With spring warmth in the air and Earth Day coming up on April 22, families are taking a closer look at the sustainability quotient of the patio furniture they lug indoors and out twice a year. Because of the harshness of sun, wind, hail, pool chemicals, tanning oils, mold and mildew, nearly half of consumers expect their outdoor furniture to last only five years or less, according to a 2007 survey by Casual Living magazine. A Colorado company has a surprising solution: furniture that can’t fade, rot, disintegrate or blow away in a storm, includes no toxins, requires no maintenance and can last more than a hundred years because it’s made from stone.

“We’ve taken something that is already 2.5 million years old and combined it with the durability of steel or aluminum for furniture that can withstand all the damage Mother Nature can dish out,” says Dwayne Cranford, who fashions ergonomically correct, visually striking, one-of-a-kind tables, chairs, benches, bistro sets, chaise loungers and bar sets out of flagstone, jade, magma and marble with rust-free aluminum frames.

For customers concerned about the carbon footprint of transporting stone furniture to their home from Colorado, Jill Cranford notes, “Any furniture you buy requires shipping, but ours isn’t coming from overseas. And because stone furniture lasts for generations, it needs to be shipped just once. In addition, no vinyl, plastic or foam rubber goes into stone furniture and it doesn’t need plastic or canvas covers for protection from the elements. We also ship using just a pallet and shrink wrap – no cardboard, bubble wrap or other cushioning materials that need to go to the landfill.”