A Greener Lawn Chair

-

Would you pay $2500 for a folding lawn chair? How ’bout if the vinyl and aluminum tube web chair you knew as a kid was replaced with sophisticated leather webbing and a shiny mirror polished frame? Huh? How ’bout it?

I would have to fold when comes to coughing up the cash for the updated version by John Paul Plauche of Plodes Studio. But I admire the Bauhaus modern statement the architect from Texas makes in his limited edition reDO design available at Greener Grass Design and several other modern sites. 

The cherry hardwood armrests and stunning black leather with sporty white contrast stitching clearly redefines the original classic, a staple in suburban neighborhoods on warm summer nights.

As we greet sunny August, guest writer Debbie Galant reminisces about growing up with the lawn chairs in a New York Times article, A Lawn Chair or a Philosophy of Life?.

She says for folks congregating in her working class cul-de-sac there was "no shame in owning lawn furniture that cost less than $10."  She compares those chairs used by grown-ups for watching ball in the streets with costly furniture sets by Brown Jordan that can set you back $3,000 or more. Guess she doesn’t like how upper middle-class standards force people to buy lawn furniture that defines their status and taste.

I, too, remember having the functional chairs around as spares in the backyard by the pool, along with my Mom’s upscale Brown Jordan. We also had folding chairs for the beach, which are still available at sites like Beach Store for under $40. The models with reclining backs are awesome for reading or lunching on the sand in Malibu. See, I’m no snob.

-

I suppose the beauty of the reDO is that the materials dictate it be invited indoors to join the modern sofa. While the price is a turn-off, I did find it on sale at Gibraltar Furniture for $2,250. Hey, for that you can have a whole set!

Sara’s shameless plug: Hi, it’s your editor. De-lurk, dear reader, and leave this fabulous writer a comment. You can also share this post with friends – just click your favorite social bookmark listed below. New reader? Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter. You can also subscribe to any RSS feed your heart desires.

Luanne Bradley

Luanne Sanders Bradley is the West coast Editor at EcoSalon and currently resides in San Francisco, California.