We still think of craftsmanship as a process. Our furniture is simply the best made because we make it right. In many cases, we select eased edge #1 Eastern White Cedar (Chamacyparis thiodes) which is defined by the Dictionary of Wood as "excellent for barrels, boats and exterior furnishings." When we built boats, we used this cedar and the other various whitewoods we now use on the most wear-sensitive part of the boat- the hull. We set many teak and mahogany decks and transoms which, while beautiful, required constant oiling and care. We know cedar and whitewood. We know teak. We know mahogany. It is absolutely unnecessary to spend four or five times the money for teak or mahogany furnishings when the cedar and whitewoods we use weathers beautifully to a soft silvery-grey, is extremely durable and is perfectly suited for outdoor use. We could easily make teak and mahogany furniture. We don’t. We’ve chosen to put over a century of tradition and deeply felt responsibility to the legacy for quality and craftsmanship we have inherited into building our furniture. Not every single stick of lumber we use on our furniture is traditional white cedar. We have found, over the past 30+ years, that some components need to be made from hardwoods, whitewoods, or other lumber. White cedar frameboards, dowel pins or plugs, for example, are not suitable for the purpose and we use better choice material where necessary.

The woods we use grow quickly to commercial height in about one-third the number of years it takes for teak and mahogany, making our wood a rapidly renewable natural resource. The milling and construction processes we use create virtually no waste, (unlike production of plastic outdoor furniture) and we recycle all of our unused wood into mulch and other such products.

Our furniture is possibly the most decay and insect resistant available. The natural preservatives contained within the wood will allow it to last for many, many years, and make staining, painting or finishing a choice, not a requirement. Unlike many other woods, such as pine or redwood, the fine textured, mildly aromatic white cedar is also generally splinter-free. Whitewoods and cedar have been highly prized for outdoor applications by craftsmen through the centuries, from Native American canoes to present day decks, fences, log cabins, and of course, outdoor furniture.

The care we take when building your furniture reflects the education and pride passed to us over four generations. Each of our seat slats are a dimensional 3/4˜ thick by 3˜ wide, and strongly secured with two screws on each end and one in the center. Our front and back legs are a dimensional 1 3/4˜ thick and our back rails are a sturdy 5/4˜ x 2˜. We countersink all the screw holes on the bench and cover them with wood plugs. We use standard mortise & tenon joinery where appropriate, make our own wood glue formulations for solid glue joints, and use marine-recommended nylon-reinforced hardware. We build and ship every product in usually just four components, (not hundred piece kits), completely ready for easy assembly with the basic nut, bolt, washer and wood plug hardware we provide. We assume you are not an experienced woodworker familiar with difficult mortise and tenon joinery, so we do the advanced woodwork, leaving you the task of bolting together just a few pieces and tapping in a plug, where necessary, to protect and cover the hardware.

PLEASE NOTE: WE CARE ABOUT THE TREES WE USE AND WE TRY TO USE 100% OF EACH TREE WE BUY. PLEASE DO NOT BECOME DISTRAUGHT BECAUSE THE BOTTOM OF A SLAT HAS SOME BARK OR WANE OR THERE IS A FUZZY SAW EDGE ON THE INSIDE, DOWN EDGE OF A SPREADER OR SLAT. WE ARE USING 100% OF THE TREE IN THE MOST ELEGANT AND CONSIDERATE MANNER POSSIBLE. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, PLEASE DO NOT SEND US PICTURES OF THE UNDERSIDE OF YOUR FURNITURE. ALSO, PLEASE DO NOT SEND US PICTURES OF AREAS THAT, WHEN ASSEMBLED, WILL BE COVERED OR HIDDEN. AND PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT THAT ALL THE SCREWS ARE GOING TO BE SEATED TO AN EXACT 1/16TH BELOW THE FLUSH EDGE ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR TABLETOP. WE ACTUALLY HAVE HAD A FEW CUSTOMERS USE THIS AS A REASON TO RETURN THE FURNITURE TO US OR DEMAND THAT WE PAY FOR THE RETURN.

Be realistic about what you are getting for what you paid. Please assemble your furniture FIRST, stand it up as it will properly rest, THEN take a look and see if the area you saw as a "problem" when you took it out of the box is still noticeable. If the automakers shipped their cars upside down, very few of us would like what we saw. We would have to charge 100x what we do and use far more of these magnificent trees if we made every square inch flawless. We put the pretty, nicely finished side up and the less nice stuff down and out of sight. Only your rabbits, cats and dogs will notice and they won't care. Neither should you.

Every one of our benches and dining chairs feature the simple design elements that are consistently found in comfortable seating: a full 20˜ deep, gently curved seat section, with the top of the seat about 17˜ from the floor, and a back that gently reclines at about 8 degrees. In addition, all of our benches have a bottom rail on the back for lumbar support and the arm rest is an ergonomically correct 7˜ from the top of the seat to the top of the arm. Whether you choose your seating in our curved-back Monet or straight-back Classic style, you will be very comfortable.

We like to believe that what we do is fun, good for our customers, rewarding for our employees, and responsible to our community. And, of course, we stand behind all of this and all our products with our guarantee that if you are not more than satisfied with your experience, you can send the purchase back in its original condition for a full refund. We look forward to serving you.