The iconic vintage pieces of outdoor furniture

06/06/2022

In 2021, renowned Danish furniture maker Carl Hansen and Son reissued fellow Danish designer Børge Mogensen's "Deck Chair" line of outdoor furniture designed in the late 1960s. Proof that "historic" publishers are still interested in outdoor design. Today, outdoor furniture has become a must-have for people who like to live in their garden in the summer. It is no longer considered an accessory or secondary, its presence comes to occupy and embellish a space of leisure and reception. This article looks back at the iconic pieces of outdoor furniture...

*In the late 1960s, Danish designer Børge Mogensen designed a series of folding outdoor furniture pieces, shown here hanging on the wall*
*Photo credit: DR*

Carl Hansen reissues Børge Mogensen's "Deck Chair" (in French chaise-longue). The model includes a footrest that provides additional comfort for this functional outdoor furniture that folds up and thus takes up minimal space.
*Photocredit: Scandinavian Design*

*The Deck Chair is made of teak, a tough, hardwood that resists climate change and provides durability. The cushion is made of Sunbrella fabric, which is also weather resistant and easy to clean.*
*Photo credit: Scandinavian Design*

An American design icon to boot. In 1903, Thomas Lee imagined a comfortable chair to enjoy the long summer evenings in his Westport, Connecticut home. Thus was born the famous "Adirondack" chair: a reclining seat and back, wide armrests and a footrest to enhance the comfort of everyday life at the time. Originally made entirely of wood, the Adirondack chair has become a symbol of the American Way of Life over the years and continues to grace decks across the country, from the East Coast to the West Coast.

*Pair of folding "Adirondack" style chairs. The term "Adirondack" refers to the name of the mountain range within which the town of Westport is located*

*Pair of "Adirondack" style chairs. Many manufacturers and editors have evolved the original color and material, here a flaming red polyethylene seat*
*Photo credit: Amazon*

*The Adirondack chair declined in its Rocking Chair version, a classic of American terraces.*

As a student at the Bauhaus School in Weimar, the architect and designer Marcel Breuer is known for having designed the 1st chair made of folded steel tubes (1925). In 1933, in cooperation with the Embru AG (Eisen-und-Metallbettenfabrik AG Rüti), he designed a series of chairs, armchairs and lounge chairs made of flat steel and aluminum profiles. The Swiss manufacturer still exists and is reissuing the model 1096 lounge chair designed by Breuer.

Lounge chair model 1096, Marcel Breuer design for Embru, 1933. Today, the chair is made of hot-dipped galvanized flat steel, the slats are polished aluminum, colorless anodized, and the armrests are black varnished ash. Aluminum has the advantage of being lightweight, durable and rustproof, ideal for outdoor use.
*Photo credit: ArchiTonic*

*Lounge chair model 1096, Marcel Breuer design for Embru, 1933.*
*Photo credit: ArchiTonic*

A cult French chair! In 1927, Xavier Pauchard registered the Tolix trademark of the 1st "manufacturer of household items in galvanized sheet metal". In 1935, he markets the A chair which will make the fame of the mark. In 1937, the TOLIX chairs are chosen for the Universal Exhibition in Paris. The success is there, chairs and tables Tolix invade the terraces of cafes, public gardens and spas and seaside resorts of the post-war period.

Tolix Chair A, design Xavier Pauchard, 1927. The A Chair by TOLIX® has become an icon of industrial design. The brand still exists and offers the chair in steel or stainless steel to withstand time and corrosion.
*Photo credit: Tolix*

AC chair, design Xavier Pauchard for Tolix. The A chair has been declined in several versions and colors. Here the AC model in smoky pink, made for cafes in North America and Canada, hence its initials.
*Picture credit: Tolix*

It too is very well known and is becoming trendy again: the famous "Acapulco" chair, designed in the 1940s. Its origin remains rather unclear, at most we know that it was designed on the Mexican Pacific Coast. We like its unique pear-shaped design. Ideal on a terrace or balcony.

Acapulco armchair produced at French manufacturer Boqa. The latter offers models made with a braiding of the chair in polyvinyl rush, leather, linen and acrylic to match all types of indoor and outdoor furniture.
*Photo credit: Boqa*

*Authentic Acapulco rocking chair from the 1960s.*
*Picture credit: Design Market*

It's impossible to talk about outdoor furniture without mentioning the rotin. In the 1960s and 1970s, the French invested their gardens with outdoor living rooms made entirely of rattan. The Basket armchair designed by the designer couple Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel in 1950 is the symbol of an era. And then, how can we not mention the "Emmanuelle" armchair which in 1974 became cult in the eponymous movie...

*Basket chair, design: designers Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel, 1950. The model above is a reissue of the famous model that the Catalan house Kettal has been making since 2015.*
*Photo credit: Kettal*

Tripod armchair, Nanna Ditzel design, 1950s. This contemporary "Rana" model has a welcoming structure, the all rattan shell is hand woven. Following the Basket Armchair, the Ditzels will produce a series of rattan chairs, like this tripod chair. Their work will win international awards.
*Picture credit: Design Market*

*Poster for the film "Emmanuelle 4" which retained the famous tall wicker chair with Tahitian origins from the 1st poster.*

In 1964, Italian designer Gae Aulenti, author of the iconic Pipistrello lamp, brought chic and pop colors to the garden room. The Locus Solus collection by Poltronova is the first large outdoor collection ever made. The chrome or lacquered tubular frame with sinuous shapes and its round vinyl seat make the Locus Solus garden chair so charming.

*Chairs from the "Locus Solus" collection, design by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1964.*
*Photo credit: Pamono*

Armchair from the "Locus Solus" collection, design Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1964. Minimalist lines and tubular steel painted in different colors made it successful. This model is published by the company Exteta, which makes printed fabrics.
*Photo credit: ArchiTonic*

*Armchair from the "Locus Solus" collection, design Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1964. The same model seen from behind.*
*Credit: ArchiTonic*

In the 1960s, Florence Knoll, who had taken over her late husband's company (Knoll International), asked Richard Schultz, a well-known designer of outdoor furniture, to imagine and design a complete line of outdoor furniture for her Florida home. Schultz did just that and created the famous 1966 Outdoor Collection. Simple, elegant and functional design.

*Outdoor Collection 1966 furniture, designed by Richard Schultz for Knoll International, 1966. Shown here is an exclusive ultramarine blue version available at The Conran Shop.*
*Photo credit: The Conran Shop*

*Loungers from the Outdoor 1966 collection, Richard Schultz design for Knoll International, 1966.*
*Photo credit: Knoll*

*Furniture from the 1966 Outdoor Collection designed by Richard Schultz for Knoll International, 1966. A collection considered a classic of outdoor furniture.*
*Picture credit: Knoll*

Italian company EMU has been producing outdoor furniture for home and business for over 70 years. It is truly introducing "design" to the outdoor furniture industry. One of its bestsellers is the Rio chair/armchair, of which more than 8 million have been sold on the market.

*Rio chair, publisher and designer: Emu, 1966. Rilsan-covered wire mesh frame with arms.*

*Garden furniture, Rio Collection, publisher and designer: Emu, 1966.*
*Photo credit: Emu*

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its bestseller, Emu is revisiting the Rio collection by giving designers Anton Cristelle and Emanuel Gargan carte blanche to design a complete collection of seats, the "RioR50" collection, above in its maple red version.
*Photo credit: Emu*

The postwar development of the plastics industry allowed designers to express their creativity. The pieces they designed are capable of dressing a patio as well as a living room. Polypropylene in particular is ideal for garden furniture, as it is both lightweight and easy to maintain, and is relatively weather resistant. The editor Vitra for example, reissues the famous Panton Chair in polypropylene. Other publishers are revisiting design classics by offering an outdoor version, such as publisher Gubi for the iconic Pacha chair designed in 1975 by Pierre Paulin.

Danish publisher Gubi reissues an outdoor version of Pierre Paulin's famous Pacha armchair. The seat cover is made of an outdoor fabric. The internal structure is a weather resistant coated plywood, the padding and armrests are made of a cut foam with a breathable and water resistant polymer membrane. Finally, the base is made of moisture-resistant coated plywood.
*Photo credit: Gubi*

Some contemporary outdoor furniture designs made a lasting impression when they were released. One example is Philippe Starck's famous Bubble Club chair designed in 1998 for Kartell. In the year 2000, the Finnish designer Jukka Setälä created THE Pouf of the 21st century for the Fatboy brand, which is not unlike its distant ancestor, the famous pear-shaped Sacco pouf (1968). In 2011, Andrée and Olivia Putmann created the elegant Inside Out chair for Fermob, designed for both indoor and outdoor use. Finally, for the Italian publisher Moroso, the Dutchman Tord Boontje designed the African-inspired chair in woven plastic Shadowy - Sunny.