Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands
Slide Nr 1Never before has being outside seemed so tempting. Can’t fly to a luxury resort? At least you can luxuriate in your own garden! Not crossing any borders for your holidays? Eradicate the border between indoor and outdoor living! Not spending a fortune on international travel? Invest those savings into a design update for your balcony or terrace! Here are some brands, designers and web shops that will make your al fresco refuge shine.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 2To add a splash of colour and a certain joie de vivre to your outdoor space, garden furniture from French brand Fermob is your best bet. Founded in 1965, the company continually reinvents itself and produces everything from classic folding bistro furniture to bold contemporary designs – all made in Europe from durable powder-coated metal and complemented by practical, colourful accessories. Try mixing different designs, tied together with a monochrome colour scheme, or combine several hues within the one design style. With 24 colours to choose from, you’ll find the perfect outdoor palette for your space.
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Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 3For similarly classic – but decidedly more rustic – design, Skagerak Denmark offers mainly wooden outdoor furniture ranging from sturdy and simple to intricate and bucolic, with the odd contemporary piece. The furniture is mainly fuss-free and designed to last, but highlights like a seriously stylish beach tennis set and the most attractive-looking rotary clothes line you’re ever likely to find, prove a commitment to good design. A certified benefit corporation dedicated to responsible production and sustainable wood sourcing, its products won’t just make your garden, balcony or terrace look good, they will make you feel good about your purchase.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 4Looking to add an ‘exotic’ touch to your summer design concept? Make sure you’re buying authentic crafts – and that designers and artisans from communities where the ‘look’ originated are part of the value chain. Buying cheap, mass-produced knock-offs doesn’t just contribute to a wasteful ‘fast furniture’ cycle, it also perpetuates the exploitation of developing-world creativity and craft. Berlin-based slow design store Folkdays collaborates directly with artisans from developing countries to create fairly traded products, handmade from natural materials.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 5A rug really ties the room together – and yet we’ve only recently discovered that it can do the same for our outdoor living spaces. The ongoing development of durable and innovative materials suitable for outdoor use are making outdoor rugs increasingly popular at every price point. For a top-shelf design turn to nanimarquina, where popular designs are being re-released in materials that will withstand the elements. All models are fairly hand-made by skilled artisans and some are even fabricated from sustainable materials like recycled PET and upcycled bike tyres.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 6Good interior design becomes great with attention to detail – and the same goes for outdoor design. Upgrade the mundane, functional gardening implements that you use so often, you barely notice what they look like. Sturdy gardening tools made from stainless steel and wood, ceramic or terracotta planters, and wooden or metal growing supports all offer an eco-friendly visual upgrade for your green garden or balcony. The ultimate showpiece, however, is a watering can from heritage brand Haws. Pick a beautiful colour, and make watering the flowers your new favourite gardening chore.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 7What’s a staycation without al fresco fun and games? RS Barcelona offers designs that blend functionality, aesthetics and entertainment. The family business specialises in unique foosball, ping pong and pool tables, available in a wide range of colours and eye-catching styles that will enhance your outdoor space in more ways than one.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 8Want to enjoy the ocean and preserve it at the same time? Danish ethical design brand Mater has created an eco-aware minimalist ocean plastic design perfect for beachside living. The plastic elements of the sleek, stackable chairs and table are made from recycled fishing nets. The construction enables a circular treatment, meaning each component can be recycled separately. No beach house? No worries! You can help clean the oceans from the comfort of your landlocked home, too.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 9Add a design classic with a bit of Hollywood glamour to your outdoor space – especially if space is limited, and you would like a folding chair that’s comfortable and well-made. Director’s chairs come in every size, colour and quality imaginable, but the real deal is the Gold Medal director’s chair; the American company makes customised versions of the original design. Although it’s unclear when exactly it originated, the universally recognised design was awarded a gold medal at the 1893 world’s fair, hence the name.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 10Speaking of wood-and-canvas design classics for glamorous outdoor living… the deckchair could be described as the director’s chair’s laid-back cousin. The deceptively simple design is also available in an almost unlimited variety of looks and patterns, all evoking a sunny day in the park. Fold it up for easy storage behind a door or hang it on a hook when not in use, bring it along for a picnic or set it up for a chilled-out day of sunbathing at home.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 12If you want the warm glow of an outdoor light without the heat, there’s a plethora of rechargeable, low-energy portable lights available for flexible outdoor use. A classy, versatile favourite comes from the Cesta range of lamps by Spanish design company Santa & Cole. The Cestita Batería combines a glass shade supported by a hand-crafted cherrywood basket with a handle, and the more robust Cestita Alubat, featuring an aluminium structure, can even be left exposed to the elements.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 13For something a little more colourful, check out the portable lighting range by another Spanish company, Marset. These handy designs can all easily go from designer lamps in interior spaces to impromptu night-time garden illumination. FollowMe and Bicoca are fun and practical with their moveable lampshades, while Ginger and Dipping Light would fool anyone into thinking they are very serious indoor fixtures.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 14Japanese homewares brand Kinto will add a dash of zen to any social gathering, indoors or outdoors. The dedicated ‘alfresco’ range, however, is notable for its classy look that could pass for porcelain. Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be made from bamboo – light, tactile, robust, portable and sustainable. Pack the pour-over kit and one of the colourful thermos flasks for your next picnic, and turn a mindful coffee break into a design appreciation session.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 15Fatboy has come a long way from its early success as the foremost manufacturer of bean bag chairs. Of course, that amorphous seating is still part of the range offered by the Dutch company, but in addition, you can pimp your garden with Fatboy chairs, tables, hammocks, outdoor carpets and lighting. However, the real highlights of the outdoor collection are the candy-striped parasols. With their vintage flair, they take you straight to the Amalfi Coast, the Côte d’Azur or the Caribbean – even if you’re only protecting yourself against the sun in your own backyard.
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Living
Al Fresco Living: 15 Iconic Outdoor Design Brands.
Slide Nr 16Vitra don’t just offer a huge range of furniture suitable for outdoor spaces: the company’s archive is filled with plastic furniture history. Amongst its most successful and iconic designs, the Eames Plastic Chairs were the first mass-produced plastic chairs ever made. Now that any Vitra or Eames piece can be considered a sizeable investment, the idea that they were once created for a low-cost furniture design competition seems absurd – but if you want your garden furniture to reflect design history, look no further.
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