Merckx & Maes took the plain, useful shapes of classic Scandinavian furniture and cut them in metal: Illum is aluminum patio furniture with the profile of a wooden chair. Nothing about the collection is decorative, and none of it gives up comfort to prove the point.
The collection
Illum in one paragraph
The aluminum is worked the way a carpenter works timber. Profiles taper, arms round off, edges get eased, and the metal ends up reading as sculpted wood at a distance. Up close it behaves like metal: no swelling in Houston humidity, no splitting after a dry Phoenix summer, no annual oiling.
Six pieces, and two of them are tables. One dining table carries a solid teak top, the other stays aluminum all the way through. The choice is whether you want wood grain at the center of a setting or a single material across the whole terrace.
The armchair and the bench pull up to either table. For the pool side there is a lounger and a lounge chair, both light enough that one person can move the furniture before a party instead of scheduling it.
Frames come in quiet shades, linen and clay among them. Lighter finishes hide dust and pollen between rinses, which matters if the terrace sits under trees or near a construction season.
- Designer
- Merckx & Maes
- Pieces
- 6
- Materials
- Aluminum, Solid teak, Quick-dry foam cushions, Solution-dyed acrylic covers
- Best for
- Open terraces, poolside decks and coastal patios that see salt air
- Pricing
- On request
Specification
What the Illum pieces are made of
-
Dining table teak
- Frame
- Sculpted aluminum base
- Seat
- Solid teak top
- Care
- Oil twice a year, or let it weather to silver-grey
-
Dining table
- Frame
- Aluminum throughout
- Seat
- Aluminum top
- Care
- Soap and water; nothing to seal or wax
-
Bench
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Seat
- Open aluminum seat, no upholstery to dry out
- Care
- Hose off pollen and dust
-
Armchair
- Frame
- Aluminum with a back cushion
- Seat
- Shaped aluminum seat under a loose cushion
- Care
- Machine wash covers cold, dry flat
-
Lounger and lounge chair
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Seat
- Cushion over an aluminum deck
- Care
- Store cushions inside over winter
Build
How a Illum piece is layered
-
Solution-dyed acrylic cover
Color runs through the fiber rather than sitting on it, so full sun takes it down slowly and evenly.
-
Quick-dry foam
Open-cell core that pushes water out instead of holding it after a storm.
-
Sculpted aluminum shell
The seat surface itself, shaped the way a wooden seat would be carved.
-
Frame finish
Muted coats such as linen and clay stand between the metal and salt air.
Gallery
Illum in place
Pieces
6 pieces in Illum
- Armchair
- Lounge Chair
Every piece is priced on request. Tell us which ones matter and the quote comes back with lead times.
Journal
Notes from the terrace
01
Aluminum patio furniture, explained
September 29, 2026. Aluminum patio furniture shrugs off humidity, salt and dry heat, and it asks for no oil. This guide shows how two Tribù collections use the metal and how to keep the finish in good shape.
Nearby
If Illum is not quite it
Correspondence
Write to us about your terrace
Tribù does not publish prices. Describe the space and the evenings you plan to spend on it, and a reply with collections and pricing comes back by email.
A Tribù specialist replies within one business day with lead times, finishes and trade pricing.