Six Faves

Chris Beytes

Firepits UK
Fire in the garden is hot, in every sense of the word, so Firepits UK’s first foray into the U.S. couldn’t be timed better. I love that they double as griils. Optional lids turn them into tables. Made in England in a wide range of sizes and designs, they’re available for shipping from a Concord, North Carolina warehouse. www.firepitsuk.co.uk

Seaside Casual
Garden retailers sell a lot of HDPE (high-density polyethylene) patio furniture because of its maintenance-free durability. But to our eyes, the styling leaves much to be desired (“clunky” is the word that comes to mind). Not at Seaside Casual. Their line of HDPE furniture is as sleek as any of the teak or aluminum competition. In fact, their DEX Fusion chair (foreground) won the 2016 International Casual Furniture Association Design Excellence Award. It sports Seaside’s newest color option, Sage. www.seasidecasual.com

IndoSoul’s Wave
Too fancy for the typical patio? Perhaps. But if you want to make a statement, this set will do it. Onda (Italian for “wave”) was penned for IndoSoul by famous Italian design house Pininfarina, better known for their work for Ferrari. Despite the sleek styling, Onda is not as expensive as you might think: $1,500 wholesale for the chair, $2,500 for the loveseat and $1,100 for the table. www.indosoul.com.au
 

Bask Outside Costarondack
Meet TJ and Kirsten Neal, owners of a brand new company they’ve dubbed Bask Outside. They’re showing off their first product, a polyethylene rotational-molded chair called “Costarondack.” It’s a modern twist on the classic Adirondack shape, with built-in cup holders and offered in vintage colors. The backstory is, TJ’s college roommate went on to invent the now-famous Yeti cooler, which is made using rotational molding technology. TJ wondered what else could be made the same way, and the Costarondack was born. www.baskoutside.com

Think Outside flower pots
Everybody seems to know (and sell) Think Outside’s microbus beer coolers and other colorful welded metal decor. But did you know they offer flower pots, too? Monica Blaizgis showed them to me. They come in three sizes, round or square, and two colors: Blue (pictured) and Multi. Designer Aaron Jackson now has more than 300 staff in Vietnam turning 44 gal. drums into useful and decorative products. www.thinkoutside.biz

Matrix Décor Screens
How do you keep the neighbors from staring at you as you enjoy your new furniture? With these nifty Matrix Décor Screens by Australia’s Design Flow. Made from environmentally friendly recycled polypropylene, they come in a wide range of patterns, and four sizes up to 4 ft. by 8 ft. Matrix also offers light box and planter box versions (center). Any of these products would make fabulous dividers for your garden center departments. Prices are reasonable—$72-$85. The only downside? They only come in black, and paint won’t stick to them without a special treatment. www.designflow.com.au GP