teak?  The three most important reasons are:  1) it's a very durable product; 2) it's easy to maintain and; 3) it's beautiful.  Pictures hardly do the furniture we have justice, but take a moment to look at some of the pieces we have hand selected for our store.

Currently there is a strong wave of appreciation for, and the desire to maintain the natural beauty of the Earth.  When talking about furniture, teak seems to fit into this niche quite well as it brings nature into our homes in a useful and practical, not to mention beautiful way.

Teak is a very hard, closely grained wood amd extremely high in natural oils.  These properties help maintain the woods endurance.   The ecology-minded will be interested to know the teak wood to specify when buying furniture is Indonesian teak.  Why?  In Indonesia, there are teak plantations strictly managed by the government to harvest this wood for the sole purpose of manufacturing.

In no way does the use of this wood interfere or damage Indonesia's rain forest.  In fact, the only teak products the environmental groups Rainforest Alliance and Friends of the Earth certify are those from Indonesia.

Besides buying the wood from Indonesia, you might want to request the furniture also be made there.  One reason is the Indonesians are reknowned crafts people.  Another reason to buy Indonesian harvested and Indonesian made furniture is that you are helping that country receive earned value for the responsible use of one of its natural resources.

If you are buying teak for outdoor use, you can be assured that it will withstand the elements with grace.  You can even leave your teak furniture outside all year long and when left untreated and exposed to sunlight, it will weather to a pleasing silver-gray color.  If you like the new look of the teak, yearly oiling and storage during the winter months is all that is required.