Xenia: Look twice because this is actually patio furniture

Our outdoor areas are becoming increasingly like our interiors. The need for comfort and luxury regardless of the space is a trend that is certainly on the rise. 

It was the ancient Greek concept of “Xenia” that first sparked off the idea of creating an outdoor furniture range that was as luxurious as indoor furniture. “Xenia” comprises customs of good hospitality which ancient Greeks were obliged to respect out of fear of displeasing the gods. As a result, this concept was very important to Greek culture. Whether out of genuine fear, or simply good manners, Greeks would go out of their way to welcome their guests and make them feel comfortable in a foreign home.

With this in mind, we interviewed Cecil Kagan, the CEO of Xenia and Calgan Lounge on how his idea of redefining the outdoors began…

“Six years ago I covered an indoor recliner suite in ‘outdoor’ fabric and passed it off as patio furniture. My guests could not believe how comfortable the result was, nor that it was indeed outdoor furniture. Their astonishment made for an interesting idea.

Xenia is a motion-suite furniture piece centered around one modular design that allows for customisation. Whether one wants a corner unit or a 3 division setup, Xenia is flexible enough to allow for use in any space. Moreover, we use environmentally-friendly, water & UV resistant fabrics available in a variety of colours.

Completely treated against rust, washable fabrics make life so much easier when it comes to cleaning. A spill can easily be remedied with a damp cloth. To clean underneath, simply tip over the suite and use a hosepipe to spray with water.

Xenia is a very new concept in patio furniture so we are constantly testing our products and have been amazed by the results.

Introducing this amazing product to our market has been the most rewarding. The disbelief on visitors’ faces when they realise that what they are seeing is outdoor furniture makes it all worth it. Our next stop is the Durban House & Garden exhibition this year, where we look forward to educating visitors on how to incorporate the ‘indoor-furniture-outdoors’ concept in their own homes.

We have achieved great success thus far, so much so that we are currently working on expanding our design to include more contemporary and varying designs to suit our clients’ personal style.”

This novel concept is taking over slowly but surely and begs the question, “Why shouldn’t our outdoors be as beautiful as our indoors?”

To find out more, visit Xenia’s Facebook page or read more about them from Design Joburg