Your terrace in October: more life outside than you'd think

October in Spain and Portugal is not the end of terrace season. If anything, it's the quietest and most beautiful part of it. The light drops lower, the heat eases off a little, and suddenly the outdoors becomes somewhere you actually want to stay. We see it every year when we come back from Bali with pieces made to last outside: teak, rattan, natural fibres. And every October we're reminded of why bringing them here makes so much sense.

Why the Mediterranean and Bali just get each other

Bali doesn't have four seasons. It has rain and sun, humidity and wind, and the materials used there are made to live with all of that. That's exactly why they work so well on a terrace in Málaga, Lisbon or Valencia in the middle of October.

Teak, for example, has been used outdoors for centuries precisely because it handles changes in temperature without cracking or losing its character. It doesn't need constant treatment. Just time. And rattan, properly worked and kept out of prolonged direct sun, has a flexibility that synthetic materials simply can't replicate. These are honest materials that age well.

Rattan: tougher than it looks

There's a widespread misconception about rattan: that it's fragile, that it's only for indoors, that the first drop of rain will ruin it. That's not the case — or at least not with the well-crafted rattan we seek out in Bali. The artisans we work with have been weaving for generations, with a tension and technique that really make the difference.

That said, let's be reasonable: we don't leave it out unprotected through winter. But in October, with the mild Mediterranean evenings and the sun still showing up, a rattan chair on the terrace is exactly what it should be. Comfortable, light, and with that texture no plastic has ever managed to reproduce.

Natural fibres and the outdoors: what you need to know

Cushions and accessories made from natural fibres are where we get the most questions. And that makes sense: the outdoors is demanding. What we do is straightforward: in Bali we choose materials that have already proven they can handle humidity and everyday use, and at home we recommend bringing them in when heavy rain or real winter arrives.

It's not complicated. It's common sense — the same common sense you'd apply to anything of quality. A teak table can stay outside all year in most parts of Spain and Portugal. Cushions are better kept inside when not in use. With that little bit of care, they'll last far longer than you'd expect.

Setting the mood: more than just furniture

A well-thought-out terrace isn't just a table and some chairs. It's also what you hang, what you put on the wall, what lights up the night. That's where Balinese craft pieces do something that big-box outdoor furniture simply can't: they tell a story.

A hanging natural fibre lamp above the outdoor table, for instance, completely changes the feel of the space as the afternoon fades. Or a decorative rattan wall plate on the porch wall, where the evening light catches its texture in a way you'd barely notice indoors. These are the details that make an October terrace feel like a place you chose to be, not just a place you pass through.

What we're looking for when we go to Bali

When the four of us arrive in Bali to choose pieces, we're not thinking about trends. We're thinking about how that chair or that table will look on a terrace in Seville or Porto on a Sunday in October, with a cup of coffee in hand. That image is our filter.

That's why we won't haggle down the price of something well made. The artisans who work with noble materials and traditional techniques deserve to have their work valued accordingly. And in the end, that also shapes what arrives on your terrace: something that isn't meant to be used and thrown away, but used and kept.

If you're curious to see which pieces we have right now — designed for outdoor and indoor use with that Balinese spirit — come and visit the shop. And if you have any questions about materials or how to put something together, you know you can always write to us directly. That's part of what we do too.