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TheUrbanative’s Outdoor Collection Looks to Summertimes Past

09.21.22 | By
TheUrbanative’s Outdoor Collection Looks to Summertimes Past

A few years in the making, TheUrbanative’s outdoor collection has finally made its debut. Its furniture pieces borrow from past collections, summer memories, and time spent sitting on steel and wire mesh chairs. It’s a love letter in a sense to the outdoor furniture of the 80s and 90s. The contemporary African furniture and product design brand based in South Africa leans on this approach for all of their pieces, sharing and retelling stories while hoping to create new ones.

metal outdoor armchair with hat and sandals

Akaya Cafe Chair

Using a juxtaposition of abstracted African cultural inspiration with the functionality, look, and feel of modern materials, technologies, and silhouettes, their new offerings are ready to be lived with. The outdoor collection includes a sofa, pod chair, lounge chair, cafe chair, cafe table, nesting tables, planters, and an outdoor mat. The Pumzika couch and Akaya Lounge Chair are soft and inspired, while the Wambo Pod is a fun yet functional addition. The Akaya Cafe Chair is a reworking of the Akaya Lounge Chair that pairs perfectly with the Bambanani Cafe Table.

TheUrbanative partnered with local South African makers for other pieces, staying true to a commitment to community and collaboration. The Oromo Planters were made with Seed Store, while the Iziqhaza Mat was made with Norris & Norris using recycled rubber.

outdoor metal armchair and metal cafe table

The framework of the outdoor collection’s pieces are stainless and galvanized steel that’s e-coated where necessary, then powder-coated in a  UV stable ferrograin finish. Choose from a palette of colors reminiscent of a summer day: coral, sand, palm, and ocean.

Fabrics that could handle outdoor conditions led the brand to using Sunbrella fabrics, as well as local options from The Mill fabrics. Breathable and mold-, mildew-, water-, and stain-resistant, they’re also UV fade-resistant.

red metal outdoor cafe table

Bambanani Cafe Table

outdoor metal armchair and metal cafe table

outdoor lounge chair with cushions and sandals

Akaya Lounge Chair

outdoor lounge chair with cushions

Akaya Lounge Chair

outdoor lounge chair detail

Akaya Lounge Chair

outdoor lounge chair, sofa, and nesting tables

outdoor sofa, nesting tables, and round black mat

side view of army green outdoor sofa

Pumzika Couch

detail of army green outdoor sofa

Pumzika Couch

round outdoor black patterned floor mat

Iziqhaza Mat

outdoor nesting tables

Thabi Mesh and Stone Nesting Tables

red outdoor chair with cushions

Wambo Pod

red outdoor chair with cushions and outdoor planter

Wambo Pod

red outdoor chair and side table

Wambo Pod

two outdoor planters with plants

Outdoor Oromo Planters

detail of outdoor planter

Outdoor Oromo Planter

outdoor planter with plant

Outdoor Oromo Planter

To learn more about TheUrbanative’s outdoor collection, visit theurbanative.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.