Martha Stewart Montecito Collection
Written: Jul 11 '05 (Updated Jul 12 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Attractive set; chairs are very comfortable and the fabric has retained its original color.
Cons: Chair fabric weakening and ripping. Replacement is pricey.
The Bottom Line: Although some repairs are now imminent, we're very pleased with how our Montecito Collection looks and how it's held up through the harsh elements and would recommend it to others.
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| lwille's Full Review: Martha Stewart Everyday Montecito Collection |
We purchased the Martha Stewart Everyday Montecito Collection Patio Furniture in 2002. Our set of a table, umbrella and six chairs is in its fourth summer and still looks very good.
The table is hexagon shaped with a glass top. The glass is thick, sturdy and etched with finely detailed fern leaves. The table frame and the chairs are made of lightweight aluminum and are painted in light gray. The chair fabric is a weaved mesh that is solid gray in color, slightly darker than the frames. The fabric is stretched tightly and retains its tightness even while you're seated. The fabric used for the umbrella canopy is the same as that on the chairs. The canopy can be tilted and the post rotated so that sunlight can be blocked from any direction. A crank handle controls the opening & closing of the umbrella. The post is attached to a heavy base and can easily be removed with the loosening of a single screw.
As we looked for a sturdy but attractive patio set, we were immediately drawn to the decorative table top, the lack of cushions that often fade rapidly and the tilting umbrella.
Only problems until recently have been occasional paint chips on the chairs and a broken umbrella support (in the table frame). Our neighborhood has few mature trees and strong winds often move things across our patio. On numerous occasions, the chairs have been thrown about, chipping the paint on the arms and bases. The open umbrella was caught by a strong wind gust and careened sideways pulling the table with it and breaking the aluminum support tube. Fortunately, the table and umbrella remain functional. The umbrella support tube is designed to limit the amount of umbrella sway but serves no other function.
The chair fabric has retained most, if not all, of its original color, however, we're now faced with replacing all of the slings. One seat ripped this week from front to back and another has weakened and is starting to rip. The other four appear to be in good shape but we're concerned that all may be disintegrating. I'm not too surprised that the fabric is weakening considering Michigan has seen some hot, sunny summers and cold, harsh winters in recent years. The umbrella is stored inside each winter but the chairs have been outside for two of their three winters.
I called the customer support '800' number to locate replacement slings but the number is no longer valid. I was able to find a company in Coral Springs, Florida called Patio Direct (patiodirectonline.com) that provides replacement fabric and will give them a try. I don't believe we'll be able to get an exact match for the solid gray and will likely have to replace the fabric on all six chairs. The downside to replacing all six is that the fabric will cost $200+, nearly half the cost of the complete set. Patio Direct offers many attractive patterns that should allow us to spruce up the looks even more. I'll provide an update once we've installed the new slings.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lwille
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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