Six reasons to make it a Solair summer
It's day two of summer and if you haven't figured out your porch or patio decor yet, I have just the solution. There's a classic Canadian chair that will level up your outdoor spaces and its name is Solair.
The name alone radiates sunshine. I've had a pair on my balcony for eons and since they're durable enough to stay outside year-round, they're a blast of June-July-August 365 days of the year.
Here are six reasons why you should acquire a pair – or even a larger cluster – yourself:
- It's an affordable design classic
Designed in a weekend by two Italian-Canadians, Fabio Fabiano and Michelange Panzini, the chair debuted in 1972. Half a century later it's still going strong – and you can make it your own for under two-hundred dollars. - It's insanely comfy
I'll be the first to admit occasionally trading seated ease for the sake of style. With Solair you don't need to make that compromise. It's just as pleasurable to lounge in as it is to look at. - It exudes motel chic
Over the decades, the chair has been a motel favourite, in fact you may remember it from a certain motel-centred Canadian sitcom. Add a few to your own exterior and you're lending your place a sly budget-vacation appeal. - Its perforations are perfect
The design plays well with summer breezes, the lozenge-shaped openings in the bucket seat keeping you cool on the hottest days of the season. - It's an antidote to backyard boredom
Here's a secret: the chair comes in a rainbow of colours and if your outdoor oasis needs a refresh, just pop the seat off the frame and replace it with one in a different hue. (Yes, you can buy them separately.) - Even its shadows are stylish
When the seat across from you is empty, no need to feel lonely. You'll have the company of a shifting array of graphic shadows, slightly different every time you look up from your summer reading.
And if you do get some Solairs – available at inabstracto in Toronto – please send me a photo of them in situ. I may feature your artistry in an upcoming edition of the newsletter this summer.
Affectionately,
Lead photo by @juliejenkinson