After the gloom and chill of winter, the first sunny day of spring is often the same in many parts of Canada. Even if it's cold outside, we tend to head straight for a patio. And if that patio happens to be our own, this is generally the time when visions of sleek, chic outdoor furniture start dancing in our heads. There is plenty of it to go around these days.
“Outdoor furniture is getting the same thought and treatment as indoor furniture,” says buyer Mark Linklater of Living Space, a luxury-furniture store in Vancouver. “The development of materials has been incredible in terms of cushion fillings, weather resistance and [overall] durability.”
Once limited to white metal umbrella tables and simple folding lawn chairs, outdoor designs are no longer afterthoughts and are constantly evolving. At the top end of the market, manufacturers continually research new materials, while award-winning designers such as Philippe Starck and Nicolas Thomkins are enlisted to create full ultra-stylish collections.
Outdoor furniture, German-based Dedon's Orbit canopy lounger ($8,645), available at studio b’s summer pop-up store in Toronto (www.studiobhome.com).
Handmade in Vancouver, Gallant & Jones’s chic black walnut Tywyn Multi deck chair ($300 through www.gallantandjones.com) puts a contemporary spin on classic sling seating.
Designed by Wim Segers, the FORUM table ($1,960 in black through www.avenue-road.com) also features teak or white lacquered-glass tops. The chairs are $436 apiece.
As in fashion, high-end outdoor-furniture trends have trickled down to mass-market lines. PC Home’s Planet folding table ($19.99 through www.home.pc.ca) is a stylish example.
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