Into The Woods

Posted by Canadian Gift Guide on August 6, 2013 · 140 Comments

As we sail into the second half of summer (and hopefully a warm fall), you may be giving the fisheye to that crusty ol’ rusty ol’ patio set that’s spoiling your otherwise pristine view of nature; whether it be urban or decidedly green. Whether you just bought your first cottage or you’re simply looking for an overhaul of your at-home deck decor, I’m thrilled to introduce you all to GloDea – a furniture company with some serious pizazz and smart business practices.

The brand’s Xquare furniture collection features around half a dozen different pieces (like the X36 above, $149) that can be easily mixed-and-matched to suit whatever space you’ve got. Each real, premium, yellow pine product comes in multiple finishes, including an unfinished option if you’re a DIY-er looking for a particular stain or paint colour. In fact, I love the unfinished items as gift ideas because you can potentially make an activity out of it; gift your sister with a new set of chairs for camping and spend a weekend afternoon with your nieces and nephews customizing them.

Although I’ve been playing up the outdoor-friendliness of the brand, that’s not to say their pieces don’t look mighty handsome indoors as well. They have a sort of rustic universality that works well with either uber modern or uber homey tastes – you can just as easily picture this gorgeous bench ($224) in the mudroom of a family home as you can in the entryway of a chic downtown condo. That being said, all of their stained products are designed to stand the test of time in the great outdoors; it’s up to you where it finds a home.

As for the smart business practices I mentioned? It’s twofold. First of all, the yellow pine they harvest to make their stunning products is sustainably sourced, meaning you don’t have to feel all antsy about chopping down trees needlessly. Also it’s worth mentioning, it sure is nice to be able to buy real wood furniture for an affordable price (like the X30 stool above, $115 each) compared to the cheapie laminate products we’ve all become used to from big box furniture sources. The other nifty thing is GloDea’s products are 100% made in the US of A, unlike other companies that design their products locally and ship ’em out to China for finishing. Each item is handmade at the company’s factory in Florida, meaning job creation – I may not be American, but I love local business that has a positive, economic regional impact. Heck, even their packaging takes into account the environment. Honestly it’s a really well-rounded offering when you consider the price point.

Now where can one obtain such lovely pieces you ask? Here’s what really sealed the deal of CGG approval for me: GloDea actually sells their line through Amazon.ca which means FREE shipping *and* some sizable price breaks which somewhat render the numbers I’ve cited in this post useless (although they are pulled from GloDea’s actual website). Like I mentioned above, they make gorgeous housewarming gifts, but I can also see plenty of gift potential for weddings, showers, or even as an anniversary gift. If you’re spending time at a friend or family member’s cottage for an extended period of time, consider ordering a piece or two – it’s way more affordable than renting a place (or taking a pricey hotel-based road trip abroad) and will be truly appreciated by your host.

Now for some awesome / exciting news to finish off your day…I’ve got two sets of two chairs to give away! That’s right, two lucky readers will each take home an X36 and X45 chair, both of which are super transportable for the beach, game day, or anything in between – or would look simply stunning situated on your front porch. Interested in kicking back in these beauties? Here’s how to enter:

1) Leave a comment by August 26th, including a link back to the Xquare Furniture Item you’ve got your eye on.

2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around August 27th to select the winners, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.

3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible for this promotion.

4) Bonus Entries: I love the unique spins on their line Glodea has going on via their Facebook. Like them and leave a comment to earn yourself a bonus entry into the draw. Plus as you all probably know by now, keeping a close eye on the CGG is always a good way to snap up extra entries into awesome contests like this one!