"I always consider the exterior as an interior,” says Milanese landscape designer Derek Castiglioni, whose exuberant plantings have been commissioned by the likes of Dimore Studio , Stella McCartney , and Alexander McQueen . “I treat outdoor spaces like another room of the building.” But when tasked with decorating them, Castiglioni encountered a problem: There were few furnishings that felt as luxurious and customizable as their indoor counterparts. So he did something about it, devising a garden-ready collection of chairs, tables, and chaise longues in materials and colors that hark back to the mid–20th century.
The dining table and chairs from landscape designer Derek Castiglioni’s new line of outdoor furniture.
“I wanted to create something simple in form but with details that make it precious,” he says, pointing out that the dining table’s top is ever-so-slightly darker than its legs, which taper off into brass feet that can be adjusted to sit happily on uneven ground. Castiglioni’s imaginative outdoor fabrics—one of them inspired by his favorite palm—cover the seat cushions.
A chaise longue sports a cushion in Licuala fabric, an ode to Castiglioni's favorite palm.
After making its debut in Milan this April, the collection is likely to crop up in Castiglioni’s next landscape projects, among them a private terrace in Milan,a roof garden for a local tech company, and a family home in Piedmont. “My gardens are always about storytelling,” Castiglioni says. “Now we can tell the full story.” derekcastiglioniom