Outdoor Furniture

Century Furniture Wins the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best Outdoor Furniture

Filed under: Decor

Though Century Furniture isn't quite as old as its name might suggest, it's one of the most storied companies in its industry. Century Furniture is also the winner of a Luxist award in the best outdoor furniture category.

Founded in 1947 by Harley Shuford, Sr., Century got its start in Hickory, North Carolina. The company produced its first 18th Century-style mahogany dining room suite within two years. The next two decades saw the launch of an upholstery division (1957) and a chair division (1965). By 1969, Century was making wooden seats for the White House.

Gallery: Century Furniture

In recent years, Century has brought in celebrity designers like Oscar de la Renta and Richard Frenier to design their own lines. The Richard Frenier Collection aims to bring an international flair to outdoor furniture, with products inspired by the teahouses and cherry blossoms of Japan, the grand architecture of Spain, and other evocative foreign locales.

Oscar de La Renta Home for Century focuses on bringing customers a sense of the Caribbean casual living that de la Renta himself enjoys at his island retreat in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Designs are inspired by 18th Century mahogany pieces, Caribbean woven rattan, and others – all helping to ensure that Century will remain a household name as long as its moniker might suggest.

Tags: awards-main, Century Furniture, luxist-awards, oscar de la renta, outdoor furniture, Richard Frenier, winners-outdoor-entertainment

Castelle: Original Designs Created by True Artisans

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Castelle, which is a division of Pride Family Brands gets the nod for a Luxist nomination in the best outdoor furniture category.

Founded more than 30 years ago in Miami, Pride Family Brands started out as a retail and manufacturing operation. Just a few months into its history, Pride shifted its focus to selling its designs to casual furniture stores all around the country. In 1983 Pride moved its manufacturing base to Costa Rica, where it resides today.

Gallery: Castelle

Today, the Castelle brand is just one part of a Pride roster that consists of some 800 members, from skilled craftsmen to computer operators. Products are hand-painted and hand-polished, set apart by sepia hues and exotic textures. Made from aluminum but finished with that natural touch, Pride's Castelle line combines modernity with a warm and inviting earthiness.

Castelle's expansive furniture line offers designs dreamed up with exotic locales in mind – Casablanca, Jakarta, Corsica, and more. In addition to the usual furniture offerings, Castelle produces an array of accessories including serving carts, throw pillows, umbrellas, racks and even lazy susans, ideal for enhancing any outdoor setup.

Vote for the Outdoor Furniture Line that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through July 31 and winners will be announced on August 1.

Tags: awards-main, best outdoor furniture line, Castelle, luxist-awards, outdoor furniture

Lloyd/Flanders: Fine Woven Furniture

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Sometimes it's best to go with the original. When it comes to wicker furniture, Lloyd/Flanders fits that description – part of the reason the company has earned a Luxist nomination in the best outdoor furniture category.

When Marshall Lloyd first twisted natural fibers into twine and partially reinforced the materials with metal wire toward the beginning of the 20^th Century, he created a new material called loom. That invention would prove to be one of the greatest advancements in the history of wicker furniture, but it would be many years until the process became the core of the company's modern incarnation.

In 1982, Don Flanders formed the company Lloyd/Flanders, focusing on promoting the use of wicker furniture made through the process pioneered by Lloyd. Flush with the wealth of a financial boom, the mid-1980s were the perfect time for high-earners to stock up on luxurious outdoor furniture for country and city homes alike.

Gallery: Lloyd/Flanders

As such, some of Lloyd/Flanders' most successful lines to day are named after the posh vacation enclaves in which they're often found. There's "Hamptons," which boasts clean lines and modest elegance; "Nantucket," bathed in the island's eponymous red; and "Chesapeake," a patriotic red-white-and-blue themed collection, among others.

Vote for the Outdoor Furniture Line that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through July 31 and winners will be announced on August 1.

Tags: awards-main, best outdoor furniture line, LloydFlanders, luxist-awards, outdoor furniture

Woodard: Unparalleled Standards Since its Founding in 1866

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

By definition, outdoor furnishings must be sturdy enough to withstand the whims of Mother Nature. So it's fitting that one of the Luxist nominees in the best outdoor furniture category is a company that has itself stood the test of time: Texas-based Woodard.

Lyman Woodard founded his eponymous company in 1866. His successors later developed the first-ever collection of handcrafted wrought iron furniture, helping to create the casual outdoor furniture market and eventually paving the way for stores like Pier 1. As the years went on, Woodard expanded into the tubular aluminum business and added an all-season wicker line.

Gallery: Woodard

Woodard's aluminum designs are constructed with high-grade, resilient aluminum ingots that lend the furniture its durability. Items in the wicker line are made from synthetic, water-resistant fibers and woven by hand over an aluminum frame. The company also offers a line of umbrellas and accessories aimed to enhance a wide range of outdoor living areas.

Today, Woodard has increased the breadth of its product offerings to include just about sort of accoutrement that might find itself in someone's backyard – tea carts, table lamps, candle holders and more. As Lyman Woodard intended, these accessories still are made to endure weather just about any storm.

Vote for the Outdoor Furniture Line that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through July 31 and winners will be announced on August 1.

Tags: Awards-main, best outdoor furniture line, Luxist-Awards, outdoor furniture, Woodard

Laneventure: Form, Function and Fun

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Laneventure is a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Outdoor Furniture

Though Laneventure is one of the younger companies in its industry, its track record over the past four decades is enough to place it with the country's most elite and venerable makers of furnishings. For that reason and others, Laneventure a Luxist nominee in the best outdoor furniture category.

Founded in 1972, Laneventure emphasizes three F's: form, function and fun. The company's designers, managers and manufacturers are trained to make sure that those attributes are present in every product. Additional support comes from Laneventure's parent company, industry giant Furniture Brands International, whose shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Gallery: Laneventure

Laneventure's furnishings are manufactured in facilities around the globe from Costa Rica to Asia. Products are hand-tailored and finished in the company's 600,000 square foot complex in Conover, North Carolina, where they await shipment to a wide range of furniture stores across the nation.

The company's most popular lines are WeatherMaster, which includes products made from natural wicker, modern synthetic weaves, cast aluminum, teak and painted cypress, as well as Excursions, an exotic line with collections names to match: Club Havana, Cameroon and Kashmir. Laneventure has built all of this in less than 40 years, and the future is looking bright.

Vote for the Outdoor Furniture Line that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through July 31 and winners will be announced on August 1.

Tags: awards-main, best outdoor furniture line, laneventure, luxist-awards, outdoor furniture

Century Furniture: Impeccable Quality, Timeless Style and Classic Beauty

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Though Century Furniture isn't quite as old as its name might suggest, it's one of the most storied companies in its industry. A lengthy history is just one of the reasons that Century Furniture has earned a nomination for a Luxist award in the best outdoor furniture category.

Founded in 1947 by Harley Shuford, Sr., Century got its start in Hickory North Carolina. The company produced its first 18th Century-style mahogany dining room suite within two years. The next two decades saw the launch of an upholstery division (1957) and a chair division (1965). By 1969, Century was making wooden seats for the White House.

Gallery: Century Furniture

Tags: awards-main, best outdoor furniture line, Century Furniture, luxist-awards, outdoor furniture

Spartan Daybed For Sybaritic Summer Afternoons

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

You just might want to spend the whole summer in the beauty shown above. There's nothing spartan about the Spartan Daybed from Restoration Hardware, it's perfect for an afternoon of lazy indulgence. The daybed designed by Neoteric Luxury has a steel frame wrapped in handwoven all-weather wicker that lets in the breezes while offering a little bit of filtered sun protection. A 5-inch thick bed cushion is sold separately. It sells for $6,000.

Tags: daybed, outdoor furniture, restoration hardware, wicker

Sutherland's Great Lakes Collection is Outdoor Sustainable Beauty

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Sutherland Furniture, recently known for the Sutherland by Starck RobinWood Deluxe Collection, will be introducing a new outdoor collection at the Pacific Design Center's WestWeek later this month. Designed by Terry Hunziker, the Great Lakes series aims to install sustainability and style in your back yard. Manufactured from Ecoplex – which sounds like an apartment block in a jungle but is actually a composite made up of 97% recycled plastic – and cast aluminum that can be powdercoated in Bronze, Sand Dollar, Storm, and Chalk finishes.

Hunziker, known for a "visual vocabulary that speaks to the natural setting with sophisticated restraint," has put together a softly geometric line with "generous proportions" in the Great Lakes collection. Pieces include a lounge chair and ottoman, an extension dining table that reaches ten feet in length when needed, a bar table, a sofa and an armless chaise. The texture and finishes need only soap and water to keep clean and are highly resistant to moisture, fading, insects, splintering, and warping.

No word on pricing, but they'll be available for interior designers and architects and can be viewed at the PDC and at the Sutherland Furniture site from March 24.

Gallery: Sutherland Furniture's Great Lakes Outdoor Collection

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Tags: furniture, great lakes, great lakes collection, outdoor furniture, sutherland, sutherland furniture, terry hunziker

Fortunoff Plans Line Of Outdoor Furniture Stores

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Fortunoff is back in business, well, sort of. The outdoor furniture and jewelry store brand filed Chapter 11 and was liquidated earlier this year. However, the name may live on. The Chair King, a Texas outdoor furniture store chain, has purchased a controlling interest in Furniture Concepts, a company created by two former Fortunoff execs and a member of the Fortunoff family. Furniture Concepts owns licensing rights to the Fortunoff brand of outdoor furniture and seasonal products in the United States. The plan is to open six Fortunoff Backyard Stores on Long Island and New Jersey on Feb. 1, 2010. There are no plans to bring back the jewelry side of the Fortunoff business.

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Tags: chair king, ChairKing, fortunoff, furniture store, FurnitureStore, outdoor furniture, OutdoorFurniture

Your Own Private Beach Cabana

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Prepare now for next year's poolside adventures with your own private cabana. The beach cabin by Mary Bloch was created for Bonacina Pierantonio and offers a hotel style personal cabana. The updated version of a 1960s classic has a honey colored woven base of polycore over aluminum and a brightly striped cover that offers shade and rest with the bonus of two neatly placed viewing windows, one on each side, which can be closed for more privacy (i.e. napping). The fabric is waterproof and the stool and back cushion are extra. The basic cabin is $4,899 with the stool costing $2,123. A variety of colors are available.

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Tags: beach cabin, BeachCabin, decor, outdoor furniture, OutdoorFurniture, pool

Cheshire Chaise Lounge

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Even though here in the Midwest we just got six inches of snow, I'm already dreaming of warmer weather and sitting on the patio with my morning coffee. Patio furniture isn't often described as whimsical but I think this Cheshire Chaise Lounge from Lifeshop earns the description with its half-moon shape and cheerful orange color. Lifeshop offers an entire collection of patio furniture in this wicker-like plastic resin weave, which looks just as earthy and cozy but lasts quite a lot longer. How nice to kick back and relax in your very own moon. (Or globe, or igloo, or genie...)

Gallery: Lifeshop Occasional Chairs Outdoor Collection

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Tags: chaise, cheshire, outdoor, outdoor furniture, OutdoorFurniture, patio, patio furniture, PatioFurniture

Gatzby Teak Furniture Set

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

More and more outdoor spaces are mimicking indoor spaces. Instead of a couple of patio chairs and perhaps a small table there are full suites that take the living room concept outdoors. Teak Warehouse has been distributing teak patio furniture in the United States for the past 20 years. The furniture is made from Indonesian teak and is kiln dried, and machine made using mortise and tennon construction with Sunbrella all-weather cushions. The set shown here is the Gatzby and individual pieces in the set start at $795.

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Tags: furniture, outdoor furniture, OutdoorFurniture, teak

Richard Schultz Outdoor Wing Chair

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Taking the traditional form of the classic wing chair and turning it into something modern, outdoor furniture maker Richard Schultz has created this new piece. The outdoor chair is designed to be comfortable, providing support as well as cool looks. Each piece is handcrafted and designed to withstand the elements. The furniture is also sturdy and heavy enough to stay put in your yard. It is available in several different colors and there are also matching tables. There is also a color-coordinated pad in case you don't want lines on your legs while lounging.

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Tags: outdoor furniture, richard schultz, RichardSchultz, wing chair

LuxList: Summer Seating

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Lounge, sit, recline, whatever you do, do it outdoors. Here's a fresh crop of some of our favorite options for your summer seating needs. Some old favorites and some new things we are absolutely in love with.

See more of my Summer Sit list at ThisNext.

Tags: benches, chairs, loungers, outdoor furniture, OutdoorFurniture, summer

Botanist Cocktail Table

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Garden

If you are looking to create a funky outdoor living space, you probably aren't in the market for traditional wood and wicker. Enter the Botanist Cocktail Table, a funky and feminine alternative to your standard outdoor table. Made from industrial grade aluminum, the piece is powder-coated and outdoor ready. The botanical graphics are cut from the metal using a water jet process which leaves the edges smooth. Available in five finishes, including a beautiful blue, the tables are lightweight, yet tough enough to withstand the elements. If you like the look and want to bring it inside, the table is also available in a wood veneer. $1920 as shown.

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Tags: aluminum table, AluminumTable, botanist cocktail table, BotanistCocktailTable, Brandon Lynne, BrandonLynne, cocktail, Dario Antonioni, DarioAntonioni, funky furniture, FunkyFurniture, garden furniture, GardenFurniture, modern decor, ModernDecor, outdoor furniture, outdoor table, OutdoorFurniture, OutdoorTable, table

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