Minotti Trio teak outdoor armchair

Cabinetmaking in teak

Trio is a lesson in joinery. The teak is shaped so each member thickens and thins along its length, a technique taken from cabinetmaking and applied here to garden furniture. The result is a frame with very little mass and clean, straight lines in the spirit of Rationalist architecture. Inside the frame, cord is woven into a wicker-effect panel that carries the seat and back cushions, which keeps the chair looking open from every side of the terrace.

Outdoors, that construction makes sense. Teak holds up to sun, rain and salt air, and if the oil is skipped it silvers to a soft gray; a yearly treatment keeps it golden. The woven cord drains and dries fast, so the seat does not stay wet under a cushion after a storm. Cushions are upholstered in outdoor fabric, and in a snowy climate they belong indoors for the winter, while the teak frames can stay out under a breathable cover.

The two pieces shown here cover lounging and eating. The armchair with armrests is the one for reading or conversation around a low table. The chair with armrests is the dining version, sized to pull up to a table. Buying both lets one family furnish a whole terrace, from the lounge corner to the dining area, in the same teak and cord. Among Minotti armchairs, Trio is the pick for someone who wants wood that looks almost weightless.