RODA Thea outdoor sofa, armchair and tables

Aluminum lounge set

Striped like a leaf

The name comes from calathea, a South American plant with striped leaves. Tihany turned those stripes into the frame itself: the back and arms of each seat are a row of vertical aluminum slats, set with small gaps so light and air pass through. From the side the sofa reads almost like a garden screen, and from the front it looks like a deep upholstered piece.

The structure is powder coated aluminum in three painted finishes, smoke, milk and rust. Aluminum does not rust, so a Thea sofa can stay out by a pool or near salt air without a winter of worry. The cushions are made with hydro-draining padding, which lets rain run through instead of soaking in, so the seat is dry again soon after a storm.

Two round tables complete the set. The side table is about 17 3/4 inches across and the coffee table about 27 2/3 inches, both with tops in porcelain stoneware or wavy glass. Stoneware takes sun, wine and hot plates; the wavy glass adds a ripple of color. RODA offers both in a range of matt and glossy colors, chosen with the quote.

Tihany designed Thea with luxury hotels and ships in mind, and it shows in the proportions: a low seat, wide arms and a compact footprint that suits a balcony as well as a pool deck. It is Italian outdoor furniture made by RODA on Lake Varese, finished to order in the color you pick.

Slats like calathea leaves, cushions that drain.

Designer

Adam D. Tihany

Adam D. Tihany has shaped hotel and cruise ship interiors from his New York studio since 1978, and Thea carries that hospitality sense of comfort into a set small enough for a home terrace.

More about Adam D. TihanyMore about Adam D. Tihany

Also listed under Italian outdoor sofas.