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8 Awesome Outdoor Rockers

designer outdoor rockers

We did a sweep of what’s in store now and these are our faves

By Tory Healy

When you think “rocking chair” what environment comes to mind? Maybe a nursery, or a sand-swept porch in a Western movie? Such nice imagery, but with today’s surplus of designs there’s a rocking chair for everyone, everywhere. And once you’ve tried it, you’ll agree there’s nothing quite like soaking up summer while gently swaying back and forth, at the cottage, in the yard, on your stoop, or the balcony.

designer outdoor rockers

Above left: The Adirondack chair is quintessentially cottage but Loll Designs’ model, made from 100 per cent recycled plastic (mainly milk jugs), is just as well-suited for rough-and-tumble city life. Available in 11 colours, it has a comfortable contoured seat and back, hidden fasteners for a slick look, and a covert bottle opener for lazy Sunday suds. Lollygagger Adirondack, $565, at DWR.

Above right: High-back, classic webbing, slick sled-base: check, check, check. Pretty much everything Paola Navone designs becomes a classic and this chair is no exception. It hits all the marks you’d expect from a rocker but elegantly. This just might be the little black dress of outdoor chairs. The matte-lacquered, tubular aluminum frame is available in white, grey, blue and black, with PVC mesh to match or contrast. Gervasoni’s InOut 809 rocker, at Radform. Call for pricing.

Above left: Designed by Strand + Hvass in Denmark, this minimalist rocker is made from all-weather, powder-coated aluminum. The seat and back is perforated to improve breathability – a godsend on days when the humidex is through the roof – and to allow drainage. Suitable for indoors and out, the chair takes up relatively little space, is lightweight, and the available aqua and anthracite finishes are condo-complementary. Cane-line’s Copenhagen at Jardin de Ville. Call for pricing.

Above right: California Dreamin’, A Groovy Kind of Love and I am a Rock dominated the radio waves when Richard Schultz designed this chair. It’s part of his Leisure Collection, a response to Florence Knoll’s request for modern furniture to withstand the salty climate of her seaside home. Available in three groovy colours, the extruded aluminum frames and stainless steel connectors are finished with a weather-resistant polyester powder coat and cushioned with woven, vinyl-coated polyester mesh and solid, pure vinyl straps. Knoll’s 1966 Single Rocker, at Hollace Cluny. Call for pricing.

designer outdoor rockers

Above left: Seeking a little remediation for the big city blues? We prescribe half an hour in this, Christophe Pillet’s addition to Varaschin’s Outdoor Therapy collection. The relaxing lounger’s teak base and powder-coated steel frame comes fully treated to prevent atmospheric damage, and with your choice of cushion, for optimal R & R. Summerset, at Selene. Call for pricing.

Above right: The porch classic goes angular in this FSC-certified solid mahogany number. Designed by Jonas Wahlstöm and made in Indonesia, this low-rider offers brass hardware and a polyester pillow with a linen-like feel that ties on to the seat. Valalta Rocking Chair with Cushion, $640, at CB2.

designer outdoor rockers

Above left: Antoine Fritsch and Vivien Durisotti mix various styles in their take on the summer classic. We see a little bit country, a little bit rock n’ roll, and even some seaside suave. The epoxy-lacquered, galvanized steel frame is wrapped with intersecting nautical cord and anchored to a mahogany base. There are eight colours to choose from as well as many stains for the feet. Wishbone Armchair, at Roche Bobois. Call for pricing.

Above right: Here we have the latest addition to Innit‘s made-in-Toronto portfolio of in/outdoor furniture. And if you haven’t been to its west-end HQ – where you’ll see artisans weaving to order  – this lounge rocker with powder-coated base and strung, plastic tubing seat, is another reason to go. The pear-shaped frame is weatherproof, comfortable without a cushion, and fully protected against UV rays and mould. Available in 18 vinyl weave colours. Acapulco Rocker, $470, at Urban Mode.


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