The lake does the talking

Vassena, Italy

At home

Extremis Anker picnic table with a closed Inumbrina shade on a terrace overlooking Lake Como

Some spots don’t need background music. In Vassena, a hamlet of Oliveto Lario on the Lecco arm of Lago di Como, the water handles it: a soft, steady lapping against the stone wall.

That’s the sound you sit down to here. The mountains on the far side, friends on either side of you, and outdoor furniture that stays out all year so you can stay out longer too.

Aerial view of a lakeside villa in Vassena on Lake Como with Extremis outdoor furniture on the waterfront terrace

A swan on Lake Como with the mountains of Oliveto Lario behind

Extremis Anker picnic table under an open Inumbrina shade seen from below at Lake Como

Drop anchor

The Extremis Anker outdoor picnic table seats six and takes up remarkably little room. Its name means anchor in Dutch, and you can see it in the legs, but the idea runs deeper: drop anchor where you want to stay a while. Everyone sits close enough for real conversation, and the open silhouette leaves the view of the lake wide open.

The tabletop and benches are Hellwood, a thermally treated wood with a deep flame grain that only gets better as it weathers to a soft silver gray. The frame is hot dip galvanized steel, which is exactly what you want this close to water.

Extremis Anker picnic table and Walrus sofa on a waterfront terrace at Lake Como

Guests sitting at the Extremis Anker picnic table under a shade on the lakeside terrace

Taupe overhead

Above the Anker table the Extremis Inumbrina shade spreads its canvas, in a warm taupe that sits easily against the stone and the water without pulling attention away from either. All the technical parts sit above the fabric, so there are no ribs, rods, ropes or slats in your line of sight. You raise it with a simple pulley and the shade just appears.

Taupe Extremis Inumbrina shade seen from above over the Anker picnic table

Close-up of the thermally treated wood and galvanized steel of the Extremis Anker picnic table

Close-up of the folded taupe canvas of the Extremis Inumbrina shade

Everything is already inside

The Extremis Walrus outdoor sofa solves the thing nobody likes about outdoor seating: the storing. The cushions live inside the back of the sofa. Open it up and everything is ready. No bulky protective cover, no hauling pillows indoors when a cloud passes.

So when the sun breaks through, you’re ready in seconds. Cushions out, blanket out, and it becomes the spot where people stay far longer than they planned.

Extremis Walrus outdoor sofa running along the water’s edge at Lake Como

Two guests relaxing on the Extremis Walrus sofa with cushions on the lakeside terrace

Friends gathered on the Extremis Walrus sofa beside the water at Lake Como

Flat out

Right by the water sits the Extremis Sol+Luna, and here it spends its days as a sunbed. It’s generous enough to really stretch out on, and a bright yellow towel thrown across it is all the styling it needs. Come evening it seats three as a sofa, same piece, same footprint, but on an afternoon like this nobody is in a hurry to sit up.

And then there is the Sol+Luna tapa table, the round tray that plugs straight into the frame. Big enough for a glass, a plate of olives and the Extremis fry fork.