All-weather synthetic wicker makes it possible to leave patio furniture out all year long, at least in California. But what if your garden party grows from a small group to a bigger crowd, and those lounge sets are taking up too much valuable space?
Dutch designer Frank Ligthart created a clever solution with the Obelisk, a set of stacking chairs and a table, created for manufacturer Dedon in 2005. It has been widely imitated ever since.
One of the sets is the designer original and sells for $6,825. The other is a copycat, sold for $2,100 online. Keep reading to find out which is which and why the prices are so different...
The Obelisk by Dedon, right, is composed of two pairs of matching high- and low-back chairs and a conical table. The base of the table supports the furniture when it is stacked into its sculptural shape for storage.
The Obelisk is available in a dark gray and a silvery light gray.
The set is made from Dedon fiber, a proprietary polyethylene-based material that the company says is non-toxic, UV stable and recyclable.The furniture is hand-woven in the Philippines over a lightweight and durable powder-coated aluminum frame.
The recommended retail price is $6,825. It can be purchased through the Janus et Cie showroom at the Pacific Design Center. The set has a three year limited manufacturer warranty.
Until recently, the online retailer Modern Collections offered a dead-ringer copy of the Obelisk. That model has been discontinued, and the company has replaced it with the Hourglass by Nuevo Living in Canada.
The stacking concept remains the same, but the pieces create a less elegant column, left, which balances on metal feet instead of a circular base.
The set has two pairs of chairs and a drum-shaped table. It's constructed from synthetic wicker woven on a powder-coated aluminum frame. The Hourglass is made in China and comes with a one-year limited warranty.
The Hourglass also comes in two colors, brown and antique brown. The antique brown is $2,100. Brown, as shown here and on the Modern Collections website, costs $525 more. Shipping is included in the price.
-- David A. Keeps
Photo credits: Dedon and Nuevo Living
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