Walk any older street in Ballarat, Bendigo or the inner north of Brisbane and you will spot them on the front verandahs. Two timber seats with a small table wedged between them, sitting flat against the wall. Australians have called that piece a Jack and Jill outdoor setting for generations. It is not a garden bench, and it is not a dining setting. It is the seat you take a cup of tea to at seven in the morning and a cold drink at six in the evening.
This guide covers what the piece actually is, how its two timbers behave over an Australian decade, and whether it will fit the wall you have in mind. If you are furnishing a balcony or a narrow deck, read it alongside the rest of our balcony furniture sets. A Jack and Jill solves a very different problem to a table and chairs.
What a Jack and Jill outdoor setting actually is
A Jack and Jill combines two seats and a small table into one piece of furniture. The table is built in between the seats, at the right height to rest a wine glass or a phone. Underneath sits a lower shelf for a magazine or a bowl of nibbles. Both people face the same way, out towards the garden or the street.
That one-piece construction is the whole point. There are no chairs to blow over in a southerly, and nothing to drag inside. It sits against a wall and takes up a strip of floor rather than a square of it.
Kwila or teak: the decision that shapes the next ten years
Both timbers we build the Jack and Jill from are tropical hardwoods suited to sitting outside in Australia. They are not interchangeable, though. The difference shows up in the first month, and again in year five.
The Kwila Jack and Jill ($862) is made from Indonesian kwila and measures W 157cm x D 65cm. Kwila is dense, dark and hard-wearing. New kwila does leech its natural oils, which is worth knowing before you set it down on pale travertine. Wet it down on the grass first, and scrub any mark on paving with a mild bleach solution.
The Teak Jack and Jill ($926) is hand made from 100% FSC certified plantation Indonesian teak and measures W 153cm x D 74cm. It is nine centimetres deeper through the seat, which you feel when you lean back. Left alone, teak ages to a silvery grey sheen. Regular oiling or a sealer holds the original honey colour.
| Kwila Jack and Jill | Teak Jack and Jill | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $862 | $926 |
| Timber | Indonesian kwila hardwood | FSC certified plantation teak |
| Footprint | W 157cm x D 65cm | W 153cm x D 74cm |
| First few months | Can leech natural oils onto paving | Hand made; settles without staining |
| Left untreated | Weathers grey, like all outdoor hardwood | Ages to a silvery grey sheen |
| Best for | A darker look at the lower price | A deeper seat, certified timber |
If certification matters to you, the teak makes that easy. If the look matters more, kwila's darker grain reads warmer against a red-brick or weatherboard wall.
Measure the wall before you measure anything else
Both settings need a clear run of wall, and that is where most people come unstuck. You want roughly 1.6 metres of uninterrupted wall for either piece. Add breathing room at each end so it does not sit jammed between a downpipe and a door frame.
Then check what swings. A screen door that opens outwards, a laundry door, a gate — all of them need their arc kept clear. Leave at least 700mm in front of the seats so someone can walk past without turning sideways. On a 1.5 metre deep apartment balcony, a Jack and Jill still leaves a workable walkway. A table with chairs pulled out usually does not.
When a table and chairs is the better call
Be honest about how you will use the space. A Jack and Jill is for sitting and talking, not for eating a meal. The built-in table holds a glass, not a plate of lamb chops. If you actually want to eat outside, buy a table.
The Teak Patio Set ($1,150) is the natural step across if you like the timber but need dining height. The round top is 80cm across at 74cm high, and the chairs stand 81cm and come with a cushion. It is hand made from the same FSC certified plantation teak. A round table also seats a third person at a pinch, which a Jack and Jill never will.
If you would rather not think about timber care at all, the Stella 3pc Balcony Set ($1,317) does the same job differently. It pairs an aluminium frame and PE wicker weave with a tempered glass top and olefin cushions in light grey. The armchairs tuck flush under the 120cm table, it arrives fully assembled, and nothing needs oiling in October. Browse the wider range of outdoor chairs and benches if you are still weighing up the format.
Verandahs, sun and strata: the Australian bits
Where the piece sits matters more than what you paid for it. A west-facing wall in Adelaide or Perth cops brutal afternoon sun from November through to autumn. Untreated hardwood will grey off there in a single season. Under a verandah roof or an eave, both timbers hold their colour far longer.
Coastal homes have the opposite problem. Salt air does not attack hardwood the way it attacks poorly finished metal, which is one reason timber has stayed popular from Torquay to Byron. If you are weighing materials for a seat that lives outdoors year-round, our guide to garden benches in timber versus metal works through the same trade-off.
Apartment owners have one more box to tick. Body corporate and strata by-laws often govern what can go on a balcony, and the rules vary by state and by scheme. A freestanding Jack and Jill is usually the easy answer, precisely because nothing gets drilled into a wall or balustrade. Check your by-laws or ask your building manager before the delivery is booked. The same goes for a heritage-listed verandah, where council rules can apply.
Jack and Jill outdoor settings — frequently asked questions
What is a Jack and Jill outdoor setting?
It is a two-seater outdoor bench with a small table built in between the seats. The name is an old Australian one for the verandah seat, and most add a lower shelf under the centre table. Both seats face the same way, so it suits a wall rather than the middle of a deck.
Is kwila or teak better for a Jack and Jill?
Teak is the easier timber to live with, and kwila is the better value. Our teak version is FSC certified plantation stock and gives you a deeper seat at D 74cm. Kwila costs $64 less and looks darker, but can leech natural oils onto pale paving in its first few months.
Does a Jack and Jill need to be oiled?
No — oiling is a choice about colour, not about survival. Both hardwoods weather to grey if you leave them, and that grey surface is not a fault. Oil or a sealer holds the original colour, but once you start it becomes a job you repeat each spring.
Will a Jack and Jill fit on an apartment balcony?
Usually yes, if you have about 1.6 metres of clear wall. The kwila version is W 157cm x D 65cm and the teak version is W 153cm x D 74cm, so depth is the number to check on a narrow balcony. Measure the walkway you are left with, and check nothing blocks a door swing.
Shop the range
Both Jack and Jill settings sit in our balcony furniture sets range, alongside compact tables and chairs for the same footprint. If a longer seat suits your verandah better, the garden benches collection covers backless and backed options in several materials.
We deliver Australia-wide, delivery is free on orders over $100, and most orders are dispatched within 3-10 business days. Returns are 30 days with no restocking fee, and installation is available on request.
