What do you know about teak furniture?  It seems that the substance is the latest rage for outdoor use, but why?  And, if it’s such a great material for outdoors, is there any reason not to use it to furnish your home indoors as well?  Couldn’t you easily buy one of the many patio sets you see for sale and use it for your dining room or breakfast nook?

Teak outdoor furniture has become popular because of its quality and durability.  Teak wood is hard and malleable, meaning that it can withstand a lot of work and pressure while still conforming to the necessary shapes to create such unique items as glider rocking chairs.  However, it is also a wood that is relatively difficult to find.  In fact, out of three species of teak, only one is not endangered, and this is the one from which most teak outdoor furniture is made.  Unfortunately, even this has to be imported as either raw material or completed furniture due to the fact that it is native only to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific and will only grow in tropical regions in those areas.

Still, if you can afford the cost involved with purchasing imports, teak garden furniture is excellent and long-lasting, with natural oils that help it resist weather and elements.  Unlike cedar, these oils don’t emit an aroma that overwhelms the senses and is therefore much easier to use in enclosed spaces, making it a good choice for indoor use as well.  However, garden patio furniture is still the number one use for teak.

One indoor purpose that has become extremely common for the wood is wood flooring.  Because it is so hard and cannot easily be damaged, teak is often used for wood floors as well as for the veneer finishes on other floorings.  If you wanted to create a theme, you could decorate one room containing hard wood teak floors with teak wood furniture, creating a certain motif with your efforts. 

Still, as with cedar, it is sometimes better to think in minimalist terms, using one piece to make a statement within a room, such as porch rocking chairs that can be brought indoors and treated as a modern antique to be passed down like a family heirloom.  Made out of teak, it is guaranteed to withstand the test of time with minimal maintenance required.

In answer to the question of whether or not teak is good for indoor use, the answer would have to be an overwhelming yes, tempered with a thought of how much you intend to use and how you intend it to be used.  Most applications avail themselves, but there are times when you might want to think twice before spending the cash.