More Than Four Decades of History
In 1977, inspired by the stately teak benches beautifying England’s parks and gardens and the history of crafting benches from salvaged teak sailing decks, our founder began designing teak benches constructed in the British tradition with mortise and tenon joinery. With a focus on improving ergonomics for today’s more casual lifestyles and incorporating elements of interior furniture design, these unique pieces became the cornerstone of a business based on the pursuit of innovation entwined with respect for tradition.
1977
Our founder, an avid gardener, receives a set of teak garden benches from Britain as a gift from her husband. The benches inspire the creation of her company, Country Casual.
Country Casual advertises in regional newsletters and shows at horticultural events exhibiting gifts for gardeners: dried flowers, wreaths, garden tools and teak benches from Britain.
Sales of British-made teak benches extend to botanic gardens and inns. Country Casual begins exhibiting nationwide at trade and professional shows for the landscape and design industries.
Country Casual hosts annual open garden and craft shows featuring artisans, tours and demonstrations.
1980s
The first Country Casual catalog is mailed, containing dried flowers, crafts and gifts for gardeners. It also features teak furniture amid other products.
While still including gifts for gardeners, subsequent catalogs shift focus to the growingly popular teak furniture; offerings expand from benches to dining tables, chairs and planters.
A New York Times article features a sketch of a Country Casual classic teak bench which leads to interest in the brand.
Country Casual publishes a catalog comprised entirely of hardwood outdoor furniture sourced from U.S. and British makers in teak, iroko, oak and cherry woods.
Country Casual publishes its first full-color catalog and on the cover is our Chippendale II bench design. Our adaptation of this beloved classic style features a mortise and tenon-joined lattice back, making it durable enough for public spaces.
Photographs of Country Casual furniture at commercial and institutional spaces are featured in trade publications, spreading appeal for commercial use.
To mark its first decade in 1987, Country Casual creates its first fully original bench design: Brittany - a variation of a hoopback bench with an entirely new ergonomic design including an updated seat contour and sculpted armrest.
Continuing with original designs, Country Casual develops a foldable Adirondack chair, which is offered for sale at Harrods, London. A classic Adirondack chair is also created, which endures as a perennially popular favorite today.
Country Casual expands product offerings to include trash receptacles, which leads to ever-expanding installations in public and private spaces across the country.
Country Casual welcomes clients to our outdoor show garden to see and feel the furniture firsthand.
1990s
Country Casual launches its first website as a comprehensive product showcase which gives clients a sense of our catalog.
With sustainability of teak resources in mind, we transition production to Indonesia, where teak is grown on government managed plantations with strictly controlled forestry practices. In following years and still today, all teak manufacturing is done here.
2000s
The Country Casual website is redesigned and reengineered for e-commerce.
The new Country Casual Seneca lounge seating collection is featured on The Today Show during a roundup of outdoor furniture.
Country Casual opens its new headquarters with a year-round indoor design showroom where clients can visit, experience furniture and consult our furniture specialists.
The annual Symphony Decorators’ Show House “Villa Vista” in Baltimore, Maryland features two classic Lutyens bench designs.
Celebrating our third decade, Country Casual launches a distinctive dining and lounge seating collection: Fiori, defined by intricate geometric shapes and graceful curved lines.
Our first mixed material collections launch which include all-weather wicker and powder-coated steel incorporated with teak elements. Our product designers continue to innovate mixed material collections in which teakwood is combined with metals, fabrics, mesh, stone.
Our team visits teak plantations in Indonesia to see firsthand how the state-controlled governing body, Perum Perhutani, runs research, planting and harvesting operations.
2010s
The television show Indoors Out features a Country Casual Harborside teak extension table and sectional armless chairs in vivid colors for a fire pit in the client’s Peruvian-inspired outdoor room.
Country Casual is voted “Best Place to Buy Outdoor Furniture” by the readers of Bethesda Magazine.
Intending to expand into contemporary styles, our designers develop the mixed-material Summit stacking chaise and side table.
Country Casual is selected to participate in the 2014 Washington, DC Design House, the region’s foremost annual residential design attraction benefitting Children’s National Health System.
In honor of our 40th milestone, we relaunch our earliest exclusive bench design, now aptly named “Brittany Anniversary Edition.”
To reflect our expertise earned in the industry, we add "Teak" to our name and the company is now officially known as Country Casual Teak.
Country Casual Teak holds patents and copyrights on over 35 unique designs.
2020s
Country Casual Teak creates an immersive online shopping experience with virtual reality technology. The experience is featured in The Washington Post and is nominated for an innovation award at the Magento Imagine conference.
Driven by a global pandemic, people spend more time at home and move more activities outdoors, heightening demand for outdoor furniture. Country Casual Teak adjusts to the trend and rapidly shifts operations.
2022
Happy 45th anniversary! We celebrate this milestone by continuing to provide the highest quality teak outdoor furniture and unsurpassed customer service, creating clients for life.
“We are proud to call ourselves the nation’s leading specialist in solid teak outdoor furniture. Our dedication to quality materials, durable construction and constant innovation set us apart from other brands and give clients confidence in our products.”