By Timothy George

Designer Ben Robinson’s philosophy behind Plank & Board is to make outdoor furniture as comfortable as pieces found in the living room.

Robinson created the company after he couldn’t find the perfect outdoor sectional for his own backyard. So, he decided to build it himself. The style of Robinson’s sustainable outdoor furniture leans toward modernism with clean, simple lines but with comfort in mind for extended lounging.

A glimpse inside Robinson’s Kirkwood home makes it quite evident that he’s not your typical furniture designer. Robinson is also a graphic designer and his wife is an interior designer, so their house is meticulously kept like a showroom, featuring not only Robinson’s creations but also other design finds as well.

Behind the house, Robinson, who is a self-taught designer, has created a workspace for Plank and Board in a small woodshed with a workbench, plenty of power tools and stacks of his favorite wood.

His collection of woodcutters and sanders from Dewalt, Hitachi, Milwaukee, Bosch, and a few hand tools are quite interesting to see, and shows he’s obviously passionate about his work.

Robinson loves working with exotic hardwoods such as Ipe, Basralocus and Cumaru. In his words, “the wood is not only beautiful, but it also stands up to the outdoor elements.”

Though most of his furniture is found on residential decks and patios, you can find his very first outdoor sectional on the patio of Sauced restaurant in Inman Park.

For more information, please contact Ben at (678) 640-3337 or visit plankandboard.com.