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For inspiration on outfitting a design-savvy balcony or patio, we flip through fresh style reads that celebrate the joy of outdoor living; plus, we preview a new outdoor line from Montreal’s Montauk, and Dyson’s latest lighting release

Serenity now

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If your swimming preferences lean more toward cement ponds than salty seas, Lou Stoppard’s compilation of pool images by contemporary photographers ­– including the work of Romain Laprade, pictured here – is sure to have you dreaming of your next dip. On your own deck, channel its watery palette and wavy surfaces into equally serene and shapely pieces.

1. Pools by Lou Stoppard, $85 at bookstores and online (rizzoliusa.com).

2. Nanimarquina Shade outdoor rug, starting at $2,218 at Gabriel Ross.

3. Tonon Riverside lounge chair, $1,599 at Jardin de Ville.

4. Jardiniere Longpot, $698 at Ligne Roset.

New modern

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Owl Creek, in Snowmass, Colo., highlights how capital-A architecture works for a casual mountain property when you bring unexpected hits of colour and polished natural textures together. The home, by the Portland, Ore., firm Skylab, is featured in Living on Vacation, a book that compiles covetable getaways from around the world.

  1. Flos IC Lights outdoor floor lamp, starting at $2,095 at Lightform (usa.flos.com).
  2. Living on Vacation, $60 at bookstores and online (phaidon.com).
  3. Flexform Fly tables, starting at €1,575 at Italinteriors (flexform.it).
  4. Loll Lollygagger bar cart, $1,595 at EQ3 (lolldesigns.com).

Surf’s up

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For a few months every year, even a landlocked courtyard in central Canada can channel the laid-back spirit of surf culture by mixing elements such as rattan furniture, graphic textiles and humble lighting. Look to the release of the XL size of Taschen’s Surfing volume for a deep dive into the hang-10 lifestyle’s aesthetic.

  1. Surfing by Jim Heimann, US$70 at bookstores and online (taschen.com).
  2. Quilt stripe cactus 20-inch outdoor pillow, $74.95 at Crate & Barrel.
  3. Cana outdoor three-piece sectional, $2,197 at CB2.
  4. Solvinden LED solar-powered pendant lamp, $19.99 at Ikea.

Cushy ride

Montreal’s Montauk marks 25 years with a new outdoor line

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“You jump into the sofa Friday night and stay there until Monday morning – so you really live in them,” says Tim Zyto, the founder of Montauk Sofa. Creating that experience of ultimate comfort was what prompted Zyto to launch the luxury sofa company in Montreal 25 years ago. Inspired by the beachy elegance of its namesake community on the tip of Long Island, N.Y., – a place Zyto travelled to often – the entrepreneur saw an opportunity to marry the airy aesthetic of a resort town with a bit of urban edge.

To mark its first quarter century, Montauk Sofa has introduced its long-awaited outdoor collection. “We took the same design aesthetic that we had inside and brought it out,” Zyto says. The Lewis line maintains the company’s signature design DNA of comfort and simplicity while offering modular configurations well suited to backyard spaces that need to adapt for different occasions. There’s also a new six-piece collection of hand-knotted custom-sized rugs made with natural textiles including merino and Himalayan wool, as well as organic soy fibres.

Sustainability is something that Zyto and Montauk’s creative director Danny Chartier value. Since the brand’s inception in 1995, the company has done all of its furniture manufacturing locally in Montreal and achieved carbon-neutral status in 2006. “You need to be conscious about the environment," Chartier says. “We never even thought of having stuff produced somewhere else.” – Anya Georgijevic

For more information, visit montauksofa.com.

Glow with the flow

Dyson’s latest lighting release is a lamp that adapts to every occasion

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Billed as Dyson’s most innovative light design to date, the Lightcycle Morph tracks natural daylight and adapts and transforms with your day. Available in desk and floor sizes, Morph’s pared-down look is well suited to minimalist homes, but its obvious functionality will help it fit into more eclectic spaces too.

To create a refined and industrial feeling, the lamp’s creators looked to other products in the Dyson stable. The Lifecycle Morph’s elegant stem is made of an aluminum-polycarbonate composite with individually perforated apertures inspired by the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer filter and Dyson air purifier filter’s cages.

This smart light physically morphs into four different formats: task, indirect, feature or ambient. When in task mode, it’s focused and ideal for reading. The indirect mode works well for soft background lighting, while the feature mode acts as a spotlight for your favourite art piece. But the Morph is most impressive in ambient mode, when it creates a comforting glow meant to encourage relaxation by reducing the colour temperature and emulating candlelight.

From a sustainability standpoint, the lamps are equipped with Dyson’s special heat-pipe technology that cools the LEDs, protecting them from fading and discolouration. Even with daily use, Morph’s LEDs are expected to last up to 60 years. It’s literally designed for almost a lifetime. – Anya Georgijevic

Dyson Lightcycle Morph desk lamp, $849.99, floor lamp, $1,199.99 through dysoncanada.ca.

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