I’m witnessing a groundswell of interest in “secret gardens.”
Something inside us longs to be surrounded with nature and beauty. Now more than ever, people are craving something beautiful, meaningful and timeless for their private garden enclaves. They’re discovering that concrete faux bois (meaning false wood in French) furniture is an idea fit for their vision of a secret garden.
Those of us who grew up reading “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “The Secret Garden” were forever imprinted with evocative images of tea parties with eclectic friends and doors leading to forgotten labyrinths.
These classics have infused our imaginations with thoughts of mysterious and wonderful gardens.
I design and create custom concrete faux bois benches, tables and chairs for people who want something to make their garden spaces reflect their imaginations and love of nature. They want their outdoor furnishings to be artfully unique, beautiful, and functional, and at the same time look natural — not manmade. They invest in my faux bois furniture because they consider them future heirlooms to be enjoyed by family and friends of all ages.
This faux bois tea table was created for a secret garden at a Connecticut country home.
More and more, my handmade creation are shipped to secret gardens throughout the country. I’m currently working on an exquisite faux bois bench and faux bois planters for a Houston woman who proclaims that her planned garden niche will be her “happy place . She loves seeing progress photos of the creation of her faux bois garden furniture set.
Faux bois benches, tables, chairs and other garden décor can fit into any style of secret garden
1. The fantasy romantic and cottage gardens
Romantic secret gardens are perfect for dreamers who have a fantasy about tea parties, candlelight and deep conversations about art, good books and everything enchanting. This organic “driftwood style” concrete faux bois bench and shepherd’s hook have an Art Nouveau flair. When paired with a lantern, candles, and a wall of blooming roses, the scene becomes a magical setting fit for the main character in a Victorian novel. This photo was taken in my own rose garden!
This organic style concrete faux bois bench and shepherd’s hook seems a natural fit in this romantic rose garden—which happens to be located outside of my own studio!
2: The classical European style garden
A faux bois bench can provide a natural looking resting place and focal point in any classical/European style garden. My client in the Hamptons who commissioned it wanted a large, gently curved faux bois bench to make this circular garden space seem more intimate and inviting. It also gives her and her guests a place to stop, rest and contemplate the beautiful scenery around them.
This faux bois bench, which has a nod to the traditional French faux bois style, was the ideal choice for my client’s classical garden in the Hamptons.
3. The garden grotto
Grottos are garden features with mysterious niches that often look like caves or remnants of ancient ruins. They’re as popular today as they were hundreds of years ago in Europe, and religious style grottos actually date back to Roman times. These unique spaces offer the feeling you get when you enter an exquisitely abandoned medieval castle that has a lovely patina, moss, lichens and loads of secrets to tell.
I created this simple but elegant faux bois branch-style bench for a Connecticut estate. The owner lives and works in New York City during the week and retreats to her country home on the weekends. This garden grotto bench overlooks a peaceful pond with a fountain and is a place for her to relax and enjoy the peace of her secret garden.
This faux bois bench is a natural pairing for this Connecticut estate’s garden grotto.
4. The garden niche
This faux bois bench was commissioned by an art collector with a seaside home. She has a lovely cottage-style garden with a small garden niche that needed something special. She commissioned a curved high back branch bench as a sculptural element to transform the space. In wintertime when nothing is blooming, she enjoys looking out her window and viewing the bench as a sculpture.
This faux bois bench is the perfect fit for a niche in the garden of an oceanfront home.
Visit my website https://www.fauxboisfurniture.com if you would like to find out more about commissioning faux bois furniture to fit your secret own garden.
