Outdoor Slingbacks

During the 1960s, Richard Schultz added several designs to the Knoll portfolio; one—the “Petal” table—reached iconic status. In 1992, Schultz reacquired rights to his designs and has been manufacturing them under his own signature ever since. Now, with the assistance of his architect/designer son Peter, the company is bounding into the 21st century. Schultz’s line of simple painted aluminum and mesh outdoor furniture—originally designed for Florence Knoll’s Florida home—is still manufactured in its original configuration as the 1966 Collection. However, in its new iteration, the Swell Collection is poised to exploit the booming market resulting from a trend toward outdoor rooms. Based on a larger, 30” module (“The same dimension as [van der Rohe’s] Barcelona chair,” explains Peter), the seating is available as a chair, a loveseat, and a sofa—with list prices of $2,100, $3,100, and $4,100, respectively. The coordinating tables with colored glass inserts reflect the original designs, but again, are upsized.