Ilan Dei’s new collection of outdoor furniture is playful and clean.

The 47-year-old self-taught designer, originally from Israel but now living and working in Venice, Calif., calls his chairs and tables “lush minimalism.”

“They’re made of as few parts as possible,” he says.  “They’re about durability and lasting a long time.”

Dei once worked as a commercial fisherman in the Atlantic Ocean, and also served as an apprentice to master Japanese woodworker Kai Ito.  He was introduced to the digital world during his tenure with metal fabricator Tom Farrage and Company, where he produced work for architects Frank Gehry and Thom Mayne.

His new streamlined assortment is a playful mix of plastic and powder-coated metal that includes his Leaf dining tables, his Lilyside table and his Lemonade chair. They can be easily rearranged to accommodate any entertaining needs, no matter the weather, he says.

His Leaf table is inspired by old board tables, he says, and can grow incrementally from three leafs to six.  They’re ideal for dining and for small spaces, and can seat from two to twelve people.  Plus, they move about with ease in a garden, and they’ll withstand the elements.

“They’re easy to maintain over time, even in a harsh environment,” he says.

He’s developed two color palettes to appeal to two different audiences.  One is bright, and the other subdued, to disappear into the background.

“There’s orange, yellow and lime green, and then there’s battleship gray, mauve, white, and black-on-white or black-on-black,” he says.  “They’re pretty much the same shape, but completely different colors.”

All his pieces are manufactured by an environmentally-aware staff in Venice.

And each is snappily modern.

For more information, go to http://www.ilandeivenice.com/

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