We are lucky in this country, and it is easy to forget how lucky. Across most of Australia the weather lets us live outside for the better part of the year. Our winters and our cooler months are not really winters at all by the standards of a lot of the world. In plenty of places overseas, what we call a cold snap would pass for a mild summer. That one fact shapes the way we live more than we tend to admit.
Because the outdoors is open to us nearly all year, our homes lean into it. The yard, the garden, the balcony, the terrace, the little courtyard off an apartment, these are not add-ons here. They are rooms. From a Sydney terrace to a Melbourne balcony, a Brisbane courtyard to a backyard on the Gold Coast, the story is the same. We eat out there, we host out there, we wind down out there. So it follows that the outdoor space deserves the same thought we give the inside of the house. Styled properly. Comfortable. Actually usable, not just presentable. Which is exactly why good outdoor furniture matters here in a way it does not everywhere.
That is the idea the whole Parco range is built around. Solid steel construction, a triple powder-coat finish, all-weather and UV resistant, with the option of an all-weather boucle cushion across most of the range for a bit of extra comfort and softness. It is furniture made to stay outside and still look considered, so an outdoor room can be as finished as any room indoors.
The pool problem
Here is where a lot of people get stuck. Say the words sun lounge and almost everyone pictures the same thing. A lounger by a pool. As if the two only exist together.
But why? A sun lounge is a place to lie down. A place to rest, read, doze in the afternoon, catch some sun, or simply do nothing for an hour. None of that requires a body of water three metres away. So why should the one piece of furniture built purely for relaxing be locked to the one space most of us do not even have?
Once you let go of that assumption, a sun lounge starts to make sense almost everywhere the light falls.
Where it actually earns its place
On a large terrace or a rooftop, a pair of sun loungers works alongside the rest of the setup rather than instead of it. You have your outdoor dining, you have your lounge seating, and then you add a couple of sun beds as the spot to peel off from the group. Somewhere to stretch out with a book while everyone else is still at the table. They become the soft, unhurried corner of an entertaining space.
Poolside still counts, of course. As far as outdoor pool furniture goes, a good sun lounge for taking in the view, drying off after a swim and lying in the sun is one of life's simple pleasures. The difference is that a well-built poolside lounger is not a summer-only object. It stays out and stays in use long after the pool season closes, because it was never really about the pool.
In a courtyard, on a patio or an apartment balcony, the case is even clearer. When space is tight and the outdoor area is there for relaxing rather than entertaining a crowd, a sun bed is a smart alternative to a bulky lounge setting. Think of it the way you would a daybed or a hammock. One considered piece that turns a small hard-surfaced space into somewhere you genuinely want to be.
And in the backyard it just quietly does the job. The Parco Sun Bedhas an adjustable back, so it sits upright for reading or people-watching while you host, reclines for lounging, and lays flat when you want to properly stretch out or nap in the sun. One piece, a few different moods, depending on the afternoon.
Built to stay out there
None of this works if the furniture cannot take it. The reason we can talk about leaving a sun lounge on an exposed rooftop or a salt-air balcony is the way Parco is made. The triple powder-coated steel frame is UV, rust and corrosion resistant and designed to live outside permanently, not to be hauled undercover every time the sky turns. The all-weather boucle upholstery is removable, so it is easy to bring in and refresh when you want to. Beyond an occasional wipe down, and a fresh-water rinse now and then if you are near the coast, there is not much to think about.
At a generous 201 centimetres long, in Olive or Sand, it is made for proper, comfortable lounging rather than a quick perch.
So the next time you are planning an outdoor space, do not file the sun lounge under pool furniture. It belongs wherever you like to slow down. That, more than anything, is what living outdoors in Australia is really about.
The Parco Sun Bed is also part of a full outdoor furniture range, so you can build the whole space around it. Alongside the sun beds there are dining tables, benches, two seat lounges, armchairs, coffee tables and side tables, all in the same triple powder-coated steel with matching all-weather upholstery. It is outdoor furniture designed in step, made to work together across a patio, poolside, a balcony or a terrace.
You can see the Parco range and the rest of our outdoor furniture in person at our Sydney studio, open by appointment, and we ship Australia wide, from Sydney and Melbourne to Brisbane and the Gold Coast and everywhere in between.
A few common questions
Can you use a sun lounge without a pool?
Absolutely. A sun lounge is simply a place to lie back and relax, so it works on a terrace, rooftop, balcony, courtyard or backyard just as well as it does by the water.
Can the Parco sun lounge stay outside all year?
Yes. It is built from triple powder-coated steel that is UV, rust and corrosion resistant and designed to stay outside permanently. Store the removable cushion undercover when it is not in use to extend its life.
Does the Parco sun lounge recline?
Yes. It has an adjustable back, so you can sit upright to read, recline to lounge, or lay it flat to stretch out and sunbathe.
What size is it and what colours does it come in?
The Parco Sun Bed is 201 cm long, with all-weather boucle upholstery, and comes in Olive or Sand.
Does Seek & Ramble ship outdoor furniture Australia wide?
Yes. We ship the Parco range and our full outdoor furniture collection Australia wide, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. You can also view the range in person at our Sydney studio, open by appointment.
What else is in the Parco outdoor range?
The Parco range includes sun beds, dining tables, benches, two seat lounges, armchairs, coffee tables and side tables, all in triple powder-coated steel with matching all-weather upholstery.
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