Danish company Hay’s latest collection is inspired by outdoor living at its most essential, simple form: camping, picnics and spontaneous outdoor gatherings are at the heart of a family of objects whose aesthetic is directly informed by functionality.
‘Outdoor living, at its core, is about simplicity, the uncomplicated,’ says company co-founder Rolf Hay. The new ‘Hay Outdoor Market’ was entrusted to British designer Jasper Morrison, who, for Mette Hay, was the obvious choice for his ability to ‘make familiar things feel necessary and considered’.
The collection features every outdoor living essential you can possibly think of, from a striped canvas hammock and folding seats to a stainless steel firepit and barbecue complete with matching accessories (tongs, a fish grill and a toaster pan, to name a few), with a particular focus on portability. 'For us, the starting point was designing and curating (or sampling) different objects around an activity and a way of living, rather than a fixed setting,' continues Mette Hay. 'Outdoor life looks different for everyone, depending on who you are and where you live – it might be a balcony in the city, a picnic in the park, or a spontaneous moment somewhere in nature.'
Jasper Morrison's portable Barbecue for Hay
‘I’ve always loved camping equipment and the constraints of lightness and efficiency which those things need to comply with,’ says Morrison, whose London shop features some exceptional examples of utilitarian design that is both functional and portable (including an earlier barbecue).
The pieces are inspired by those same objects Morrison has been championing through his practice and London shop, and the he was able to revisit some of his own designs while also adding some objects he sourced from places such as Japan, favoured for their essential aesthetic and extreme functionality. ‘The motivation was the same in both cases,’ he adds. ‘To provide useful things for outdoor living.’