Living Al Fresco: Furniture from CB2, Heather Road, Target and Ikea
Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, and we’re planning to take full advantage of the great outdoors in the coming months. First up? Lunch al fresco, served at a bench-style outdoor table. We prefer one like the Weekender Dining Table from CB2, which is made from sustainable lumber that hasn’t been treated with VOC-releasing chemicals (so not a tasty addition to your grilled organic eggplant skewers). Crafted from fast-growing eucalyptus, the slatted table and bench are part of a new slate of eco-friendly furniture from Crate & Barrel’s environmentally and economically conscious little cousin, which uses only timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a nonprofit organization that encourages responsible management of the world’s forests.
After lunch comes lounge time. We like these Heather Road Carbon Teak Deck Chairs, which we can wheel around to face the sun (provided we first slather on plenty of skin-friendly, eco-friendly sunscreen). And where some manufacturers cull teak from old growth or natural rain forest, all Heather Road outdoor furniture is made from Indonesian teak grown on a plantation where strict reforestation practices are enforced, certified by the country’s government.
As the sun goes down, the lights turn on, with no switch in sight. For tabletop, we set out Solar Sun Jars, which are now so ubiquitous they’re sold at Target. And Ikea has the most adorable new collection of Solig solar-powered lights—we’re totally in love with those tiny white, yellow and orange Japanese lanterns hanging from our decks and trees. Both use solar cells for battery power—LED in the case of the sun jar, and rechargeable AAs for the hanging lanterns—and answer the question, “Where’s the plug?” once and for all: In the sky, stupid.
