John Danzer is the founder of Munder-Skiles, a firm specializing in the production of both historically-inspired and original designs of Garden Furniture and related products. Upon graduating with a BA in Art History from Skidmore College, Danzer pursued a career in International Finance, which, over the following decade, led him to positions in New York, England, France, and Japan.

Throughout his travels, Danzer photographed gardens and settings from all over, resulting in a collection of slides that today numbers over 9000. He has also combined his photographic prints with images taken from his constant perusal of countless periodicals. In 1994, Munder-Skiles published its first brochure of 16 pieces of furniture, the designs which were licensed from historic house museums or taken from traditional designs reworked for modern seating. Since then, Danzer’s company has expanded and has received several awards, including the Roscoe Award for the "Best American Chair" – the first time a garden seat has been so recognized. In June 2000, The New York School of Interior Design staged a 10-year design retrospective of Munder-Skiles called Re-Inventing the Garden Seat.

Munder-Skiles operates a showroom in New York City and has agents posted throughout America and Europe. Danzer resides in New York City and regularly escapes to garden at his small homes in Old Chatham, New York, and Edlunda, Sweden. He also regularly speaks to decorative arts, design, and horticultural organizations both in the US and abroad.

Artist’s Statement
"Encouraging the client to keep Garden Furniture in “context” with its environment led to me to a new venture in 1998. I think it is essential to make onsite visits to advise on furnishings for residential, commercial, and public gardens, concentrating on the appropriate combination for a particular setting. I also urge my clients to extend their careful indoor selection to the outside, mixing and matching furniture and objects to reflect a particular spirit appropriate to their garden. In my work, I try to educate my clients to study, examine, and select furniture that “blur the line” between the indoors and outdoors. "