Rethinking outdoor living through everyday objects
More than 30 pieces of furniture, accessories and tools reinterpret the aesthetics of traditional camping as a system designed for everyday life. With Outdoor Market, HAY and Jasper Morrison rethink how we inhabit outdoor spaces through simplicity, functionality and durability.
As the warmer months return, spending time outdoors becomes an increasingly important part of daily life. Terraces, gardens, parks and beaches naturally extend our living spaces, becoming places to work, gather or simply pause and unwind. It is within this context that Danish brand HAY extends its vision of democratic design to the outdoors. Rooted in quality, functionality, ease of use and affordability, the company’s philosophy aims to make good design part of everyday life rather than an exclusive privilege.
This vision takes shape in HAY Outdoor Market, the new collection developed in collaboration with designer Jasper Morrison. Comprising more than thirty products, the range includes folding furniture, hammocks, barbecues, cooking accessories, cooler bags, textiles and everyday tools designed to accompany both spontaneous and planned moments between the city and nature. Rather than a conventional outdoor furniture collection, it presents a coordinated system of essential objects that are portable, practical and built to last.
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Outdoor Market by Jasper Morrison x HAY:
How Jasper Morrison shaped the Outdoor Market collection
The project originated from HAY founders and Creative Directors Mette and Rolf HAY‘s ambition to extend their philosophy of democratic design to outdoor living. Drawing inspiration from the timeless practicality of traditional camping equipment, the collection reinterprets familiar objects through a contemporary lens. To bring this vision to life, they turned to Jasper Morrison, whom they describe as “the master of everyday objects” for his remarkable ability to make the ordinary feel essential.
Beyond his design practice, the Jasper Morrison Shop in London has long championed a culture of “honest” objects: simple, useful products – almost anonymous in the most positive sense – whose value lies in intelligent design rather than formal extravagance. That same philosophy runs throughout Outdoor Market, where every piece reflects Morrison’s restrained design language: essential, functional and made to endure.
Furniture, accessories and materials designed for everyday outdoor use
The collection unfolds as a system of complementary objects. At its core is a family of folding furniture -including the Folding Chair, Folding Sofa, Folding Stool and Folding Table – crafted from water-lacquered beech and designed for easy transport with dedicated carrying bags. These are joined by the Hammock, designed for quick installation, and the Canopy, a lightweight textile shelter that creates a temporary space for shade and relaxation.
The collection’s social dimension is expressed through a series of cooking essentials, from the stainless steel BBQ and Fire Pit – conceived as a focal point for warmth and gathering – to utensils, cooler bags, storage containers, stainless steel tableware, insulated mugs and picnic accessories. Together, they create a flexible toolkit for everyday outdoor living.
Outdoor Market functions as an ecosystem of objects that can be freely combined and adapted to different settings, from private gardens to beaches and public parks. This modular approach embodies HAY’s vision of democratic design, shifting the focus away from a single iconic product towards a versatile collection of practical tools. Material choices reinforce the same philosophy: water-lacquered beech, stainless steel and 100% recycled polyester combine durability with lightness.
The collection also features less expected details, such as handcrafted brooms made by Japanese artisans, reflecting Morrison‘s longstanding appreciation for everyday objects that often go unnoticed despite their thoughtful design. The textiles tell a more personal story. The striped patterns found across seating and accessories are inspired by traditional Basque fabrics that Morrison discovered on a vintage textile at a flea market. Woven from recycled polyester, they reinterpret the nostalgic imagery of traditional camping through contemporary materials and production techniques.
A new approach to contemporary outdoor living
Outdoor Market arrives at a time when spending time outdoors has taken on renewed significance in everyday life. Rather than responding to a seasonal trend, the collection reflects a broader cultural shift towards slower, simpler and more shared experiences, positioning design as a means of making them more accessible. “There’s a growing appreciation for being outside, for slowing down, disconnecting and finding joy in simple experiences,” says Mette Hay. “I think that’s something many of us are seeking today.”
More than introducing a new range of outdoor products, Outdoor Market demonstrates how ordinary objects can reshape the way we inhabit open spaces. It is this focus on everyday use, rather than the pursuit of the next design icon, that best captures the shared design philosophy of HAY and Jasper Morrison.
