Teak Furniture for the Bathroom and Garden — Is It a Good Idea?

Wood in the bathroom? On the terrace, in the rain? Intuition says you're asking for warped, swollen furniture. With most species — rightly so. But teak is the exception that spent centuries building the decks of ocean-going ships. Bathroom humidity and terrace rain are gentler on it than the salt water of the open sea.

Why teak shrugs off water

The secret is its oiliness. Teak contains natural oils and rubber that act as built-in impregnation — water runs off instead of soaking in. Add a high silica content that makes it hard, and a dense grain that keeps it from warping and cracking with humidity swings the way most woods do. That's why it belongs where other species fail.

Teak in the bathroom

• Washstand tops, stools, floor mats, shelves — teak thrives in the humid air of a bathroom.
• Ventilation is essential — the problem is never the wood itself, but standing water and stagnant air. Make sure the room airs out after a bath.
• Care as usual — wiping dry, occasional oiling (here's how). Don't leave puddles sitting for long — out of good habit, not necessity.

Teak in the garden and on the terrace

Outdoors, teak shows what it can really do. Left unoiled, it gradually takes on a noble silvery-grey patina — the very colour many people love it for — without losing any strength. If you'd rather keep the honey tone, oil it more often than indoors, as sun and rain "wash it out" faster.

One caveat: in a cold winter climate, it's worth protecting garden furniture from standing in ice and snow — not for the sake of the wood itself, but for the fittings and joints. A cover, or a corner of the garage for the worst months, is enough.

What to watch for when buying

All these virtues apply to solid teak — not veneer, and not "teak-coloured" finishes. How to tell one from the other is covered in our teak furniture guide. For the bathroom and garden, veneer is a non-starter: the first prolonged damp will delaminate it.