Wait Until You See the Epic Planters and Fool-the-Eye Melamine in Designer Leanne Ford’s First Outdoor Collection for Crate & Barrel
Designer Leanne Ford is teaming up with Crate & Barrel again to release a new collection of outdoor furniture, accents, and tableware. While this launch marks Ford’s official first foray into the world of outdoor furnishings, all of the pieces have been designed to function as a thoughtful extension of her existing Crate & Barrel line.
In terms of materials, slatted, wire-brushed teak mingles with creamy, all-weather upholstery and subtly striped pillows in a range of sun-washed tans, taupes, and grays. And for the first time, Ford’s popular Range dinnerware and serveware is being offered in melamine. “I’m excited to use the melamine for my daughter, even indoors, because you don’t have to worry about it breaking,” she says. “You can’t really even tell the difference between the two.”
Some of these furniture silhouettes have been borrowed from hero products already available in the Leanne Ford for Crate & Barrel line; the Jeannie Teak Outdoor Sectional, Outdoor Sofa, and Outdoor Chaise Lounge, for example, echo the indoor Jeannie Chair. You’ll also find a nice continuity across all of Ford’s offerings in terms of color palette, too, as she tends to favor classic neutrals no matter the season. Above all, though, Ford wanted to create a versatile, easy-to-decorate-around assortment that would “transcend styles and eras” and age well. “I actually think these pieces — especially the warm teak wood we’ve used — will get better with time,” she says.
The Jeannie Extendable Teak Outdoor Dining Table, which pairs with bench or chair seating, and a handful of planters round out the offerings. The planters, in particular, feel super-special; they pair the look of classic antiquity with the durability of a modern fiberstone material.
The collection is available to shop at Crate & Barrel today. The one thing you won’t find here (or in Ford’s own backyard, for that matter): fussy furniture covers (at least not during peak outdoor living season). She hopes that seeing these pieces in your outdoor space — uncovered and in all their glory — call you to spend more time outside, morning, noon, or night.