How to update your garden furniture

Outdoor wooden furniture is an investment. And it's definitely one worth making but can so easily start to look a bit drab if it's left to the elements.

You can restore it by sanding and re-waxing/oiling.

Or you can add some personality and pizazz by adding some colour and joy to your design, bringing the sunshine to your furniture as well as your garden.

Here's my tips on how to make the best of your upcycle. 

First things first, the boring bit - prep:

• give your furniture a really good clean, especially if it's got some black water marks - a mild detergent is fine just make sure you rinse it all off and don't completely soak the wood
• once it's dry (and don't be tempted to start before it is), it needs a light sand to give it something for the paint to stick to and remove any rough bits that might have appeared over the years
• you can use an electric sander or just do it by hand, either works well and I'd suggest using 120grit sandpaper
• depending on how much you have to do, you might want to take the furniture apart to make sanding easier but make sure you keep a track of what goes where so you don't end up with one dreaded bolt left over 
• once sanded, give it a good brush off and clean (if necessary) so all the loose dust doesn't get into your paint finish

The fun bit!:

• choose your paint - there are lots of outdoor furniture paints/stains available now so you should be able to find something you like
• I use the 'Frenchic Alfresco' range. I've used it on lots of furniture and other bits in the garden including plastic planters and it gives a nice smooth, intense finish. They have loads of fab colours too
• you can go as crazy as you like with all the colours on offer, or equally just keep it simple
• be warned however, if you want to create crisp geometric designs, the yellow frogtape doesn't then to stick on outdoor teak! - but I have managed to use the green 
• give your furniture the recommended coats of paint - if using a specific outdoor paint you shouldn't need to add any additional protection afterwards

And there you have it, outdoor furniture to make you smile and add colour to your garden!

NB To make the most of your revitalised furniture I'd suggest buying protective waterproof covers for the winter