For more than 40 years, Ratana has followed the mantra that change is the most effortless constant in nature. The outdoor furniture company has been elevating living experiences with high-quality pieces that channel nature’s finest elements and truly enhance the enjoyment of casual time spent at home. World-class venues such as five-star hotels, top-ranked restaurants, international golf courses, and Olympic venues have taken note, sourcing both traditional and contemporary pieces from Ratana’s portfolio to enliven their outdoor settings.
But when Ratana’s creative minds felt nature tugging at their souls even more, they were compelled to elevate the brand with its finest offerings yet. Joanna Leung, Ratana’s VP of strategy, enlisted the designer Enrique Moya-Angeler to devise an entirely new furniture label that draws inspiration from nature’s most breathtaking elements: water ice, sand, and stone. Called Terana in reference to the French word for “terrain,” the label offers up a tightly curated assortment of outdoor furnishings that not only reinforces Ratana’s celebrated durability, but pens a love letter to the outdoors. According to Leung, the new label “reflects on Ratana’s ability to adapt to any type of terrain, emphasizing our core resilience mission.”
The initial offering includes four collections available exclusively to the trade. Palo’s powder-coated aluminum frame and modular connectors provide a decadent seat to sip cocktails alfresco. Lamego features stylishly woven cobalt graphite Durastrap that simultaneously evokes mid-century design and mimics the monumental cathedrals in the Portuguese city of the same name. Inspired by the relaxed resort lifestyle of the Italian Riviera, Alassio exudes understated elegance with deep seats one can melt into. Bogota, meanwhile, channels the cobblestone streets of the Colombian city with interwoven upholstery and tapered legs.
On the eve of Terana’s launch, we chatted with Leung about how consumers are approaching outdoor living differently, how Ratana pivoted in response to the pandemic, and what evolution Terana signifies for the brand.
Given the past year of stay-at-home orders, how do you think consumers are approaching outdoor living differently?
Outdoor living has never been as important, and we feel this will be a permanent lifestyle change for most. In the past year, we’ve found refuge in our home and our outdoor spaces have not only been our place of solitude and relaxation but also our home office—so we’re spending more time than ever outside. It’s also where we feel safest. We’ve seen many of our clients taking this time to renovate their homes and use their outdoor space as an extension of their interior spaces for unwinding and entertaining.
For the hospitality sector, we’ve seen the pandemic give designers an opportunity to rethink outdoor spaces as people are feeling more comfortable and safer outdoors. We’ve seen additional outdoor areas being created in hotels in the form of rooftop bars and expanded outdoor seating at restaurants as well as more versatile seating arrangements so people can easily socially distance as they see fit. It has been an exciting and innovative time for our industry to take part in this new way of life.
How has the brand pivoted during the past year of disruption? What’s been your most important takeaway?
We’ve been very lucky as we have loyal customers that love our products. The emphasis on being safer outside has luckily kept our industry strong as it continues to grow. Each of Terana’s inaugural collections—Palo, Lamego, Alassio, and Bogota—channel nature’s four elements. Now more than ever, we’ve learned the importance of community. We’ve been in constant contact with our clients, both in the residential and hospitality space in being not only a resource for our outdoor offerings, but to let them know that we’re here for them. If ever an opportunity arises, we’ve been there to extend our help in making sure that clients’ needs are met with safety at the forefront of our business.
What sort of evolution does launching Terana signify for Ratana as a brand?
For more than 40 years, our commitment has been providing the best outdoor living experiences, so for our 40th year, we wanted to go back to the ground up. That’s the meaning behind the brand “Terana”—it’s inspired by French word “terrain,” meaning ground. It’s our attempt to return to our roots and return to nature, which is the brand’s ethos. Our goal for Terana is to elevate our clients’ outdoor living experience while remaining true to our roots of unparalleled quality and durability.
How do natural qualities manifest in the design details of the new collection? Which one is your favorite?
It’s so hard to pick one favorite as they’re all so special. The detail you see in the Lamego with our criss-cross woven Durastrap to mimic the church towers is beautiful, as is the thick Durastrap in our Bogota to showcase a stunning woven detail.
I also love what consumers can create with our Palo collection. This collection is completely modular and based on one piece. Different parts can be added to make different items such as a club chair to lounge to full sectional. The possibilities are endless, which is exciting!
What else is on the docket for Terana now that the inaugural collections have launched?
Our Design Lab, consisting of designers and engineers, is constantly inspired by the world around us and working on innovative new designs, experimenting with new materials and technology to expand our offerings.
