Design Directory 2021: garden furniture
Adorn your urban garden (opens in new tab), balcony or poolside with our edit of outdoor furniture ideas that range from swings to loungers, outdoor lighting and furniture designs (opens in new tab) that can withstand the elements. The Wallpaper* edit of outdoor furniture is part of the 2021 Design Directory – our annual pick of inspiring new furniture for every room of the house.
Outdoor seating
‘Venexia’ lounge armchair by Luca Nichetto for Ethimo
(Image credit: ethimo)
Sporting an aluminium frame that is visually reminiscent of old-fashioned railings, but softened by big plump waterproof cushions, this armchair oozes timeless charm and modern functionality.
From £2,520
ethimo.com (opens in new tab)
‘Liz’ armchair by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba for Expormim
(Image credit: expormim)
Spanish brand Expormim’s ‘Liz’ armchair looks snug enough to be an indoor chair, but is made to withstand the outdoor elements. Designed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba, the chair pays homage ‘to the sensual and captivating forms of the cinema icon Liz Taylor’, and features a frame of high-resistance aluminium tubing with die-cast aluminium legs and durable, weather-resistant fabric upholstery, available in a wide range of colours, as well as one plush seat cushion and one loose one. So, rain or shine, we’ll be sitting comfortably.
Price on request
expormim.com (opens in new tab)
‘Atlante’ daybed by Antonio Citterio for Flexform
(Image credit: flexform)
This daybed’s aluminium base features an epoxy powder-coat finish in a series of sophisticated shades, coupled with water-repellent elastic webbing and a supremely comfortable mattress finished with elegant grosgrain piping.
£5,666
flexform.it (opens in new tab)
‘Yoko’ sofa by Toan Nguyen for Rolf Benz
(Image credit: rolf-benz)
Naming its first outdoor collection after the Japanese word for sun, Rolf Benz’s ‘Yoko’ series, designed by Toan Nguyen, is all about embracing al fresco summer living. The collection, which includes chairs and tables, revolves around a modular sofa. With its lightweight powder-coated aluminium frame, it can easily be reconfigured into any number of permutations, allowing for lounging, sunbathing or socialising, while covers, made using hard-wearing waterproof polyurethane, are available in more than 40 new fabrics.
€6,685
rolf-benz.com (opens in new tab)
‘Panarea’ chair by CMP Design for Pedrali
(Image credit: pedrali)
For its latest collaboration with Pedrali, CMP Design cites the colours and breezes experienced on a sea-facing terrace in the Mediterranean as inspiration. The ‘Panarea’ collection, which includes an armchair and a lounge chair, features a curved tubular metal frame, around which is wrapped polypropylene cord, handwoven into a triangular motif for the wide backrest. Lightweight in structure, chairs come with matching (or contrasting if you prefer) seat and backrest cushions, covered in fabric made from the same yarn used for the woven backrest.
€519
pedrali.it (opens in new tab)
‘Kida’ hanging lounge chair by Stephen Burks for Dedon
(Image credit: dedon)
With a nest-like form, made from aluminium wrapped in weather-resistant striped cord, and a plush cushion that covers the entire seating area, a swing in the ‘Kida’ chair feels both luxuriously comforting and breezily free.
€2,395
dedon.de (opens in new tab)
Outdoor lighting
‘Nui Mini’ outdoor lamp by Meneghello Paolelli Associati for Luceplan
(Image credit: luceplan)
Part of a family of outdoor rechargeable lamps comprising floor and wall lighting defined by simple geometric compositions, the ‘Nui’ portable lamp (opens in new tab) by Luceplan is an outdoor table lamp whose rechargeable nature makes it perfect for an evening in the garden. Featuring a transparent crystal base and a top available in three colours (white, greige and sand), this elegant, dimmable light seamlessly transitions from terrace to indoors.
£206
luceplan.com (opens in new tab)
‘Lady Galala’ lamp by Peluffo & Partners for Martinelli Luce
(Image credit: martinelliluce)
Conceived in a tent on Egypt’s Mount Galala, this suspension lamp consists of a resin body, to which can be attached three conical-shaped glass diffusers, available in four colours and three sizes, allowing for multiple configurations. Playful yet elegant, the lamp, designed for Martinelli Luce by Italian architecture studio Peluffo & Partners, was envisaged being hung casually for an evening of shisha and tea in the desert, with the various colour combinations recalling the warm sun, the shifting sands and the foamy sea.
€490
martinelliluce.it (opens in new tab)
More garden furniture ideas
‘Giro’ tables by Vincent Van Duysen for Kettal
(Image credit: kettal)
The ‘Giro’ collection, Vincent Van Duysen’s first collaboration with Kettal, is composed of an armchair and two side tables. The sensual, natural appearance of the chair, made from twisted rope and teak and inspired by the traditional craftsmanship of the Orkney chair, is counterbalanced by the sleek, architectural lines of the tables (pictured), which are made from concrete. But despite the variety of shapes, textures and materials between the seating and tables, the pieces work harmoniously and elegantly together.
€1,250 each
kettal.com (opens in new tab)
‘Vertical Garden’ plant holder by Massimo Castagna for Exteta
(Image credit: exteta)
Consisting of aluminium bowls of various dimensions suspended between stainless steel rods, this flexible system offers a contemporary industrial aesthetic to beautifully offset your organic planting arrangements.
From €5,330
exteta.it (opens in new tab)
