Skagerak by Fritz Hansen

Skagerak was founded in Denmark in 1976 and is now part of Fritz Hansen, which tells you most of what you need to know about the company it keeps. The work has always been quiet rather than loud: FSC-certified teak, simple joinery, pieces drawn to be used for decades instead of noticed for a season.

Teak is the material the brand is built on, and it was used for ship decks for the same reason it works here. The oils are inside the timber, so it protects itself. Left outside it silvers to a soft even grey within a season with no loss of strength at all. Oiled each spring it stays honey and golden. Both are correct; only the look changes.

The unusual thing about Skagerak is how much of it works indoors. The planters, benches, side tables and smaller accessories read as interior furniture, and plenty of them end up in hallways and living rooms rather than on terraces. Teak indoors darkens rather than greys, so a piece that moves inside will keep changing colour for a year or two before settling.

Care is a soft brush, mild soap and water along the grain, twice a year. Keep pressure washers away, since they raise the grain and leave a surface that holds dirt. The questions below cover weathering, indoor use and cleaning.