My favourite outdoor furniture ranges for summer 2018

Summer seems to have arrived early this year, and from the look of Instagram most of Europe is basking in beautiful sunshine at the moment. We also have a public holiday coming up here in the UK, so I imagine I’m not the only one planning lazy afternoons in the garden and balmy alfresco dinners this weekend.

Our own garden is currently a bit of a jungle, but I’m already dreaming about how to furnish it once we finally find time to tackle the weeds and overgrown grass. And there are plenty of beautiful outdoor ranges to choose from – here are a few that have caught my eye…

Domo Design

Swedish brand Domo is known for its minimalist solid-steel furniture, and its outdoor line is beautifully understated. There are high and low tables, stools, benches and chairs, all available in black, white, grey, muted beige and galvanised steel. They look fantastic in contemporary urban gardens, as well as more natural settings where the straight lines provide a striking contrast with wild-looking flowers and foliage. In the UK, the range is available from Royal Design, with prices starting at £385; see details of international stockists here.

‘Palissade’ by HAY

Designed by Parisian duo Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for HAY, the galvanised-steel ‘Palissade’ collection blends a clean-lined, modern aesthetic with subtle references to traditional country-estate furniture. The 13 pieces include dining tables, benches, lounge chairs, sofas and more, and come in white, olive green, anthracite and sky grey; there’s also a range of matching cushions and seat covers. Prices range from £165 / €215 to £585 / €769.

‘Blau’ by Gandia Blasco

Spanish company Gandia Blasco (whose beautiful HQ I visited last year as part of the Spanish Design Association‘s ‘Sunny Design Days’ tour) is a market leader in stylish alfresco living and produces numerous outdoor-furniture collections. My favourite is ‘Blau’, which was designed by architect Fran Silvestre and encompasses sofas, tables, chairs and loungers in white and grey, plus a striking ‘tree lamp’. The construction uses extruded aluminium sections and hidden pins to create a sleek look, and many of the pieces were shaped to cast beautiful shadows as the sun moves during the day. The range is available via Outdoor Chic, and prices start at £465; you can see a full list of international stockists here.

Dvelas

Another Spanish brand which I had the pleasure of meeting last year is Dvelas, whose outdoor furniture has a bit of an unusual twist: it’s all made using recycled sails from the yachting industry. Its range covers everything from deckchairs to daybeds; there are even alfresco bean bags, floating sunbeds and tables made from resin-covered sails. I love the gently quirky look of the designs, and they’re all highly durable and waterproof; they also get a big tick from a sustainability perspective. You can find details of stockists here.

‘Harmen’ by Rowen & Wren

Made from wood and rope, the ‘Harmen’ collection from British brand Rowen & Wren mixes traditional craftsmanship with a pared-back, Scandinavian look. There’s a dining table, bench and footstool / side table, plus a chair which can be set in different positions for reading and lounging; the latter also folds away so you can store it easily over winter. All are available in black-oiled pine, grey-oiled pine and natural birch, and prices range from £82 to £244.

Skagerak

Last but not least is Danish company Skagerak, which began life making outdoor furniture before branching out into other areas. Alfresco living still makes up a large portion of its product range – my favourite lines include ‘Mira’, a lightweight collection of seating and tables made from powder-coated steel, and ‘Mojo’, which features minimalist outdoor sofas and lounge chairs with grey cushions. I also love the ‘Between the Lines’ deck chair, which is an elegant and contemporary twist on a classic design.

All images via the brands named above