April 28, 2005 -- Unique outdoor furniture is not easy to find, yet there are many artisans producing outdoor furniture for a range of settings. Outdoor furniture is essentially a specialist domain which only very few furniture dealers know and understand. A recently launched website is set to make a difference to this state of affairs.
“ A chimenea is a partially open vessel for holding a fire, a little like a drum, but patterned and shaped to look beautiful in your garden whether or not a fire is burning insid... ”
The art of creating beautiful things to be appreciated out-of-doors is ancient and highly developed, yet aside from the mainstream brands, the work of outdoor furniture artisans is not easy for the layperson to find. In the online world, the pickings for outdoor furniture are even slimmer, with the mainstream furniture sites focussing on the big brands and the steadily moving outdoor furniture styles. In England, which has such a long tradition of beautiful gardens and country living, this is surprising.
One online service is set to change all of this. The uniquely named "The Cat's PJs" online store stocks a striking range of outdoor furniture from dining sets to chairs to statuary to firepits and chimeneas.
What's a chimenea? Proprietor, Mrs Ceri Prothero, is glad you asked. "A chimenea is a partially open vessel for holding a fire, a little like a drum, but patterned and shaped to look beautiful in your garden whether or not a fire is burning inside. We have chimeneas of clay and of metal. Some of these are well over one metre high and make a great contribution to the backyard especially when a fire is lit inside the drum."
The Cat's PJs stocks a range of choice products which are not only rare but simply cannot be found at the mainstream homeware stores. Mrs Prothero says, "People are looking for something that is not ordinary. Surrounded by information and technology, there is a craving for the choicest and highest-quality items available. The Cat's PJs allow people to surround themselves with beautiful items in the place where people are close to nature and can be most relaxed - in their garden."
When asked from where she sources her stock, Mrs Prothero would not be drawn, saying, "We have several producers whom we have known for a long time and trust implicitly. The Cat's PJs looks forward to playing its role in delivering this rare outdoor furniture to people's gardens and yards."
The site includes unique pictures of chimeneas and firepits and the writer was hard-pressed to find these products for sale at all on other outdoor furniture websites. Other outdoor furniture websites? "In fact," Mrs Prothero says, "It is not easy to find any website that specialises in outdoor furniture."
Mrs Prothero operates the business from Cardiff and is quick to add, "We ship throughout the United Kingdom. Delivery charges are included on the website."
The Cat's PJs website ushers in a new era of online selling of furniture with niche handmade and antique outdoor furniture being offered direct to end-consumers. Traditional furniture sales includes a raft of middlemen and distribution agents each of whom add a markup to the final price. By contrast, the Cat's PJs is able to offer high-class outdoor furniture at close to mainstream furniture prices.
For more information, see www.thecatspjs.co.uk, email e-mail protected from spam bots or phone 02920 766 833.
