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Those made entirely of cinder blocks and stone
slabs can, of course, be left outdoors and used on those few bright days
of winter when the sun lures you out for a quick picnic in the sparkling
air. These, too, can be called "demountable" because they can be moved
from one spot in the garden to another if you wish-from the open
terrace into a sun-trap in a corner, from the terrace alongside the house
to another place where you may have an outdoor fireplace for cooking.
But they are rather heavy and you won't want to move them too often.
Consider the tables which fold down from a porch or terrace railing
and those which lower from a kind of outdoor "breakfront." With one
of them you can have a good-looking piece of furniture which does not
take up a great deal of space when it is not in use.
In addition to these features you will find a number of designs for
seating pieces. Note in the shelter section how seats have been built
in as integral parts of the shelters, and how, in the wall section of this
book, low walls are shown used as seats, too. These will "come in very
handy," as my mother used to say, when you are entertaining the
family or large numbers of people on the terrace for luncheon or for
cocktail parties, or other gatherings.
The primary consideration in choosing outdoor furniture, whether
you build it yourself or buy it, is that it should be practical and useful.
Secondarily, it should be good-looking and simple, so that it fits well into
its surroundings and is a part of the general picture-an unobtrusive
part. You will find that the natural qualities of unfinished wood, stone,
and building blocks used for furniture will help to keep it in the back-
ground and in harmony with the house and natural parts of the garden.
If the materials must be painted, we urge that soft colors be employed-
never bright or dominant ones, never hard reds or bright oranges, or
even that unnatural green one so often encounters.
BENCH FOR GOOD COMPANIONS
Backless garden benches are coming more
and more info use. This bench can be used
alone as shown in bottom version, or can be
used to angle off to follow a terrace boundary or one of the part-shade, part-sun trellises now so popular. It will adapt itself to any
site and can be portable or permanent. Built
of 1" x 2" stock held apart at supports and
half-way between supports by 1" x 2" x 2"
blocks it has apron boards and two center
boards of 1 'x 6" shaped at ends to meet end
aprons of 1' x 4" stock. Supports consist of
2-2" x 8"s shaped as shown resting on 2" x
A" feet which protect them from rot.
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