Colour has been slowly but surely creeping into contemporary garden furniture ranges. Gone are the days when the choice was natural wood or plain wrought iron, and the only chance to jazz it all up a bit was to add some colourful cushions.
Outdoor furniture design is now abreast of all the latest trends, and new materials and technologies are making garden chairs, sofas and tables increasingly weather resistant and low maintenance. Not only do modern materials make your garden furniture colourful and durable, they make it lighter and more comfortable too. A win-win situation if ever there was one.
Here’s our round-up of some of the latest colourful garden furniture, a mix of old and new, classic and contemporary.
The colourful, quirky Coco outdoor set from Swoon Editions brings together the latest materials and age-old hand-weaving traditions from Java. Cutting-edge EcoleneTM is a synthetic wicker that won’t splinter and is able to withstand mildew, mould and extreme temperatures, yet still feels like natural rattan.
The high-tec spec continues, with the lightweight aluminium and wrought iron elements having a DuPontTM powder coating finish for superior durability. In contrast, each piece is hand-woven using time-honoured Javanese traditions by weaving families whose craft dates back for generations – each chair takes two days to make.
Made using the same materials and techniques is the gorgeous Betty Lounge Chair. Inspired by mid-century design, this colourful outdoor armchair will add brightness and warmth even when the sun isn’t shining, and will work equally well indoors too.
Directors chairs are an outdoor furniture classic, and rightly so. They’re very affordable, fantastically versatile, and this one from Habitat is a gem. (I still have 2 Habitat directors chairs that I bought over 13 years ago when I lived in a tiny studio flat, and they’re still going strong as extra garden chairs now).
The Africa directors chair is made from durable oak, and comes with either the check patterned cotton canvas cover shown above, a variety of other patterns , or a selection of bright and neutral colours. There’s definitely something for everyone, and you can mix and match easily too.
The beauty of directors chairs is that they fold away when not needed, and you can buy the canvas slings separately when they need replacing, or indeed when you fancy a style makeover.
The brand new Copa range of colourful garden furniture from MADE brings together clean angular shapes and stunning graphic effects thanks to the colour combinations of its woven designs. And it’s not just stylish – the open weave allows good air circulation to keep you cool on hot days. Above is the Copa Aperitif Set of two outdoor armchairs and small side table, in Spectrum Pink. Below is the Copa Lounge Set in Cool Blue, comprising an outdoor sofa, two armchairs and larger table.
If you like the design, but are looking for outdoor dining furniture, there’s also a Copa Dining Set with a round table and four dining chairs. All items in the range are made from durable synthetic rattan and powder coated metal.
Sleek modernism next, with the Resol Bob Outdoor Sofa from John Lewis. This slick design by Joan Gaspar is meticulously crafted in Spain from rotomoulded polyethylene for comfort and durability, and the painted aluminium legs are year-round weather resistant too. There’s also a clever water drainage system, making it ideally suited to British summers!
More technology from outdoor furniture specialists Emu. Their colourful Arc en Ciel range of garden chairs and tables is perfect for entertaining in any outdoor space, no matter how small, as it’s lightweight and compact and folds away for easy storage. The famous durability comes from sturdy steel frames treated with EMU-Coat, a 4-layer electroplated coating, that gives them a tough and scratch resistant all-weather finish suitable for outdoor use all year round.
Back to the traditional to finish off, with the bright and flamboyant Kali Rope Chair that has been designed in-house and is exclusive to Oliver Bonas. Handcrafted in India, recycled polypropylene yarn is transformed into this intricate geometric pattern using a traditional macramé knotting technique.
Choose from the zesty lime, bright green and turquoise shown above, or a fabulously exotic hot pink and orange version. Or maybe go for one of each to truly bring the tropics to your back garden.
As if on cue, the sun has just started peeking through the clouds outside … as we head towards summer, here’s wishing you lots of outdoor colour, pattern and fun this year.
Images: brands and shops as credited above