Outdoor furniture maker reaches the U.S.

By Pam Witmer
Outdoor furniture that has found its way to rooftop decks in Manhattan and beach-side estates in St. Croix

is now available in the first American showroom in the International Design Center in Estero.
Sifas, a 40-year-old French company, specializes in high-end contemporary outdoor furniture.
Five lines of furniture, for use outside as well as indoors, are manufactured in Germany, France and the Far East, said Joost Jansen, president of Sifas USA.
“We started out in retail in France,” Jansen said. “We have eight stores there, including the Cote d’Azur and two in Paris.”
The showroom on the second floor of the design center in Estero welcomes everyone to look at the collections. Buyers are encouraged to work with a designer of his or her own, or one of the designers on call at the design center.
Three styles are currently on display in the showroom. Pieces from the other two collections are expected to be in place by mid-March.
One of the styles now in the showroom is Kokonut. The molded polyethylene chairs and chaise lounges look like sculpture pieces from a modern art museum.
It’s a style that showroom sales consultant Sally Holwerda thinks would be a perfect fit at a beach-side hotel or resort.
The company has a warehouse in Miami. Because of that, Holwerda said, unlike many European furniture companies, Sifas can deliver anywhere in the United States in about three weeks.
Another style on the showroom floor now is Transatlantic, which is handwoven Hularo resin strands over an aluminum frame.
Transatlantic has an outdoor wicker look in a chocolate-brown shade. It is available with upholstered foam cushions in a wide variety of colors. The fabric used is Sunbrela, renowned for its ability to stand up to sun and moisture, Holwerda said.
Jansen said world travelers may already be familiar with Sifas furniture, which is used at several resorts and hotels — including the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
The company will have furniture on display at major trade shows around the world this spring, including the Middle East and Singapore.