before smith and hawken closed their retail stores, we purchased a very heavy set of patio furniture. our plan was to buy it at smith and hawken since they were known for their quality. we also thought since they were a staple in the garden furniture industry, we could easily add to our collection as we needed or could afford.
fast forward a couple of years later...the retail stores were closed, and the brand was sold to target. yes, target still carries a style like the one we bought. but the quality is seriously undermined, it's made in china, and the chairs weigh at least two-thirds less than the ones we have. we were seriously bummed.
our imminent move had me asking how to deal with the set. should i sell it and start over? i was worried that we would get nothing for the set. you can buy a set at target that looks almost identical for about 10% of what our set cost. (seriously!!!!) i knew if we tried to sell it, we would get nothing. and to replace it with one as heavy would be expensive.
the black finish was getting a bit oxidized after many years on a south-faced deck. and the traditional style of the pieces was just not right for our more modern space. so i got this idea to get them powder coated. i called around, and found that it wasn't horribly expensive. and the finish will last a really long time. so off they went.
tony, the guy at premier coatings, came to the house to pick them up and bring me a color chart so i could choose the colors. when i looked at the chart it was mostly boring blacks or severely dull colors. so i asked him, "do you have anything in orange??" he actually laughed at me (in a good way), and explained that he had more colors, but didn't expect patio furniture to need the crazy ones. off he went with the pieces, and a few days later the new (crazy) chart was in my mailbox.
here are the new crazy orange chairs, paired with a grey table. there are two more orange chairs that you don't see, and a grey side table that's hiding in the rear of the photo. i am reallly excited. i think the color kinda makes them modern, and now we can add other furniture to the collection and tie it all together with color in the fabric cushions. that's the idea anyway.
they are going on our roof-top deck. and the good news is that they will definitely not blow away like their target imposters!
