The Case For The Unassuming Backyard Picnic Table
While Caitlin writes hilarious posts against curved sofas, I’m over here doing the opposite and bringing awareness to an oft-dismissed piece of outdoor furniture. As the self-appointed PR ambassador for “big picnic tables,” I wanted to answer the 3-4 people who are curious why I like them so much. You see, the basic, pedestrian picnic table isn’t a typical designer move – no fancy wood grain, barely mixed finishes (silver screws could count?), neither trend forward nor extremely comfortable. They are literally everywhere you look – at public parks, churches, and schoolyards. And yet, they are so perfect for us and I don’t know of a solution that would work as well in our parklike backyard. So the question is: Why should I get a picnic table? Followed up with a round up of a few with different styles (some fancier, I promise). They Work On Every Uneven Floor Surface I believe it was 3 years ago when I bought my first picnic table (seen above). We had this pea gravel area in front of the mini-gym (near the mini-pool), and pea gravel is notoriously annoying for chair legs (they get stuck, hard to move each chair, off balance, and they look dumb/sloppy because they are never even). So it was a no-brainer – what table and chairs would work on such a precarious floor? An attached bench picnic table. I ordered these from Wayfair, and I remember they weren’t cheap ($750), which is admittedly a lot for a wood picnic table. But I liked the cleaner lines of the shape (see how they are finished all straight?), the tone of the wood, and how it was assembled. I ordered 2 so we could put them together for bigger kid parties. They Sit Evenly On Flagstone I moved two of them onto the flagstone landing pads that meander through our newly finished area in the backyard (thanks to Dennis’ 7 Dees) and LOVE THEM. Here, our flagstone is perfectly installed and very flat and even, but still it’s not like it’s a concrete pad – it was done organically for a reason. If we had dining legs, they would for sure get caught in the gaps, which would be annoying on a million levels. I love that these have attached benches that make them only have four wide points of contact on the floor. Wait, I Have A Grassy Backyard! Can I Have A Picnic Table? Yes! You too can enjoy the life around a picnic table. They also work GREAT on grass and are easy to move around, should you not want to ruin the grass underneath. I love them near a tree for shade (thus our huge trees from Big Trees Today nearby). I also love that they are easy to move – two people can easily transport them around the yard, should we all want to be closer to the trampoline or something. FURTHERMORE, for bigger dinner parties, we can put them into one long table on the grass in the evening, either with or without a gap in between. In conclusion (I feel like I’m writing a term paper in 7th grade), here is why I love picnic tables: The vibe is casual, classic, and inviting, and says “all are welcome to sit here and enjoy a day in the park together”. They are affordable because a table + 6 chairs would be FAR more expensive. They age really nicely, should you leave them out year-round (like we do). If you buy pressure-treated wood or paint them with the right paint, you don’t need to cover them – they just live, and honestly, they create a nice-to-look-at wood sculpture (that might be a stretch, but it works for me). They work almost everywhere – flagstone, pea gravel, grass. I wouldn’t put them on a fancier back patio (they do make a space look instantly casual, so if that’s not a vibe you want, then yea,h they might not be for your space). I didn’t choose them for the kitchen patio, which is herringbone brick – but I think with a cute umbrella it could work there, too! They are extremely flexible – can be dressed up with a pretty table-scape, or just sit as-is with a potted plant in the center. They can be beaten up with food, crafting, science experiments, and feel less precious. Great crafting tables! They are a kid magnet – for whatever reason, kids love to sit around these and since we have like a billion kids playing here at all times, many multi-family bbqs, we can designate these tables for the kiddos, which they love. They look great pushed together – a big old farm table for charming dinner parties. You don’t need to store them – keep them out and use them year-round! The Portland EHD team works out here at times, and while they don’t have back support or cushions, we find them perfectly comfortable for a few hours. We also have this more high end version from Rejuvenation which I like a lot (that joinery is really sweet) but the detached benches do get wobbly on our flagstone and they made the benches less wide that the table which reduces the amount of people who can sit (thus the chairs on the end). Listen, I don’t think this post is going to blow up the picnic table market, but the function + good vibes of this lowly classic outdoor table is one that I really think could work in other, even more elevated home yards. I personally think that the rustic versions are sweet (and some are so affordable – see below), but if you wanted to guarantee they’d be standing in 20 years, you could go for POLYWOOD, which comes in a few colors. We rounded up a few below, should you be in the market (and yes, you can totally paint the wood ones a pattern or a color should you want to make it look more fun, just research the right paint to leave out year-round). Our tables have grayed out a bit which we like and really do stand up to grime with some seasonal cleaning. Now head out to your backyard and see where you can put one of these charming little schoolhouse picnic tables :) And no, we don’t typically all sit on the same side, shoulder to shoulder :)
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