Luxist Guide to Outdoor Furniture

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Apr 24th 2006 at 10:04AM

The warmer days are here and the summer months are on their way. At this time of year the attention shifts to outdoor spaces. Here are 10 of our favorite picks for living a fabulous life outside.

The plu'MO resort chair works well for beach homes because its sturdy aluminum and synthetic rattan cocoon shields you from the elements. The chairs are all-weather durable and have removable cushions. They sell for $2,315 each.

These glow-in-the-dark chairs from Engelbrechts Furniture are mild mint green by day and phosphorescent by night. No worries about stumbling over your chair in the dark, it's clearly visible. They sell for 213 euros each.

It's not summer without a chaise lounge to relax in. The Montecito chaise from Room & Board is made of wicker with teak wheels and an aluminum base. There's even a storage compartment beneath the backrest. It sells for $1,599.

It's not technically furniture but an insulated carafe can be an important part of outdoor life. The Alfi Achat Carafe is perfect for keeping your lemonade cool. It is a chrome-plated brass carafe with a wicker sleeve and sells for $250.

These glowing planters from Bloom have LED lights at the base. Perfect for garden parties and general evening ambience, they sell for $299 each. I saw these in use outside a hotel in San Francisco earlier this year and they are definitely cool. A bonus is that you could use the planters as coolers for drinks.

The Martini Bar from Kalamazoo Gourmet is a wet bar for your patio. It has Kohler fixtures, a bar sink, an in-line water purifier, bottle rack and condiment holder, an ice compartment and hanging glass storage, The 180 Degree Martini Bar costs $8,750 and is guaranteed to be the focal point at any outdoor party.

The Obelisk from Janus et Cie looks like a piece of sculpture, an eight-foot-tall capsule that can be unpacked into a four barrel-backed club chairs and a 22-inch coffee table. The Obelisk is made from all-weather wicker and aluminum. It sells for $9890.

A loveseat for the perfect summer evening, this bench from Archie's Island holds two adults and comes in a wide variety of colors. They have a whole line of kicky colorful summer furniture in colors from pineapple to periwinkle. The loveseat sells for $750.

Plants are an important part of any outdoor space. Lunaform is a small company in Maine which makes monumental planters that can also be used to create water features in the garden. All pieces are hand turned on wheels, in concrete, and steel reinforced to survive the elements. The Orto Nova shown here sells for $650.

For chillier nights in the summer, an outdoor fire pit is wonderful for toasting marshmallows and staying warm. This Carsten Gollnick fire pit offers modern style that would fit with many different types of decor. It sells for $720.

Tags: chaise lounge, decor, design, fire pit, garden, outdoor, outdoor entertaining, outdoor furniture, OutdoorFurniture, planter, table, wicker carafe

Filed under: Decor

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)

Julie Apr 27th 2006 1:23PM

I enjoyed looking at these, even tho I wouldn't buy them! I admire the creativity of the designers, and it's fun to imagine how they would look in my "In My Dreams" home. Thanx for sharing this!

Donna Apr 27th 2006 1:27PM

It's interesting to peek at new designs; of course only the well-heeled could consider such a purchase! For the mass market, I hope buyers will consider a retailer more socially responsible than the shameful Wal-Mart.

R G Assaf Apr 27th 2006 1:39PM

This furniture must be expensive since it's too ugly to be cheap.

LLHD Apr 27th 2006 1:41PM

The point is not that we are going to buy any of this stuff. It's just fun to look at it. I look at pictures of yachts and mansions but it doesn't mean I'm going to buy one. That's the fun of it. Some of these things, like the planters, are very pretty. The weird stuff is just good for a laugh.

Kathryn Apr 27th 2006 3:49PM

It is so refreshing to have others vocalize the same horrors I felt when viewing these genuinely ugly products being offered for ridiculous amounts of money. When is the advertising universe going to recogonize that product and prices must match the tastes and budgets for a real population of individuals. It is obscene when we are shown $500 slippers from Oprah and the likes of same in these outdoor products and are told that this is what we have to have if we are to be in step with the "best". Good Lord what is happening to American consumers?

Rob in NoVA Apr 28th 2006 1:55PM

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized."

Edward Bernays - the 'father of public relations', Sigmund Freud's nephew, and author of 1928's treatise on messaging to the masses "Propaganda"

Previous 20 Comments