Sitting in your conservatory with a hot drink is a relaxing experience like no other. Just think of it - a roomy, sunny conservatory, vibrant plants all around you, a separate seating area with blinds, and a refreshing drink in your hands. A beautiful, complete picture, except -

What are you sitting at?

Choosing conservatory furniture is a crucial part of building your conservatory, and the sooner you realize that the better.

Conservatory furniture needs to have a few special characteristics -

1. Being able to handle sunlight. While the conservatory is protected from rain, it usually gets exposed to a high amount of sunlight.

2. Lightweight. All outdoor or garden furniture should be movable, so that two people (at most) can easily shift it around the seating space.

3. Match the d?cor of the conservatory. Natural materials like wood and cane are excellent for conservatory use. You can jazz up your cane or wood furniture with colorful cushions and upholstery, but their basic structure should match the wood or vines growing nearby.

Clearly, the best choices available here are wood and cane - materials which have a soft, muted texture and can be treated to be weather-resistant as required. While glass can make itself at home anywhere, metal is quite rare in conservatory furniture. Plastics should be used only if they are known to be fit for outdoor use, and if their color fits in perfectly with the d?cor. As far as expenses go, mass-produced cane chairs are nearly as inexpensive as plastic, and will last a lot longer before giving out.

Between cane and wood, cane holds a few clear advantages.

1. It is lighter. While wooden chairs and tables can also be moved around, cane is at least four times as light - you can move it around effortlessly.

2. Cane is cheaper than wood. Admittedly, high-end cane furniture may be at least as expensive as wood furniture, but you can get good and durable cane furniture for much less than wood items.

3. Cane is available in more colors. Once you have wooden furniture of a certain shade, you are stuck with it. To top it off, you have probably made a huge investment and cannot think of selling off your prize for a mere fraction of what you paid for it. On the other hand, cane can be repainted once every few years - even at home if necessary - and it is available in a much wider range of colors in the first place.

Not all cane conservatory furniture is made completely of cane, however. The large, bulky-looking sofa sets are made of extremely tough wood frames (usually pine, oak or teak) to which the cane fibers are woven. They are also available with leather and fabric upholstery, effectively being as solid and comfortable as your household furniture while letting you enjoy the texture of cane.

While hunting out cane furniture for your conservatory, it is best not to decide in a hurry. Look through the conservatory furniture you see on display, and take your time before deciding on the perfect piece for you.

About the Author
Learn more about and browse cane furniture and conservatory furniture. Click here to view more articles by Gen Wright.