Q&A with Martin Young

Q&A with Martin

We asked around our contacts what questions people would like to put to Martin…..

Could you tell us what you were originally looking for in a swing seat back in 2004 when you wanted to buy a swing seat for yourself?  Why couldn’t you find one in this Country?

Martin: I was looking for something stylish & solid, by solid I mean long lasting, not flimsy. Classy, comfortable and the sort of thing that would be nice to look at.

I couldn’t find one because at that time I don’t believe they existed in this country fulfilling all my desires  They do now!

What do you feel are the key points to look for when buying garden furniture?

M: Source of timber, does it come from a sustainable source? Does it have natural longevity? Will it mellow to a pleasant colour? Does it require a lot of maintenance? Is it constructed in such a way so that it can deal with the variation in the British climate, ie, long wet winters and possibly hot dry spells in Summer, can adjustments be made to accommodate that?  ie, tightening of nuts etc.  Has thought gone into the angles of the seat itself?  A lot of garden furniture is produced at 90 degrees and we don’t sit at 90 degrees.  Which is why many classic looking benches don’t feel very welcoming when you’re sitting on them for longer periods of time.  Can you sit on this piece of furniture and wile away several hours in conversation with a friend or get lost in a book, and not feel any discomfort, or get up feeling stiff?

What do you feel makes Sitting Spiritually Swing Seats stand out from others currently on the market?

M: Quality, comfort, care and attention to every detail, not just the product but the whole process from making an initial selection to perhaps some maintenance suggestions ten year down the line.

We’ve heard they are super comfortable, why is this and how do you achieve it?

M: I’ve made reference to angles earlier.  What we have tried to achieve is not only the perfect angle of seat, but the perfect length of the hanging chains, which when used in conjunction with the suspesnsion springs on the swing seats make for a really soft and comfortable experience.

Let’s be honest, your Swing Seats are (reassuringly) expensive, could you explain why this is and what makes them such a good investment?

M: you need to ask how long do you want them for?  If it’s just something for a few years until you move on to another house, then maybe we’re not for you.  If you’re looking for something that will still be performing in ten, 15, 20 years, and even to pass on to your families, they also visually improve with age, then that’s our offering.   We now are experiencing several examples where they have become family heirlooms and the new recipients are ordering cushions for their bequeathed seats.  The value of them is reflected in the price, whenever we offer an ex display model or refurbished one from one of our RHS Gardens, the demand for what is effectively a second hand product is remarkably good and items offered like this on newsletters are usually snapped up in minutes.

Why do you only exhibit at RHS Chelsea Flower Show?

M: Chelsea is unique.  It brings together all that is best in horticulture and I hope people will see that such is our reputation that we want to be part of it, which is why we only show there exclusively.