Exterior Decorator™ John Danzer takes an in-depth look at the history of garden furniture and how it functions within the landscape. Focusing on this life-long passions, Danzer founded Munder-Skiles. A New York-based company specializing in the production of historic to modern designs or garden furniture from the finest quality wood and metal.  Danzer’s line draws upon wonderful vintage pieces, often based on historic homes and gardens such as Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The Hudson River Valley estate Montgomery Place, and Edith Wharton home in France.  Danzer also advises on residential, commercial, and public gardens, concentrating on the appropriate combination of furnishings for a particular setting.  Danzer will be publishing his own magazine called The World of Exteriors™.

Although weather’s destruction leaves few early examples of the garden furniture, a history of colorful stories and people unfolds through historic paintings, photographs, and catalogues. John Danzer presents a historic timeline with trends in materials, technology and stylistic influences, beginning with the Medieval Turf Seat and following the evolution right up to the “McYellow” recycled plastic benches for McDonald’s. John Danzer will examine how furniture works within the landscape and how to make appropriate choices. Images from gardens around the world help tell the story. A small portion of the presentation will include highlights of Reinventing The Garden Seat, a 10-year retrospective of his firm, Munder-Skiles, held in 2000 at the New York School of Interior Design.

The ultimate Great Room and possibly the best room in the house is its garden.  Furnishing it appropriately for all outdoor activities takes a particular design knowledge and discipline.  John Danzer will reveal how his 12 years as a garden furniture designer with an insatiable curiosity for outdoor spaces has developed into a new design practice that led the press last year to call him “America’s First Exterior Decorator.” John Danzer’s firm, Munder-Skiles, which maintains the most complete archive on the subject, has served clients in a range of garden styles from traditional to ultra-modern.  John will share wisdom gained from these installations and also highlight the largely uncharted design history of the garden chair.