Garden furniture highlighted in Rago auctions Aug. 24-26

garden furniture

Limestone obelisk, 5½ft tall on a double ogee plinth, 20th century. Estimate: $500-$700. Rago Arts and Auction Center image

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. – As millennials take their first steps into the realm of home ownership, they face their next big challenge – creating an outdoor living space where they can relax or entertain. Enter Rago’s Arts and Auction Center August Unreserved Auctions on Aug. 24-26, a three-day auction series of antique, vintage and modern art and design, including a bumper crop of garden furniture, planters, benches, and architectural elements from a local estate that run the gamut from French Deco to Egyptian Revival to modern designs. Absentee and Internet bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

Many millennials don’t necessarily want the same plastic Adirondack chair and table set their parents bought in the early ’90s. They want something with a bit more character, something with a bit less “mass market” feel. Rago’s auction will fill the void with highlights like these:

–  A 5-foot-tall limestone obelisk (above) that’s a great focal point for that fledgling garden.

–  A massive industrial clamp seated on a wrought iron base (below) is an unexpected accent piece and a playful juxtaposition to a flowering surrounding.

garden furniture

Tall sculpture created from an oversized industrial iron clamp, 20th century, 67½in x 28in x 11½in. Estimate: $200-$400. Rago Arts and Auction Center image

–  A latticed garden arbor with seating for six would look stunning wrapped in a canopy of creeping vines.

garden furniture

Arched arbor with two integrated benches and scrolling supports, 20th century, wrought iron, 117in x 77in x 78in. Estimate: $800-$1,200. Rago Arts and Auction Center image

–  A pair of high-backed French garden chairs adds a touch of sinuous European elegance to any outdoor space.

garden furniture

Pair of French garden chairs, mid-20th century. Estimate: $300-$500. Rago Arts and Auction Center image

–  A pair of American Rococo-style settees in enameled cast iron enhances the look of a formal garden.

garden furniture

American Rococo-style settees, enameled cast iron, unmarked. Estimate: $500-$700. Rago Arts and Auction Center image

These items and many more will all cross the auction block on the third day of Rago’s August Unreserved Auctions on Sunday, Aug. 26. The sale that day will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern Time.