LAYER designs Crop, a collection of outdoor chairs and stools for Allermuir

The family of outdoor chairs and stools takes its name from the rolling fields of crops in the British countryside, which are represented in the flowing parallel wires of the furniture collection’s seating forms.

Crop is a response to the fast growth of outdoor dining and hospitality over the past year, which has been driven by social distancing needs in the midst of a pandemic. Allermuir believe this growth will continue in a post-pandemic world, driven by a newfound appreciation of al fresco dining and socialising.

The Crop collection comprises two dining chairs, with and without arms, a lounge chair and stool. Each product in the range is crafted from a steel rod frame with slim, robot-welded wires forming the seats and backrests. The expressive cushioned forms of the seating areas visually soften these robust materials, while the parallel lines of the wires create an impactful graphic statement that can be likened to a line drawing. The flowing curves of the seats and backrests mimic the pillowed shape of soft seating, offering comfort that echoes the gently curvaceous visual language. This approach is particularly evident in the two armchairs, which translate the value and forms of traditional upholstered bergère and tub chairs to outdoor furniture.

‘For our first outdoor furniture collection we focused on capturing the spirit of the great outdoors and the language of the natural world to encourage al fresco dining, particularly in the current global climate,’ says Benjamin Hubert, Founder of LAYER. ‘Due to the production methods and materiality, the collection is driven by strong graphic elements of mono-width lines traced around the furniture features To achieve success with these manufacturing constraints, we went through many rounds of hand drawing, illustration and 3D modelling to create forms that are successful both in a 2D and 3D fashion.’

The durable materiality of the seating is weatherproof, and can be integrated into a variety of hospitality, commercial and residential settings. Both the chairs and stools are available with the option of removable seating pads for added comfort.