The Great Outdoors

Lindberg launched Röshults with his business partner Christopher Norgren in 2007. The company is named after a fire basket designed by Norgren’s father, Anders, which was the company’s launch product. The name of the fire basket itself came from a small village in the Swedish countryside where Anders developed the design . The popularity of this simple object helped the duo recognise the potential for a collection of intelligently designed and beautifully manufactured outdoor products. ‘I loved the idea of Röshults, not as a single product, but as a brand providing other items based on this way of outdoor living,’ Lindberg explains.

The fire basket prompted the team to develop other products aimed at harnessing fire to bring warmth and atmosphere to outdoor spaces, including torches and floor-standing candlesticks. Then came the first barbecue grill, designed by Swedish duo Mats Broberg and Johan Ridderstråle, which according to Lindberg was crucial in helping to define the brand’s identity and visual language. The barbecue is reassuringly monolithic and refined, with its black powder-coated base supporting a thick stainless-steel grate. It’s an uncompromising aesthetic that is boldly applied throughout the collection. ‘I would say that our style is timeless,’ claims Lindberg. ‘It’s not about what’s cool this summer and will then be out of style next year. It’s based on long-term style, but I think it’s still contemporary.’

Röshults’ collection has grown to include furniture for outdoor lounge and dining areas, garden trolleys and sinks for food preparation to accompany the barbecues, and a range of accessories including planters, log baskets and storage units, all with a straightforward and sophisticated aesthetic that references the clean lines of contemporary architecture. Another of the more iconic products is a sculptural outdoor shower that frames the user as he or she stands beneath a linear stream of water. A pedestal made from heat-treated ash provides a tactile base for the simple iron profile.

The company works with a range of established and emerging designers but is careful to maintain an impeccable level of design and build quality across its collection. Each of the products has the same graphic simplicity and utilises high-end materials, including stainless steel and teak, to create a premium feel that is key to the Röshults brand. ‘We don’t have the biggest range of products but we have a very clear style and concept that we try to maintain as much as we can,’ adds Lindberg.

Röshults’ furniture isn't just aimed at customers who already have a holiday home in Nice; it’s for anyone who appreciates modern design and enjoys being surrounded by elegant products that function well. The pursuit of a timeless style that will last for many summers also means it’s a long-term investment that could help to enhance any outdoor space, whether it’s a poolside terrace in the French Riviera or a back garden in a Stockholm suburb.

The encouraging growth that Röshults has achieved since its launch has led its founders to believe there is increasing demand for quality outdoor products that reflect the current directions in architecture and design. ‘People are investing more money in their outdoor spaces than in the past,’ says Lindberg, ‘and they want products that match the style and quality of their houses.’ Having originally focussed on the Scandinavian market, the company has begun to expand into southern parts of Europe as well as other countries around the world where, as Lindberg points out, ‘the summers are much longer!’

Building on its established brand direction and the design of its outdoor range, Röshults recently launched its first furniture pieces for indoor use. These include the Monaco lounge chair, which features an elegant iron frame supporting plump, boxy cushions upholstered in leather or fabric. A series of glass-topped coffee tables and small side tables with clever built-in storage can be used alongside the chairs to create comfortable lounge areas. ‘We’re already being asked for sofas and daybeds, so this is something we’ll continue to explore as we move towards next season,’ adds Lindberg, who is keen to expand the collection steadily while maintaining a consistent level of design integrity.