The Story of Gloster's Sustainable Outdoor Furniture
Since our founding in the 1960s, Gloster has set the global standard in luxury teak outdoor furniture by combining masterful craftsmanship with a steadfast commitment to sustainability. For us, creating furniture isn’t simply about design or comfort, it’s also about quality and responsibility. Every chair, table, and sofa carries with it a story that begins decades before it reaches your outdoor space.
Cultivating Teak with Care
The journey starts in East Java, Indonesia, where Gloster team members cultivate teak starting with the planting of seeds. Unlike uncontrolled logging, our process is rooted in stewardship. Each tree is nurtured for 35-50 years until it reaches the perfect density and develops rich natural oils, in contrast to the younger teak often harvested after only a decade in some outdoor furniture. With its high oil content, optimal density, and smooth natural finish, Gloster’s teak is exceptionally long wearing and durable, highly resistant to rotting and near impervious to the effects of sun, rain, frost, and snow.
When the time comes, our team of 22 graders carefully selects only the finest logs: those with balanced shapes and minimal natural defects. Because we own and oversee this process, every piece of Gloster furniture can be traced back to its origin tree, ensuring complete transparency.
Our sustainable sourcing practices are verified annually through the FLEGT licensing program, overseen by both the Indonesian government and EU authorities. This certification confirms that our timber is legal, ethically sourced, and managed according to rigorous environmental and social standards.
Teak Craftsmanship with a Lighter Footprint
Once harvested, the teak is kiln dried in our own facilities to achieve the perfect moisture content for outdoor furniture. From there, our skilled artisans in Surabaya shape each piece by hand, refining every corner to perfection. This human-touch approach not only preserves the tradition of fine craftsmanship but also lowers our overall environmental impact, allowing us to remain true to our closely held values, even in a world dominated by mass production.
Unlike many furniture producers, Gloster does not discard offcut materials. Smaller byproducts of teak trimming are repurposed as biofuel that powers the kilns used to dry the wood, ensuring the responsible recycling of our materials.
By the time a Gloster piece arrives at your door, it has passed through a process that prioritizes responsible forestry, fuels communities, and honors craftsmanship. The end result is more than just furniture. It’s a story of sustainability you can see, touch, and live with every day.
Gloster’s Beloved Teak Furniture Collections
Gloster has a wide range of luxury teak outdoor furniture to explore, each collection telling its own story of design, craftsmanship, and sustainability. From the boat-inspired elegance of the Deck collection to the relaxed, coastal charm of the Bay collection, our selection offers styles to complement any outdoor area.
Gloster’s Deck Collection
Gloster’s Bay Collection
Explore our collections or contact us today to discover how Gloster can help transform your outdoor living space.
