I’ve got two reasons to like  Andrew Bockner, who designs and manufactures outdoor furniture , which you can see at the Andrew Richard Designs  showroom  at 571 Adelaide East. First of all, I love good quality, well-made things, such as the Bockner’s very new and very lovely Osaka line (shown left).  Bockner’s furniture is sturdily made from woven high-density polyethylene reinforced with nylon thread. That’s why it costs more than the stuff you can buy at your local big box. It’s also why it will retain its shape through rain, wind and sun for years, unlike woven vinyl.  Non-corrosive cast aluminum and stainless steel are used for frames, while teak is kiln- and air-dried after finishing to avoid rot.  If you’re thinking about investing in new outdoor furniture, do yourself a favour and check Bockner’s stuff out.  And ask out the outdoor living feature he’ll be launching in his store soon, or watch this space for more details. Second reason that I think Andrew is a kindred spirit? During a recent store preview, he gave me a huge bunch of pussy willows, which are one of my favourite things on the planet. How did he know that when I was a kid, my mother and I would head “uptown” in King City in search of these fuzzy harbingers of Spring? The best spot was behind the Cold Storage building on King Sideroad.  Apparently, others must share my affection — at least ten people on the transit ride home struck up a conversation with me about them.  Which proves, once again, that Torontonians are actually pretty friendly folk...or that we're really, really ready for Spring.

Comments

[Grace]

We were extremely disappointed with the customer service at Andrew Richards. We bought furniture from them over a year ago and we still have not seen our order. They don't return your calls, they overcharge you when they delivered your furniture. I will never buy from them again.

It may look like nice stuff, but you may have problems actually getting it to your backyard.