Quite simply the most beautiful garden furniture ever . . .

In 1951 an American designer called Richard Schultz joined Knoll International Design Development Group. In 1966 he designed a collection of outdoor seating and tables at the request of Florence Knoll, who wanted well-designed outdoor furnishings that would withstand the corrosive salt air at her home in Florida.

The furniture popped up the original Thomas Crown affair with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in 1968; the film was uber cool and so is the furniture.

The 1966 Collection furniture is included in many museum collections including the Louvre Museum Design Collection in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, just to name a few.

Today the collection is distributed by B&B Italia. When a furniture collection is still on sale over 40 years after its debut, it has got to be worth a look.

Now I’m not going to argue with you about this furniture, I’m just telling you it is the most beautiful outdoor furniture ever produced. If you can’t see it I’m going to blame it on your lack of visual education.

This lack of visual education is the reason why people struggle to accept new design ideas. People like what their parents like. Give them an education in art history, design and architecture and our physical environment will be transformed.

The furniture is powder coated steel and the meshing is Teflon, this is furniture you’re going to have your children and grandchildren fighting over, and for once their taste in furniture is going to be enhanced by inherited taste.

To me this is truly timeless design, it’s uncomplicated, comes in black or white, and there are only a few elements available. A few new elements have been added in 2007, lower slung and reclining, but strictly adhering to the original design.

But visually is where this furniture stands apart. Simple lines, classically formal, the legs look like elongated Greek columns. The fine mesh brings an almost nautical aspect to the design, conjuring ideas of floating, wind and light.
For me white is the only way to go, black is for those who can’t handle the white.