Our lounge furniture finally arrived last night. It was designed by Richard Schulz in 1966 for the Florida home of Florence Knoll. She wanted modern design that was well crafted to withstand the rigors of the Florida coast weather and salt spray. He recently sold his company to Knoll who has reintroduced the line (I think his son is now running this division–although he is still working.) It is superbly made from cast aluminum that is powder coated. The lines are lyrical and fully express the work the aluminum is doing to transfer weight to the feet and to caress the body. There is thickness precisely where it is needed and the corresponding thinness where the loads are minimal. We chose white on white to de-emphasize the object itself and focus on the act of sitting, relaxing and conversations. Interestingly, the white, under the Mexican sun, emphasizes the lines since the profile of the casting is linear with recesses. (See Knoll website:Â http://www.knoll.com/shop/by-designer/rich-schultz).
We also purchased this furniture after thoroughly looking and researching alternatives. Needless to say, there is a lot of outdoor furniture on the market world wide. Much of it is made for the resort business and is designed to look good but, sadly, upon very close inspection, is poorly made. Schulz’s design is meticulous and it is a joy to sit in. Lea and I are looking forward to many hours of quiet contemplation, quiet conversation and, perhaps, even a nap or two (or three.)
Looks wonderful! same deal as the hurricane lamps: shipped here and you pay customs? I have an Aeron office chair which I love. I do expect it to last forever.
Judy. We bought all of the Knoll furniture through my architectural office in the US and had it shipped in our container. Customs released our used goods sooner than the new furniture. We did pay the sales tax but the duty was reduced since NAFTA has special rates for goods made in the US.
The Schulz-Knoll chairs look a lot better in Merida than they did your South Tyrol garage. From a distance, it strikes me how much the “lyrical” lines echo the shape of the snow bank presently taking shape along the street of your former residence; the “white on white” powder coating reinforces the association. Has your keen eye for design inadvertently exposed a sentiment for your former life? I think it is delightfully ironic that you and Lea will be spending “many hours of quiet contemplation, quiet conversation…and a nap or two” while sitting in a meticulously designed snowbank. Feliz siesta!
Kurt-thinking more of wispy summer clouds instead of snow banks!