Decorating With Sheets

OUTDOOR FURNITURE—MORE IDEAS

I LOVE TO SIT OUT OF DOORS. EVERY MORNING, I GET UP AND TAKE MY COFFEE OUT TO WHAT I CALL MY “BRONX TERRACE.” ( A WORD OF EXPLANATION HERE—WHEN WE BOUGHT OUR WONDERFUL OLD ADDISON MIZNER BUILDING—WHICH, BY THE WAY IS NOT ONLY LANDMARKED BUT ALSO ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER. I AM A BIG BELIEVER IN LANDMARKING---THE TOWN’S BUILDING DEPARTMENT MADE US REPLACE ALL OF THE FIRE ESCAPES. I WAS A LITTLE PEEVED ABOUT THIS, SINCE NOWHERE ELSE IN THE VIAS HAD THEY HAD TO DO THIS, BUT IT WORKED OUT IN MY FAVOUR, SINCE THE ARCHITECT WHO HELPED US MIGHTILY WITH THE DESIGN (JOSEPH E. DIXON, III OF NEW YORK CITY) MADE THE TOP LANDING LIKE A LITTLE TERRACE WITH LOVELY PLAIN RAILINGS AND BIG FRENCH DOORS LEADING OUT TO IT. BUT…..IT’S STILL A FIRE ESCAPE AND THUS ITS NAME, MY BRONX TERRACE).

I SIT OUT THERE AND READ THE NEWS AND DRINK MY COFFEE AND EVERYDAY BUT SATURDAY, FINISH THE CROSSWORD IN THE TIMES—I ADMIT IT, SATURDAY IS BEYOND ME ! I WATCH THE DOVES COME OUT OF THEIR ROOSTS AND STRUT AROUND ON THE TILE ROOF OPPOSITE ME, AND IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER, THERE IS A WONDERFUL, FEISTY LITTLE MOCKINGBIRD WHO TRIES TO BOSS ME AROUND (IE. LEAVE THE TERRACE!). IN THE WINTER, I HAVE TO HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL LAMPS WHICH PHOENIX DAY MADE FOR ME TURNED ON, BUT NOW, IT’S JUST STARTING TO GET LIGHT WHEN I GO OUT THERE, SO, WITH MY READING GLASSES, I’M OKAY. THIS LITTLE TIME OUTSIDE BEFORE I GO DOWN TO THE OFFICE IS TERRIBLY IMPORTANT TO ME.

SO OBVIOUSLY, I LOVE OUTDOOR FURNITURE. I LOVE OLD PIECES SUCH AS THE SALTERINI OR FLORENTINE CRAFTSMEN PIECES I SOMETIMES FIND ON THE WEB, BUT I ALSO LOVE NEW. I HAVE ALREADY POSTED ABOUT MC KINNON AND HARRIS AND JANUS ET CIE, TWO COMPANIES I ADORE, BUT SOMETIMES I WANT A MORE MODERN LOOK, AND THEN, THE CRÈME DE LA CRÈME IS RICHARD SCHULTZ. THEY MAKE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STUFF YOU CAN IMAGINE—BEAUTIFUL, SLEEK, WELL-PROPORTIONED, EASY TO CARE FOR, AND, MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, COMFORTABLE.

THEIR MOST FAMOUS LINE IS “1966” WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR FLOPRENCE KNOLL FOR HER HOUSE IN FLORIDA. IT WAS FORMULATED TO GO WITH HER LOVE OF MODERN FURNITURE (SEE KNOLL FURNITURE UNDER GOOGLE) AND WAS IN WHITE WITH BROWN LEATHERN TRIMMING. IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT IT HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PERMANENT FURNITURE COLLECTIONS OF MUSEUMS SUCH AS THE MOMA, AND I STILL SPECIFY IT TODAY. WE JUST PUT CHAISES FROM THIS COLLECTION IN A BEAUTIFUL ENCLOSED GARDEN BY ALAN STOPEK WHERE WE HAVE A MEDITERRANEAN FEEL WITH VINE COVERED BUILDINGS AND ANTIQUE TILE PANELS ON THE WALLS. THE VERY MODERN FURNITURE LOOKS PERFECT IN THE GARDEN.

BUT LIKE ANY GOOD COMPANY, RICHARD SCHULTZ HAS NOT STAYED MIRED IN THE PAST. THEY HAVE ADDED CONTOUR CHAISES TO THE COLLECTION…

AND ROLLING SERVING CARTS…..

AND WOODEN TOPPED TABLES…..

AND REALLY COMFORTABLE SEATING, NONE OF WHICH NEEDS CUSHIONS

1966 IS THEIR LARGEST COLLECTION, AND THE PIECES READILY GO WITH MUCH OF THE OTHER FURNITURE SUCH AS “PAVILLION” AND “WING”.

BEFORE THEY EVER MADE THE 1966 COLLECTION, THEY MADE A PETAL TABLE TO GO WITH THE BERTOIA CHAIRS WHICH HARRY BERTOIA DESIGNED FOR KNOLL, AND THESE, TOO, HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE MOMA. THEY ARE AMAZINGLY ENGINEERED AND CAN COME IN SMALL SIZES TO GO BY CHAIRS AS WAS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED OR LARGER COFFEE TABLE SIZE.

Knoll Petal Dining Table by Richard Schultz

TODAY, THEY HAVE A TOPIARY COLLECTION WHICH LOOKS BEAUTIFUL SITTING OUT IN A GREEN AND LEAFY GARDEN.

AND A CAFÉ COLLECTION. ALL OF THEIR PIECES, ESPECIALLY THE DINING PIECES, WOULD LOOK EQUALLY WONDERFUL OUT ON A SLEEK WOODEN DECK AROUND A VERY MODERN POOL OR OCEAN SIDE AND ALSO WITHIN A WONDERFUL OLD SHADED LOGGIA ON A MEDITERRANEAN HOUSE.

ALTHOUGH THEIR FURNITURE WAS DESIGNED FOR EASY CARE (POWDER COATED ALUMINUM FRAMES AND TEFLON MESH FOR PLACES WHERE SOFT SEATING WAS REQUIRED), THEY ALSO REPRESENT A TRULY WONDERFUL OUTDOOR FABRIC LINE FROM ITALY, MARIA FLORA ( HYPERLINK "http://WWW.MARIAFLORA.COM" WWW.MARIAFLORA.COM). THIS IS REALLY ABOUT THE SOFTEST OF ANY OUTDOOR FABRIC I HAVE EVER FELT, MAKING IT PERFECT FOR USE BOTH INDOORS AND OUT.

TYPICAL OF THE ITALIANS, THE DESIGNS ARE CHIC AND SIMPLE. THE STRIPES ARE INCREDIBLE.

THE COLOUR RANGE IS VERY LARGE AND THE COLOURS, THEMSELVES, DEEPAND RICH.

SINCE THEY BEGAN AT KNOLL, THEY HAVE ADDED SOME GREAT GO-TOGETHERS TO THE LINE: ERICE, SEGESTA, SALEMI, AND MARSALA—PRINTS AND HOUNDSTOOTHS AND PLAINER WEAVES IN DEEP APPLE GREEN, ACID LIME, LAVENDER IN ADDITION TO THE MORE TRADITIONAL COLOURS

THEY ARE TOTALLY MADE IN ITALY.

TO GO ALONG WITH THIS WONDERFUL FURNITURE AND EQUALLY WONDERFUL FABRICS ARE UMBRELLAS AND CABANAS MADE BY TUCCI. THESE ARE WONDERFUL ADDITIONS TO (OR REPLACEMENTS FOR) CANVAS UMBRELLA WHICH THEY ALSO MAKE.