The Monobloc chair is a lightweight stackable polypropylene chair, often described[] as the world's most common plastic chair. Based on original designs by the Canadian designer D.C.Simpson in 1946,[1] variants of the one-piece plastic chair went into production with Allibert Group and Grosfillex Group in the 1970s. Since then, millions have been manufactured in countries including Russia, Taiwan, Australia, Mexico, the United States, Italy, France, Germany, Morocco, Turkey, Israel and China. Many design variants of the basic idea exist. The Monobloc chair is named because it is injection moulded from thermoplastic polypropylene, the granules being heated to about 220 degrees Celsius, and the melt injected into a mold. The gate of the mould is usually located in the seat, so ensuring smooth flow to all parts of the tool. The chairs cost approximately $3 to produce, making them affordable across the world. Social theorist Ethan Zuckerman describes them as having achieved a global ubiquity:
The Monobloc is one of the few objects I can think of that is free of any specific context. Seeing a white plastic chair in a photograph offers you no clues about where or when you are. Home > Banquet > Outdoor Furniture > Grosfillex Portable Patio Fence Design and define your patio or terrace with this decorative lattice panel fencing system that can be assembled and fitted to custom-create your outdoor dining space. Each post and base can be filled with water or sand to 50 lbs. for extra stability. Easy to move and store. Easy to clean by power-washing–no painting, sanding or refinishing necessary. Panels and Posts/Bases sold separately. Available in Black or Brown. 38" High Post & BaseAvailable in Black, White or Amazon Green. 0 stars from 0 reviews Be the first to write a reviewWood versus plastic is certainly not one of the greatest controversies of the 1980s--unless you happen to sell outdoor furniture.``Wood is history,`` said Richard Himmelstein, a co-owner of Surfside Casual Furniture in Ocean City, N.J., that specializes in the sale of Grosfillex, one of the top names in plastic outdoor furniture.``People want natural beauty, they don`t want fake plastic
,`` said David Thibodeau, general manager of an upstate New York furniture company where traditional Adirondack furniture is created from native cedar and rock maple.Whatever the material, the two salesmen agreed that outdoor furniture is a hot item right now as warm summer temperatures lure people out of their homes and into the outdoors for dining, socializing and just lounging around. People are searching department stores, catalogs and specialty outdoor furnishings shops for just the right tables, chairs and chaises to grace their front porches, decks and the favorite spot under the shade tree in the back yard. The possibilities are endless.The traditional redwood picnic table and benches--the set that could be counted on to leave splinters in your skin--is rapidly being replaced by trendy plastic pieces.``Redwood is totally out,`` Himmelstein said. ``The reason is that pipe furniture is going to last longer, it`s much more durable and it`s cheaper, too. It`s got a much more contemporary look.``Pipe furniture, so named because the its framework looks like pipes, is actually made of a polyvinyl chloride material.
PVC is prized for its durability and resistance to the elements, such as the sun, salt air and freezing temperatures and it won`t crack, chip or peel.Himmelstein said pipe-style furniture, complemented by plush, colorful cushions, came onto the scene about four years ago and has won increasing popularity.Surfside Casual carries Casual Line, a PVC furniture manufacturer based in Ocoee, Fla. Himmelstein sells a Casual Line 42-inch round table with four chairs for $369, a chaise for $189 and a loveseat for $189.Grosfillex, made by a French company, is also made of PVC but the design is more versatile because it is a molded plastic that can be shaped into many sleek styles. Grosfillex caters to an upscale crowd--some of its lines are accented with Pierre Cardin cushions and covered with the same lacquer used on Mercedes and Volvos.The elegant pieces are also functional, with such features as multi-position chairs that contour to the body, and pull-out trays underneath the chaise seat, convenient for resting a cool drink and a steamy summer paperback.
Surfside Casual sells a 91-inch extension table from the Grosfillex Boutique line, six chairs with Pierre Cardin cushions and an umbrella for $1,699.Both Grosfillex and PVC come in white or vanilla with a variety of colorful cushions in stripes, flowers and geometrics. Popular colors this year are gray, peach, rose, pale blue or almost any pastel.Another choice for outdoor furniture is aluminum, which does not have the rusting and pitting problems of steel, Himmelstein said.Brown Jordan, a California firm that is one of the top manufacturers of aluminum furniture, offers contemporary pieces that are a far cry from the precarious old metal-frame, plastic-webbed chairs that had a habit of collapsing when sat upon.Surfside Casual sells a Brown Jordan table and four chairs for $783.But Thibodeau, whose company, Willsboro Country Furniture in Willsboro, N.Y., is nestled in the Adirondack Mountains, insisted wood is a much-preferred choice for outdoor furniture.``There are the people who are going to buy the PVC of course,``Thibodeau said, ``but wood has got its own class.
It`s classier.``There is obviously room for both types of furniture in the marketplace,`` Thibodeau said. ``Our type of furniture appeals to people in the middle income to upper income.``The advantages of wood are many--it is sturdy, romantically rustic, has a long life, and ages outdoors to a beautiful silver-gray patina, Thibodeau said.Willsboro, which sells by catalog, offers a selection of rustic cedar furniture from comfortable rocking chairs for $99 to a graceful settee for $149 to a picnic-style table and two benches for $305.The company`s best-selling item is the classic Adirondack chair, with a new, patented design. Willsboro updated and improved the oversized chair by designing it to fold into a compact size for moving or storing.Country Casual, a furniture company based in Germantown, Md., also sells wooden outdoor furniture by catalog and imports its wares from England. Many of its offerings, all in teak, are variations of the old English park bench.Country Casual lists a four-foot Coventry teak swing for $275, a 41-inch round table for $435 with matching chairs at $140 each.