Outdoor socializing

Seated around a dining table, people eat, laugh, converse and relax. Thanks to a combination of design and nature, the open-air dining area becomes a magical place

1966 Collection® by Knoll - Photo © Federico Cedrone
1966 Collection® by Knoll - Photo © Federico Cedrone

The doors of the kitchen are opened, the living area leaves its traditional boundaries, and the dining room becomes a setting in the open air. Tables, chairs, benches, even cooking equipment, exist outside with a new identity: vivacious, appealing, welcoming, always with a high level of design content. The outdoor collections for the dining area take on new charm through direct contact with nature, but at the same time they require materials that stand up to weather (including rustproofing treatments) and measures to guarantee durability – such as storage solutions for chairs and tables when not in use, during the colder months. Here’s a selection of ideas for pleasant moments of dining and socializing in outdoor settings.

1966 Collection® (on cover) by Knoll was designed by request of Florence Knoll, who wanted well-crafted outdoor furnishings that would stand up to corrosive salt air at her home in Florida. A garden classic, the seat with or without armrests has an aluminium frame with polyester padding.

Project 01 by Modulnova, Design Carlo Presotto & Andrea Bassanello
Project 01 by Modulnova, Design Carlo Presotto & Andrea Bassanello

Let’s start with cooking. Modulnova presents Project 01 by Carlo Presotto and Andrea Bassanello, with the Mate countertop range, which is ideal for outdoor solutions because it stands up to atmospheric agents, humidity and salt air. The Block with three stoneware planks forms the sink zone, with a basin for washing and a folding mixer faucet, and the cooking zone. The new XY peninsula is in light heat-treated ash wood. 

Frame Kitchen Outdoor by Fantin, Design Salvatore Indriolo
Frame Kitchen Outdoor by Fantin, Design Salvatore Indriolo

Frame Kitchen Outdoor, designed by Salvatore Indriolo for Fantin, is perfect for the open air thanks to a cataphoresis treatment that prevents formation of rust and permits high resistance to causes of weathering. Available in 14 colored finishes, for two or three modules, with a top in stainless steel or laminate, the kitchens can be equipped with stainless steel built-in gas barbecue units, permitting smokeless cooking and outstanding practicality. The counters in stainless steel have a thickness of 4 mm and come in the Vintage or Satin finish. 

Keel Light by Potocco, Design M+V
Keel Light by Potocco, Design M+V
AH Outdoor by Carl Hansen & Søn, Design Alfred Homann
AH Outdoor by Carl Hansen & Søn, Design Alfred Homann

Next come the furnishings. The Keel Light chairs, with or without arms, by M+V for Potocco, are the result of research on the relationship between geometric rigor and organic sinuous design. Available in both indoor and outdoor versions, they have a back in solid iroko wood, a structure in solid steel rod, in the finishes anthracite, aval and pearl white, and a padded seat with lower rigid shell, painted in acrylic for outdoor use, with the same color and embossing of the frame. 

Alfred Homann has designed the AH Outdoor series for Carl Hansen & Søn, where all superfluous details have been eliminated in favor of simplicity of expression and high functional quality. The program calls for eleven items, including dining tables and chairs, a bench, lounge chairs and a cot, responding to a wide range of individual needs. The tables and chairs can be stacked for easy storage when not in use.

Rio by Nardi, Design Raffaello Galiotto
Rio by Nardi, Design Raffaello Galiotto

The Rio extensible table designed by Raffaello Galiotto for Nardi has a top of staves in resin, treated to resist UV rays and batch-dyed, with a structure in coated aluminium. For elegant socializing, Rio can comfortably accommodate from 8 to 10 people. Easy to disassemble for winter storage, the table can also remain exposed to weather without problems or particular maintenance. Made with non-toxic, anti-static 100% recyclable material. 

SEELA by Lapalma, Design Antti Kotilainen
SEELA by Lapalma, Design Antti Kotilainen
Plank by Fritz Hansen, Design Aurelién Barby
Plank by Fritz Hansen, Design Aurelién Barby

The SEELA seating family by Antti Kotilainen for Lapalma expands with a new bucket-seat variation. A sinuous polypropylene shell rests on very light bases, and seamlessly continues into the seat, welcoming an insert of polypropylene in various colors, with a rounded form. 

When the French designer Aurelién Barby was asked to imagine new complementary items for the Plank bench by Fritz Hansen, he thought about creating a durable and above all functional collection of outdoor furnishings. Made in certified teak with steel joints, the pieces in the Plank collection stand up to wear, requiring no maintenance and taking on an appealing silver gray patina over the years. 

Amanu by Tribù, Design Yabu Pushelberg
Amanu by Tribù, Design Yabu Pushelberg

The designers Yabu Pushelberg have worked on perfecting Amanu for Tribù in its most essential form. Exploring the organic beauty and sustainability of teak, the studio has designed a table and chairs with ample proportions. The chairs have seats with Canax® belting woven on a hemp base, suspended inside the teak structure, with a back to creates the illusion of a floating chair.‎ 

Kyoto Alu by Janus et Cie
Kyoto Alu by Janus et Cie

JANUS et Cie has interpreted its Kyoto collection for interiors as a series of outdoor furnishings: Kyoto Alu. Rigorously designed in powder-coated aluminium, the collection offers the allure of wicker in products that stand up to weather. As for the twin collection in wicker, the ample proportions and recognizable motifs are enhanced by soft cushions. 

1800 by Tectona Paris
1800 by Tectona Paris

The 1800 series of tables by Tectona Paris makes it possible to set up a true outdoor dining area: the square and bistro tables are ideal for tight spaces, while the round or rectangular tables can welcome from 4 to 12 people, or even more if multiple tables are combined.