Salterini Patio Dining Table and Pair of Chairs, Set of 3

The postwar boom in prosperity and leisure time led to the expansion of homes in America to include patios, which needed to be furnished with stylish outdoor furniture. Launched in 1934, Salterini offered some of the most exquisite, high-end outdoor furniture of the mid-century period.

While John B. Salterini designed ornate wrought-iron garden furniture for patios and lawns, he specifically sought to match the forms of indoor furniture and also advocated the use of his furniture indoors “because it brings into your home the freshness and gaiety of a flowery summer garden” (per his print advertisements).

After emigrating from Italy to New York, Salterini worked in journalism at first, editing a newspaper in Syracuse. When he moved to New York City, he worked in glass manufacturing and then entered into the production of wrought-iron furniture as a partner in Salterini & Gallo. When that company shuttered, he launched his own eponymous firm in 1934.

Over the course of his career, Salterini designed a wide range of furniture, from tables and chairs to chaise longues, ottomans and benches. And his influences were equally wide as well. His work is often identified as mid-century modern — the Clamshell line, designed for Salterini’s company by like-minded Italian architect and industrial designer Maurizio Tempestini, boasts soft curves and cocoon-like shells that strike a sharp contrast with the solidity of wrought iron and resemble the zany chair designs emerging during the postwar period from designers like Pierre Paulin and Arne Jacobsen.

The furniture from John B. Salterini Company also combined organic and geometric forms, one of the mid-century design movement’s defining features. But Salterini was equally influenced by the Gothic Revival and Art Deco movements, incorporating their signature flourishes like intricate lace-like patterns, delicate vine leaves and protruding scrolls into his French Provincial Group’s glass-topped tables and chairs. One of his most ornate and ostentatious designs is the Peacock double chaise longue, with its elaborate spokes and arching back.

Wrought iron was considered the best material for outdoor use because of its comparative lightness and pliability to other metals. The term “wrought” means made by hand, as opposed to “cast” iron, which was made using molds. Salterini’s high-end handcrafted furniture, with names like Park Avenue Group — promoted for indoor use and photographed as such for the firm’s catalogues — attracted wealthy buyers from across the country. They were drawn to his ability to make a metal like wrought iron look almost ethereal and elegant, and the way he incorporated the popular styles and design principles of the day into his pieces. That Salterini’s garden furniture can be used indoors and look completely natural is a rare feat.

Find vintage Salterini lounge chairs, tables, patio and garden furniture, and more on 1stDibs.

Todd Hase Furniture, Inc. includes a full collection of upholstery, tables, casegoods, accessories, lighting, and textiles. Designed by Todd Hase, the line is distinctly modern. It uses a classic vocabulary of shapes and lines to offer a pared down, simplified, ultimately usable collection of home furnishings. Old world techniques of manufacturing are applied to these modern products. Eight-way hand tied springs fill upholstered seating and hand fitted marquetry patterns of beautiful veneers enhance tables, casegoods, and lighting. The original Todd Hase showroom opened in 1995 in Soho, New York City. Todd Hase designed products are manufactured in the USA, and shipped both domestically and around the world. In addition to the Todd Hase Collection, Todd Hase hand selects antiques from Paris, France and Mid Century modern furniture and accessories for the Todd Hase | Home showrooms in New York and Palm Beach. The Todd Hase | Home showrooms offer an eclectic mix of Todd Hase Collection furniture and textiles, French antiques, Mid Century modern vintage furniture, lighting, accessories, fine art, and garden furniture. The Todd Hase | Home showrooms and interior design projects have been embraced by celebrity clientele, designers, the press, and home shopping customers alike. Todd Hase | Home showrooms, products, and interior design projects have been published in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House and Garden, The New York Times, House Beautiful, and more.