Outdoor cushions for New Zealand baches, villas and decks

Forty percent more UV, and the wind to go with it

Outdoor cushions in New Zealand face a sun that's stronger than it looks. NIWA, the national climate agency, puts peak UV there about 40% above comparable latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, because of ozone, the distance between Earth and sun, and cleaner air. The SunSmart alert runs from September to April, when UV reaches 3 or higher. In winter, NIWA says, the index rarely gets past 3.

So a deck cushion takes most of its year's sun in about eight months. Richmond, near Nelson, set a record of 2,840 hours of sunshine in 2019. Build outdoor cushions in UV-resistant outdoor fabric, and leave the linen and velvet inside.

Then the weather changes its mind. The westerlies prevail, and Wellington is the world's windiest city by average wind speed: 17 mph (27 km/h). Most cities get between 24 in (618 mm) of rain a year in Christchurch and 52 in (1,317 mm) in Whangārei, spread fairly evenly through the year, with a slight winter peak in the north. At Auckland Airport, July is the wettest month, at about 5.4 in (137 mm).

For cushions, that adds up to ties, fast drying and dry storage. The workshop's standard foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), isn't quick-dry and needs 24 to 48 hours after a soaking. Quick-dry foam isn't standard; a mesh base has been built on request for some projects, so ask before you order. Read dry-fast foam and ties and non-slip bases before you order. Rain doesn't negotiate.

The bach, the villa verandah and the deck off the living room

The bach is the Kiwi holiday cottage, called a crib in the southern South Island. The old ones went up in whatever was cheap or second-hand: fibrolite, corrugated iron, used timber. They caught on in the 1950s, when better roads and more cars put the beach within reach of ordinary families, and some estimates now count more than 50,000.

A bach can sit shut for months, and that's the real risk to its cushions. Close up with every cover washed, every foam dried to the core, and the lot stored in breathable bags, off the floor. Winter storage has the full routine.

At home, timber villas and California bungalows carry verandahs. The bungalow, a single-level wooden house with a verandah, became very common. A verandah bench lives half outdoors: out of the sun, but not out of a sideways shower. Newer houses open straight onto a deck, where the lounger and the built-in bench live.

Then the boats. Auckland is the City of Sails, and the country has 15,134 km (9,404 mi) of coastline. Cockpit cushions and V-berths want a traced template; the V-berth Pattern shows how, and the boat and RV cushions collection has the rest. Which way does your deck face when the southerly comes through, friend?

Colors for weatherboards and a big southern sky

Deck colors live in the hardest light there is. A dark, saturated color shows its first fade line at the fold. Pale neutrals and busy stripes hide it longer. Against painted weatherboards, a clear color reads from the beach: teal, mustard, brick red.

Judge samples in daylight, on the deck, never on a screen. The workshop sends up to 5 codes at a time. If a color in a photo isn't on the chart, ask, because it may still be in stock. The swatch Pattern walks through it.

For the same strong southern sun with more heat, see Australia. For another cold-water coast with its own boats and cottages, see Maine.